Pillow size can vary depending on the bed you use, or your sleeping style. Pillow shapes must also be taken into account, as they have become very diverse in recent times, and this can have a great impact on sleeping well. Pillow size has both aesthetic and functional implications in a bed.
Today on the blog of ZAMAT, we will be talking about the topics of pillow size and pillow shapes from the point of view of their design, function, etc. We can guarantee that this will be the most complete article on pillow size that you will find right now on the internet, or at least it will be one of the most comprehensive.
What are the most universal pillow sizes?
Pillows have been used since ancient times. It is known that there were already pillows at least in ancient Egypt. Although in the past the pillow was an accessory used only by the wealthy classes, today we can say that its use could not be more universal. There are very few people in the world who do not come into very close contact with pillows every day. This determines great diversity in terms of pillow size typology, pillow shapes, designs, and functions.
Pillows are normally designed and manufactured in proportion to the sizes of beds and mattresses. The smaller the mattress, the smaller its corresponding pillow will be. And the same goes for large mattresses: their corresponding pillows are larger.
However, it must be said that what changes is the length of the pillow, because the width is usually the same, regardless of the pillow size. On large beds, thanks to the greater space, several types of pillow sizes, or even cushions, are often combined.
In some lists of pillow sizes, cushions are sometimes included. Although cushions can be included as accessories on a bed, we will not include them. We will start this list of pillow sizes with what is considered the smallest among conventional pillows, and from there we will get to the largest ones.
Standard pillow size:
This is the smallest conventional pillow size on the market. Its dimensions are usually 26 x 20 inches (66 x 51 cm). It is specially designed to fit personal mattresses. But of course, this does not mean that it is used exclusively on that type of mattress.
The standard pillow can be combined with larger pillows on larger beds. This is a great option for people who love to fill their bed with pillows, and who cannot achieve this by using only larger pillows.
On a normal double mattress, 2 standard pillows can be used. But for queen-size, king-size, or larger mattresses, you will probably need to use 3 standard pillows to fill the headboard, either for aesthetic or functional purposes.
Super Standard Pillow Size:
The super standard pillow size corresponds to the mattress called “personal XL” or “personal wide”. Its dimensions are 28 x 20 inches (71 x 51 cm), which makes it the average pillow par excellence. It is a pillow that is only slightly longer than the standard pillow (5 cm longer).
And we say “almost” exactly, because it is possible to use only 2 of these pillows on a queen-size bed. In this case, even though there may be some space at the head of the bed, for some people this is fine from an aesthetic and functional point of view.
It does not look bad because it does not affect the aesthetics of the bed. And from a functional point of view, it is the best option for people who do not want to fill the head of the bed with pillows, but only use one not-too-large pillow for each person.
Queen Size Pillow:
The queen-size pillow is one of the largest. As they say, it is “queen-sized” as its dimensions start to be enough for more than one person to use at a time. It measures 30 x 20 inches. It is specially designed for queen-size beds, so 2 of these pillows fill your headboard.
However, it fits perfectly on the super standard or double-size bed, that is, the bed with a personal XL mattress. In this case, a single pillow will fill the headboard from end to end. If you are single but like to sleep ample in both pillow and mattress size, this pillow may be your best option.
King Size Pillow:
The King Size pillow is the largest of the conventional pillows. The size of the king pillow measures almost a metre long by a half wide: 92 x 51 cm (36 x 20 inches).
We can imagine that if a couple wants to use just one pillow to sleep, this would be their best option. The King Size pillow can comfortably support two heads at a time, and there may even be room left. Without going so far as to say that just one of these pillows can take up the entire headboard of a double bed, what we can say is that it will look good even if there is room left on each side.
Let's now look at a well-stocked list of many of the pillow shapes that we can find on the market today.
Square pillows:
Square pillows should be considered more cushions than pillows. After all, the traditional notion of a pillow is rectangular and not square. Sometimes they are used as a special support accessory, not for the head, but for other parts of the body, for example, when making love, in combination with other pillows. This complies with the oriental erotic imagery of making love using pillows, cushions, and bolsters of various sizes and shapes.
Pillows for pregnant women:
Pregnancy pillows are much larger than any conventional pillow. They are possibly the largest pillows today. They are usually U-shaped or narrow-arched and are made of comfortable materials.
Their best-known function is that, during use, the material of the pillow embraces the pregnant woman's body and allows her to comfortably rest her belly and keep the body in a fairly natural position. Many pregnant women have made their pregnancy easier thanks to these pillows.
Travel pillows:
The well-known travel pillows are very similar to pregnancy pillows but in a much smaller version. They are placed in the curve of the cervical spine, on the neck behind the head. If you have not used them, at least you will have seen people who use them during trips. Some place them when taking a seat in a vehicle be it a bus, a train, an airplane, or a boat. But some use them from the moment they leave home to embark on a trip.
Cervical pillows:
The travel pillows that we saw in the previous point can be considered a type of cervical pillow. But cervical pillows are not limited to this, and that is why there are various types.
They are generally designed especially for people who like to sleep on their back, although they could also be used on their side. Their shape is usually peculiar: seen from the side, the pillow has a depression in the center, so that the nape of the head fits perfectly, while the cervical curve adapts perfectly as well.
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