Bamboo Bedding 140x200 – The Standard Size

Short answer: 140x200 centimetres is the size most single duvets have, and therefore the size most bedding sets are sold in. When the duvet matches the measurement, the cover lies flat without sliding, and that is the whole difference between a good night and a restless one.

Why the measurement is standard

Manufacturers have used 140x200 for decades, and beds were 200 centimetres long for just as long. That is why it is the size most people have in the cupboard, and also the first thing to check if you cannot remember what you own.

How to measure

Lay the duvet out flat and measure from seam to seam lengthways and across. Never measure diagonally, and do not measure the cover you already have, because an old cover may have shrunk several centimetres over the years.

When the duvet is 220 long

If the bed is longer than 200 centimetres, or you are tall yourself, the duvet is often 140x220 instead. See bamboo bedding in 140x220, because twenty centimetres cannot be handled with a standard size cover.

See the set

The sets in the standard size sit under bamboo bedding in 140x200, and the full range of colours and qualities is under bamboo bedding, if several sets are being bought for the same bed at once.

The sheet for the bed

A single duvet usually sits on a mattress of 90x200 centimetres. A bamboo fitted sheet in that size stays put through the night, and the depth of the mattress is worth measuring too, because depth varies more than length does.

How it feels

Bamboo viscose feels cool for the first few minutes after you lie down and then warms up from the body. In summer that is the noticeable difference from cotton, which often feels warm from the moment you get under the duvet.

The cover has to hold

A cover with buttons or a zip at the end keeps the duvet in place, where an open cover lets it slide up into one corner. It is a small detail at purchase, but the one you notice at three in the morning.

Washing and shrinkage

Wash at 40 degrees the first time and at 30 after that. A set can shrink one to two per cent in the first wash, which is why you should not buy a cover that fits exactly without a centimetre to spare.

Drying

Hang the set to dry rather than tumble drying it. Heat wears the fibres, and a bamboo set that has been tumble dried many times loses the smooth surface that was the reason for choosing it over cotton. See also a better night's sleep with bamboo.