ChartStandard dimensions — nothing to enter.
The standard US area rug sizes are 3×5, 4×6, 5×8, 6×9, 8×10 and 9×12 feet. Those six cover most of what is sold. Below is every size with its exact conversion, and what each one is big enough to do.
| Rug | Inches | Centimeters | Area | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 3 ft | 24 × 36 in | 61 × 91 cm | 6 sq ft | Doormat, in front of a sink |
| 3 × 5 ft | 36 × 60 in | 91 × 152 cm | 15 sq ft | Entryway, beside a bed, small bathroom |
| 4 × 6 ft | 48 × 72 in | 122 × 183 cm | 24 sq ft | Under a coffee table, a reading chair |
| 5 × 7 ft | 60 × 84 in | 152 × 213 cm | 35 sq ft | Small living room, under a twin bed |
| 5 × 8 ft | 60 × 96 in | 152 × 244 cm | 40 sq ft | The same job as 5 × 7 with a foot more length |
| 6 × 9 ft | 72 × 108 in | 183 × 274 cm | 54 sq ft | Front legs of a sofa, a small dining table for four |
| 8 × 10 ft | 96 × 120 in | 244 × 305 cm | 80 sq ft | Most living rooms, under a queen bed |
| 9 × 12 ft | 108 × 144 in | 274 × 366 cm | 108 sq ft | Large living room, under a king bed, dining table for six |
| 10 × 14 ft | 120 × 168 in | 305 × 427 cm | 140 sq ft | Open-plan seating, dining table for eight |
| 12 × 15 ft | 144 × 180 in | 366 × 457 cm | 180 sq ft | The largest common stock size |
| 2.5 × 8 ft runner | 30 × 96 in | 76 × 244 cm | 20 sq ft | Hallway, galley kitchen, beside a bed |
| 2.5 × 10 ft runner | 30 × 120 in | 76 × 305 cm | 25 sq ft | Longer hallway |
| 6 ft round | 72 in diameter | 183 cm | 28 sq ft | Under a round table for four, an entry |
| 8 ft round | 96 in diameter | 244 cm | 50 sq ft | Under a round table for six |
Rug sizes are retail conventions, not a published standard, so an "8 × 10" from one maker can measure a couple of inches either side of 96 × 120. Measure the rug you are buying if it has to fit a specific gap. The inch, centimeter and area figures here are exact arithmetic from the nominal feet.
Sizes come in a ladder, not a continuum. Rugs are woven to stock sizes because looms and shipping are set up that way, so the practical question is never "what size do I need" but "which of these does my room take". The six sizes in bold above cover the large majority of what is on sale.
The conversions are arithmetic. A foot is 12 inches and 30.48 centimeters, so an 8 × 10 rug is 96 × 120 inches and 244 × 305 cm. Nothing on this page has to be taken on trust — multiply and check.
Pick the size from the furniture, not the room. The common mistake is buying a rug to fill a floor. A rug is sized to sit under the furniture group and hold it together: in a living room at least the front legs of every seat should stand on it, and in a dining room the chairs must stay on the rug when pulled out.
Leave floor showing. A rug should stop roughly 8 to 24 inches short of the walls. Run it closer than that and it reads as fitted carpet rather than a rug — and it catches on the door.
Round up when you are between sizes. Almost every room that looks wrong is one size too small. Going up a step costs more than it looks like it should, but there is no way to make a small rug look deliberate.
3×5, 4×6, 5×8, 6×9, 8×10 and 9×12 feet are the six that cover most of the market. Below those are 2×3 accent rugs and runners; above them are 10×14 and 12×15.
96 by 120 inches, or 244 by 305 centimeters — 80 square feet. It is the size that suits most living rooms and sits under a queen bed with a border showing.
5×8 and 8×10 are the two biggest sellers, because one fits a small living room or a bedside and the other fits a standard living room seating group.
No, and they are both sold. A 5×7 is 60×84 inches and a 5×8 is 60×96 — the same width, a foot apart in length. They do the same job; check which one you are actually buying.
An 8×10 in most cases. That leaves about two feet of floor on the long sides and one on the short, which is inside the 8-to-24-inch border most rooms want. A 9×12 would run wall to wall on one dimension.
Yes — wider than the sofa on both ends, by six inches or more each side. A rug narrower than the sofa makes the seating look like it is standing on a mat.
Roughly 8 to 24 inches to the walls. Less than that and it reads as carpet; much more and the furniture stops feeling connected to it.