ChartStandard dimensions — nothing to enter.
A standard shower curtain is 72 × 72 inches (183 × 183 cm), sized for the 60 in alcove tub that is in most US bathrooms. The liner is cut slightly smaller on purpose.
| Type | Curtain | Liner | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 72 × 72 in | 70 × 72 in | The 60 in alcove tub in most US bathrooms |
| Stall | 54 × 78 in | 54 × 78 in | A narrow corner or walk-in shower |
| Long | 72 × 84 in | 70 × 84 in | A rod raised for a taller opening |
| Extra long | 72 × 96 in | 70 × 96 in | A ceiling-mounted rod or a wet room |
| Wide | 108 × 72 in | 2 × 70 × 72 in | A double opening, or two curtains on one rod |
| Half or café | 54 × 72 in | — | A corner tub where only part is enclosed |
The liner is 2 in narrower than the curtain so it hangs inside it, and the same length or shorter so it tucks into the tub while the curtain hangs outside.
72 × 72 inches is the standard. It exists because the standard US alcove bathtub is 60 in long. A 72 in curtain across a 60 in opening is 1.2 times the width — just enough to close flat with a little slack at the rings, and no more.
Which is why shower curtains are not window curtains. A window curtain is bought at 1.5 to 2.5 times the window width so it gathers when closed; the curtain size calculator works to those ratios. A shower curtain is deliberately near-flat, because gathered fabric holds water and the point of the thing is that it dries.
Rod height. A standard rod sits 75 to 77 in above the floor. That puts the bottom of a 72 in curtain roughly 3 to 5 in inside the tub, which is where you want it: high enough to clear the rim, low enough that water cannot escape under it. Raise the rod above 77 in — for a taller-looking bathroom, or a ceiling mount — and you need the 84 or 96 in curtain instead.
The liner does the work. The liner is the waterproof layer and hangs inside the tub; the curtain hangs outside and stays dry. That is why the liner is cut 2 in narrower — 70 in against 72 — so it sits within the curtain rather than peeping out at the edges. A curtain used without a liner wicks water onto the floor along its hem.
Measuring a shower that is not standard. Measure the opening from one wall to the other, add 12 in, and round up to the nearest stock size for the width. For the length, measure from where the rod will sit down to about 2 in above the floor for a curtain that hangs outside a shower base, or to 3 in inside the tub for an alcove. A standard 72 in curtain carries 12 rings at 6 in spacing.
72 × 72 inches, or 183 × 183 cm. It is sized for a standard 60 in alcove bathtub and is the size sold plain as "shower curtain" in the US.
75 to 77 inches from the floor for a standard 72 in curtain. That leaves the hem hanging 3 to 5 in inside the tub. If you want the rod higher than 77 in, move up to an 84 in curtain or the hem will finish above the tub rim and let water out.
Narrower, yes — 70 in against 72 — so it hangs inside the curtain. Length is usually the same. The liner goes inside the tub and the curtain outside it, so the liner never needs to be longer.
54 × 78 in. Stall curtains are narrower because the opening is, and longer because a walk-in shower has no tub rim to hang inside — the extra length takes the hem down closer to the floor of the base.
Only if the rod is above about 77 in, which usually means a ceiling mount or a bathroom with a raised rod for height. Measure from the rod to 3 in inside the tub, and if that is more than 72 in, buy the 84 in.
Twelve for a standard 72 in curtain. The holes are punched at 6 in centers, so the ring count follows from the width — a 108 in wide curtain takes eighteen.