ChartStandard dimensions — nothing to enter.
A runner is 2 to 3 ft wide and 6 to 14 ft long, with 2.5 × 8 ft the most common. The width is set by the hallway and the length by leaving a few inches of floor at each end — both rules are below.
| Runner | Inches | Centimeters | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 6 ft | 24 × 72 in | 61 × 183 cm | Short hall, in front of a sink |
| 2.5 × 6 ft | 30 × 72 in | 76 × 183 cm | Short hall, entry |
| 2 × 8 ft | 24 × 96 in | 61 × 244 cm | Narrow hall, galley kitchen |
| 2.5 × 8 ft | 30 × 96 in | 76 × 244 cm | The most common size — hall, kitchen, beside a bed |
| 2.5 × 10 ft | 30 × 120 in | 76 × 305 cm | Longer hallway |
| 2.5 × 12 ft | 30 × 144 in | 76 × 366 cm | Long hallway, stair landing run |
| 3 × 8 ft | 36 × 96 in | 91 × 244 cm | Wide hall, beside a king bed |
| 3 × 12 ft | 36 × 144 in | 91 × 366 cm | Wide, long hallway |
| 3 × 14 ft | 36 × 168 in | 91 × 427 cm | The longest common stock runner |
Longer than 14 ft is usually two runners with a gap, or a custom cut. Two runners in a long hall is normal and looks deliberate as long as the gap is even.
Width comes from the hallway. Leave 4 to 6 inches of floor showing on each side. A 36 in hall takes a 2 ft runner; a 42 in hall takes a 2.5 ft; a 48 in hall takes a 3 ft. A runner that touches both skirting boards reads as fitted carpet.
Length comes from the ends. Stop 6 to 18 inches short of the wall or the doorway at each end. Running right up to a door is how a runner gets kicked into a ridge.
Clear the door swing. Measure the gap under the door before you buy — a thick runner in a doorway will stop the door, and it is the single most common runner return.
Beside a bed. Two runners either side is the cheapest bedroom rug arrangement and covers exactly where you step out. Use 2.5 × 8 ft alongside a queen and 3 × 8 ft alongside a king.
Long halls take two. Past about 14 ft there is no stock runner, so use two with an even gap between them, or have one cut and bound to length.
Leave 4 to 6 inches of floor on each side, so a 36 in hall takes a 2 ft runner, a 42 in hall a 2.5 ft, and a 48 in hall a 3 ft. For length, stop 6 to 18 inches short at each end.
2.5 × 8 ft — 30 × 96 inches. It suits a standard hallway, a galley kitchen and the side of a bed, which is why it is the size most stocked.
14 ft is the longest common stock size. Beyond that, use two runners with an even gap between them, or have one cut and bound to length.
No. Four to six inches of floor should show on each side. A runner wall to wall reads as fitted carpet and there is no reason to pay rug prices for that.
It can. Measure the gap under the door against the pile height before buying — this is the most common reason runners get returned.
Two 2.5 × 8 ft alongside a queen, or two 3 × 8 ft alongside a king. It covers where you step out and costs a fraction of a rug under the whole bed.