Buying guide
Hospital bed sheet sizes: the complete chart
Quick answer: a standard hospital bed mattress is 36 inches wide and 80 inches long, 6 to 7 inches deep. The fitted sheet that fits it is 36 x 80 x 7 or 36 x 84 x 7, and the matching flat sheet is 66 x 104 or 66 x 108. Deeper pressure-relief mattresses need a 15 inch pocket, and bariatric beds need 42 to 60 inch widths. The full chart is below.
Hospital bed sheet sizes confuse buyers because two different measuring systems are in use at once. Retail bedding is sold by bed name (twin, full, queen), while hospital linen is specified by finished dimensions in inches: width by length, plus pocket depth for fitted sheets. International Linens has woven and stitched hospital bed linens since 2004, mostly for US healthcare distributors and laundries, and this guide lists the sizes we cut most often and how to choose between them.
Hospital bed sheet size chart
All dimensions are finished sizes in inches after hemming. Fitted sheets are listed as width x length x pocket depth.
| Item | Standard sizes | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted sheet, standard bed | 36 x 80 x 7, 36 x 84 x 7 | Standard 36 x 80 hospital mattress, 6 to 7 inch depth |
| Fitted sheet, deep mattress | 36 x 84 x 15, 39 x 75 x 12 | Pressure-relief, low-air-loss and alternating-pressure mattresses |
| Fitted sheet, narrow bed / stretcher | 30 x 75 x 6, 39 x 75 x 7 | Transport stretchers, gurneys, older 39 inch frames |
| Fitted sheet, bariatric | 42 x 80, 48 x 84, 54 x 80 x 12, 54 x 80 x 15, 60 x 80 x 12, 60 x 80 x 15 | Expandable and bariatric frames from 42 to 60 inches wide |
| Flat sheet, standard | 66 x 104, 66 x 108, 66 x 115 | Top sheet for a 36 inch bed; longer lengths give more tuck |
| Flat sheet, extra long / wide | 72 x 104, 72 x 108, 72 x 115, 81 x 108, 90 x 110 | Extra-long beds, bariatric beds, long-term care |
| Draw sheet | 54 x 72, 54 x 80, 54 x 90 | Across the middle of any bed, tucked both sides |
| Stretcher sheet | 30 x 60 flat, 30 x 75 x 6 fitted, 36 x 72 flat | Gurney pads and transport trolleys |
| Pillowcase | 20 x 30 standard, 20 x 40 king | Standard 20 x 26 and king 20 x 36 pillows |
| Crib sheet | 28 x 52 x 6, 24 x 38 x 4 | Full-size hospital crib and portable bassinet mattresses |
What size sheets fit a hospital bed?
Most hospital beds made for the US market take a 36 x 80 inch mattress, sometimes listed as 35 x 80. A 36 x 80 x 7 fitted sheet fits it tightly, and 36 x 84 x 7 gives a little extra length for beds that articulate at the head and knee. Home-care hospital beds sold to families use the same mattress, so the same sheets apply. If you are unsure, measure the mattress rather than the frame: width, length, and depth at the thickest point with any topper in place.
Do twin sheets fit a hospital bed?
Usually not well. A retail twin fitted sheet is cut for a 39 x 75 mattress with an 8 to 12 inch pocket. On a 36 x 80 hospital mattress it is 3 inches too wide and 5 inches too short, so the corners pull off when the head of the bed is raised. Twin XL (39 x 80) solves the length but not the width, and the excess fabric bunches under the patient, which matters for skin integrity. A hospital fitted sheet is cut to 36 inches with all-round elastic, and that is the difference between a sheet that stays on through a shift and one that does not. For families buying for a bed at home, our hospital bed fitted sheets are sold to distributors who carry them in small quantities.
Extra-long hospital bed sheets
“Extra long” means one of two things. For fitted sheets it is the 84 inch length (36 x 84 x 7 or 36 x 84 x 15) used on beds that extend for tall patients. For flat sheets it is the 115 to 122 inch lengths that let housekeeping make a deep fold at the head and a full tuck at the foot. If a facility runs both 80 and 84 inch mattresses, the 84 inch fitted sheet is the safer single stock item.
Pocket depth explained
The third number on a fitted sheet is the pocket: the vertical fabric that wraps the mattress side. Choose it by mattress depth plus about 2 inches. A standard 6 to 7 inch foam or innerspring mattress takes a 7 inch pocket. Pressure-relief and low-air-loss mattresses are 8 to 12 inches deep and need the 12 or 15 inch pocket; a shallow pocket on a deep mattress is the most common reason hospital sheets pop off. Knitted stretch sheets are an alternative where mattress depth varies from bed to bed, because the jersey stretches over depths from 6 to 12 inches. See knitted fitted sheets.
Bariatric hospital bed sheet sizes
Bariatric frames come in 42, 48, 54 and 60 inch widths, and expandable frames move between them. Sheets are cut to match: 42 x 80 for the narrowest, 48 x 84 for the most common expandable setting, and 54 x 80 or 60 x 80 with 12 to 15 inch pockets for full bariatric beds. Flat sheets for these beds are 72 to 90 inches wide so they still tuck. Our bariatric bed sheets page lists every regular cut.
Flat sheet or fitted sheet on the bottom?
Both are used. Many US hospitals run a fitted bottom sheet, a draw sheet across the middle and a flat top sheet. Some laundries prefer flat bottom sheets with hospital corners because flat sheets iron and fold faster on a flatwork ironer and there is no elastic to fail. If your laundry has a folder for fitted sheets, fitted bottoms make up beds faster on the ward; if it does not, flat bottoms cost less to process. We supply both from the same fabric lot so the bed matches; see hospital flat sheets.
Draw sheets and stretcher sheets
A draw sheet is 54 inches wide so it tucks under both sides of a 36 inch mattress, and 72 to 90 inches long. It sits under the patient from shoulders to hips and lets two carers reposition without dragging the skin. Stretcher pads are narrower, usually 30 inches, and take a 30 x 75 x 6 fitted sheet or a 30 x 60 flat. Colour coding stretcher sheets blue keeps them out of the bed-sheet stream in the laundry.
How to measure a hospital mattress
- Measure width and length across the top surface, not the frame.
- Measure depth at the thickest point, with any overlay or topper in place.
- Add 2 inches to the depth for the fitted-sheet pocket.
- For flat sheets, add at least 30 inches to the mattress length so the sheet can tuck at the foot and fold at the head.
- Note whether the bed extends; if it does, stock the 84 inch length.
Ordering hospital bed sheets in these sizes
Every size in the chart is a regular cut at our units in Faisalabad, and any other dimension is made to a specification sheet. Sheets are woven in T-130 to T-250 cotton/polyester, CVC or 100% cotton, finished under OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class I certified processing, and supplied by the carton, bale or container to distributors and laundries. Start with the hospital bed sheets collection or send your sizes through the contact page for a quotation within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
What size are hospital bed sheets?
Standard hospital fitted sheets are 36 x 80 x 7 or 36 x 84 x 7 inches; standard flat sheets are 66 x 104 or 66 x 108 inches. Bariatric and deep-mattress sizes are larger; see the chart above.
What size is a hospital bed mattress?
Most hospital and home-care hospital bed mattresses are 36 inches wide, 80 inches long and 6 to 7 inches deep. Pressure-relief mattresses run 8 to 12 inches deep.
Will twin XL sheets fit a hospital bed?
Twin XL matches the 80 inch length but is 39 inches wide, so it bunches on a 36 inch mattress and the corners can slip when the bed is raised. A purpose-cut 36 x 80 hospital sheet fits properly.
What size sheets fit a bariatric hospital bed?
It depends on the frame width: 42 x 80, 48 x 84, 54 x 80 or 60 x 80 fitted sheets with 12 to 15 inch pockets. Measure the mattress and match the width.
What size is a hospital draw sheet?
54 inches wide by 72 to 90 inches long.
What size is a hospital pillowcase?
20 x 30 inches for a standard pillow and 20 x 40 for a king pillow.
Do you sell hospital bed sheets in small quantities?
We are a manufacturer and supply distributors and laundries by the carton or container. Distributors that stock our sheets sell smaller quantities to facilities and families.