Beds come in different sizes, and in the United States as well as some other countries, each size bed has its own name. There are special sizes made for very young children, but the standard bed sizes start with twin, which is a bed made for one person. The next size larger is the double bed, which can sleep two but is often used for one person, followed by the queen, which is wider than the double. The largest of the regular bed sizes is the king, which provides plenty of room for two people. Each size has pillows that are commonly used with it, and the queen pillow case is intended to fit pillows that are used on a queen-size bed.
The size of a queen pillow varies by manufacturer, but in general they are about 30 inches (76.2 cm) long by 16 to 20 inches (40.64 to 50.8 cm) wide. A queen pillow case is intended to fit any queen-size pillow, but when buying them for new pillows it is best to check the pillow and pillow case dimensions before making a purchase. It usually doesn’t matter if the fit is exact. In most cases a pillow can be worked into a pillow case that may be a bit too small for it, as the end result will be a plump, full-looking pillow.
Normally the queen pillow case is sized just a little bit larger than a queen pillow, so that it will fit over the pillow easily. The width is not much different from the actual width of a queen pillow. The length of the pillow case is usually a few inches longer than the pillow to ensure that the end of the pillow is adequately covered. A common size for a queen pillow case is 32 to 36 inches (81.28 to 91.44 cm) long by 22 inches (55.88 cm) wide.
The description of a queen pillow case almost always includes the material it is made from and the thread count. Cotton is by far the most common material used, since it is both comfortable and absorbent. Man-made microfiber is also a popular material as it is very smooth and allows air to pass freely through the fabric.
The thread count refers to how many threads are in a square inch (2.54 cm) of the material. Typical thread counts range from about 200 to 1,000, though sometimes the numbers may be even higher. 200 is considered to be of good quality. A queen pillow case manufacturer may claim that higher thread count cases are softer and more comfortable. According to some experts, it is almost impossible for the average person to feel any difference in quality above a thread count of 400.