240x260 duvet cover: which bed does it fit?

A 240x260 duvet cover is made for a 180 cm bed, what retailers call King size. It is the largest common size on the French market. If your mattress measures 180x200, this is the size you need — and the duvet that goes inside also measures 240x260.

Why 240x260 matches a 180 cm bed

The calculation is simple once you have seen it. A mattress 180 cm wide needs a duvet that overhangs by about thirty centimetres on each side to stay in place when two people move: 180 + 30 + 30 = 240. Lengthwise, a 200 cm mattress needs enough to come up to the shoulders and fall over the foot: 260 cm. The cover takes exactly the same measurements, since it dresses the duvet, not the bed.

This is the central rule of all bed linen, explained in our bed linen size guide: the cover follows the duvet, never the mattress. A 180 cm bed does not take a 180 cm cover.

Can you use a 240x260 on a 160 cm bed?

Yes, and some people do it on purpose. Two situations justify it.

The first: you sleep as a couple and one of you steals the duvet. The extra 20 cm of width give enough margin so that nobody ends up uncovered in the middle of the night.

The second: you like long drops, almost to the floor. On a 160 cm bed with a high base, a 240x260 falls low and gives a very dressed bed.

The drawback is visual. The bed looks less neat, and if it is against a wall, the duvet drags on one side. For a balanced drape on a 160 cm bed, the standard size remains 220x240 — you will find it on most of our duvet covers.

How 240x260 changes the drape, depending on the fabric

At the same dimensions, two covers do not fall the same way. The fabric makes the difference on such a large size, where the side drop measures around thirty centimetres on each side.

• Washed cotton percale has a matt, crisp feel. It holds folds and keeps a slightly structured drape. It is the result closest to a hotel bed.
• Eucalyptus lyocell is more fluid, with a satiny drape that follows the volume of the duvet. It slides more at the sides.
• Washed linen has weight. It falls straight, creases clearly, and that is exactly what you want from it.
• Cotton gauze embraces a permanent crumple. On a large bed, the look is relaxed rather than neat.

The full comparison is in our guide to choosing bed linen.

Which duvet goes in a 240x260 cover

A 240x260 duvet, exactly. It is the classic post-purchase mistake: slipping a 220x240 duvet into a 240x260 cover because you already had it. The result is a duvet that drifts into a corner, clumps of filling on one side and empty space on the other, and cold feet.

If you need to buy a new duvet at the same time, the choice of fill weight deserves two minutes' thought: on a 180 cm bed, a duvet that is too warm is quickly felt by two people. The range is in our duvets, also available in this size.

Noctua models available in 240x260

Nine of our products come in this size: six covers and bedding sets, and three duvets. Here are the main ones.

Model	Fabric	What sets it apart
Washed cotton percale bedding set	Washed cotton percale	Natural wooden buttons, 6 colours, a matt feel that keeps you cool
Egyptian cotton duvet cover	Egyptian cotton	Silky, enveloping feel, 3 colours
Eucalyptus lyocell duvet cover	Lyocell	Thermoregulating, 7 colours, the fabric for those who sleep hot
Washed linen duvet cover	Washed linen	Heavy, crumpled drape, 5 natural colours

The Washed cotton percale bedding set and the Washed linen bedding set come with the cover and two pillowcases; the Eucalyptus lyocell duvet cover and the Egyptian cotton duvet cover are sold on their own and combine with what you already have. All complete sets are gathered in our bedding sets.

Good to know: depending on the brand, this size is written 240 x 260 or 260 x 240. They are exactly the same dimensions — only the reading order changes. On our site, every product page, duvet covers and bedding sets alike, shows it the same way: 260 x 240.

Three checks before ordering

• Measure your duvet laid flat, edge to edge, without pulling. The label is sometimes rounded.
• Do not deduce anything for the fitted sheet. On a 180 cm bed, it is 180x200, with a pocket depth suited to the thickness of the mattress — the size you will find in our fitted sheets.
• Check the size of your pillows. Our pillowcases come in 50x70 and in a square size, to compare with what you already have.

Once you have the right number, the rest is easy. And if doubts remain when you unpack, an exchange is still possible.