Most tablecloths sold in India come in a short list of sizes, and nearly all of them share one thing: the width. It sits at 56, 57 or 60 inches, about 142 to 152 cm, because that is roughly how wide the fabric comes off the loom. The length is what changes, from 72 inches up to 120.
So the short answer is this. Measure your table, add 50 to 60 cm to the length and to the width, and pick the trade size closest to that. For most Indian 6-seaters, around 180 by 90 cm, that means a 90 or 91 by 56 to 60 inch cloth. For a 4-seater it is 72 by 56 inches, and for an 8-seater it is 108 inches or longer.
The chart further down does the arithmetic for each table. First, the two numbers that decide whether a cloth looks right.
What is the drop, and how much do you want?
The drop is how far the cloth hangs past the table edge on each side. It is the real measure of fit. Two cloths can both "fit" a table and look nothing alike, because one hangs 10 cm and the other 35.
A few rough bands are worth knowing:
- Under about 15 cm (6 in), the cloth looks like it shrank. The table edge and the apron under it show at every seat.
- Around 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) is the everyday range. It covers the apron, hangs cleanly and stays out of laps.
- Past about 30 cm, the cloth starts to reach the seat of the chairs. A dining table top is typically around 75 cm off the floor and a dining chair seat around 45 cm, so the gap between them is about 30 cm. Any drop longer than that lands on your knees when you pull in.
Long drops are not wrong. For a party or a puja table where nobody sits close, a cloth that hangs most of the way to the floor looks generous. For a table used three times a day, the lap problem wins, and the cloth gets tucked, folded or pulled crooked within a week.
The working formula, then, is plain: cloth size = table size + two drops. A 180 cm table with 25 cm drops wants a 230 cm cloth.
Why the width of the table matters more than you think
Because the cloth width is fixed by the loom, you don't really choose your side drop. Your table width chooses it for you.
A narrow 4-seater around 75 cm wide gets a long side drop of about 34 cm from a 56 inch cloth, right at the edge of lap territory. A typical 6-seater at 90 cm gets about 26 cm, which is close to ideal. A broad 8-seater at 100 cm gets only about 21 cm, so a 60 inch wide cloth (about 26 cm drop) suits it better if you can find one in your pattern.
This is also why buying "the next size up" doesn't fix a cloth that looks short at the sides. Going from 91 to 108 inches only adds length. The sides stay exactly where they were.
Tablecloth size chart: rectangular tables
The table sizes below are typical Indian dining table sizes, not fixed standards, so measure your own table before you order. The cloth sizes are the cuts currently sold on encasaxo.com. Drops are worked out from those two numbers: half the difference, at each end and each side.
| Table (L x W) | Seats | Cloth size | End drop | Side drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 x 75 cm (41 x 30 in) | 4 | 72 x 56 in (183 x 142 cm) | 38.9 cm (15.3 in) | 33.6 cm (13.2 in) |
| 120 x 75 cm (47 x 30 in) | 4 | 72 x 56 in (183 x 142 cm) | 31.4 cm (12.4 in) | 33.6 cm (13.2 in) |
| 150 x 90 cm (59 x 35 in) | 4 to 6 | 72 x 56 in (183 x 142 cm) | 16.4 cm (6.5 in) | 26.1 cm (10.3 in) |
| 180 x 90 cm (71 x 35 in) | 6 | 90 x 60 in (229 x 152 cm) | 24.3 cm (9.6 in) | 31.2 cm (12.3 in) |
| 180 x 90 cm (71 x 35 in) | 6 | 91 x 56 in (231 x 142 cm) | 25.6 cm (10.1 in) | 26.1 cm (10.3 in) |
| 180 x 90 cm (71 x 35 in) | 6 | 94 x 57 in (239 x 145 cm) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) | 27.4 cm (10.8 in) |
| 210 x 90 cm (83 x 35 in) | 8 | 108 x 60 in (274 x 152 cm) | 32.2 cm (12.7 in) | 31.2 cm (12.3 in) |
| 240 x 100 cm (94 x 39 in) | 8 | 108 x 60 in (274 x 152 cm) | 17.2 cm (6.8 in) | 26.2 cm (10.3 in) |
| 240 x 100 cm (94 x 39 in) | 8 | 118 x 57 in (300 x 145 cm) | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) | 22.4 cm (8.8 in) |
| 240 x 100 cm (94 x 39 in) | 8 | 120 x 56 in (305 x 142 cm) | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) | 21.1 cm (8.3 in) |
Read the 4-seater rows with care. The smallest rectangular cut is 72 inches, which is generous on a compact table, and on a 105 cm table it hangs nearly 39 cm at each end. That is into the lap. If your 4-seater is that short, a 56 or 57 inch square cloth is worth a look instead: on a 105 by 75 cm table it gives about 18.5 to 20 cm at the ends and the same 33.6 cm at the sides. It sounds odd to put a square on a rectangle, but the ends come out closer to normal.
The 8-seater rows show the opposite problem. Tables in that class vary a lot in length, and a 108 inch cloth that drapes well on a 210 cm table leaves only about 17 cm at each end of a 240 cm one. Above roughly 230 cm, start at 118 or 120 inches.
That longest cut is rare. On the live catalogue only a few designs go past 108 inches, among them the plain Cotton Mango tablecloth, sold in 72, 91 and 120 inch lengths at 56 inches wide. If you own a 240 cm table, that choice gets made for you before colour comes into it. On a 100 cm wide 8-seater it still gives only about 21 cm at the sides, which is fine, just not lavish.
What size tablecloth for an oval table?
Use the same chart. Measure the oval at its longest point and its widest point, and treat those as length and width.
A rectangular cloth on an oval table behaves a little differently at the ends. At the centre of each curved end, the drop is exactly what the chart says. Towards the corners, the table curves away under the cloth, so the four corners hang lower than the rest and form soft points. On most dining ovals this looks deliberate, not sloppy. The thing to watch is the corner by a chair: if your end drop is already near 30 cm, the corner can reach well past the seat. On an oval, pick the row with the shorter end drop when you are between two sizes.
Round tables work on a different measurement, the diameter, and the trade sizes are 56, 57 and 60 inches. The round table cover size guide has its own chart for 2, 4 and 6-seater rounds.
Picking a cloth from the chart
Here is how the chart turns into a purchase for the most common case. Say your table is 180 by 90 cm, a usual 6-seater, and it is used every day with chairs pushed in.
The three 6-seater rows all work, but they feel different. The 91 by 56 inch cut gives an even 25 to 26 cm all round, the tidiest look. The 90 by 60 inch cut, which the hand block printed designs use, gives about 31 cm at the sides, so it brushes the knees a bit more but looks fuller. The 94 by 57 inch cut adds length for a table that runs a few centimetres over 180. If you want the even version in a plain colour, the Cotton Beige tablecloth comes in both 91 by 56 and 94 by 57, plus a 118 inch length for a long table later.
For a 4-seater around 120 by 75 cm, a 72 by 56 inch cloth gives a little over 31 cm at every side. That suits a table used for meals with people sitting close only if you accept a slightly long drop. The Cotton Buffalo Red Checks tablecloth is sold in 72 by 56 and 91 by 56 inches, and the product page labels those 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 seater. Those labels work on mid-sized tables. At the extremes, trust the chart over the label.
If you want to compare patterns across every size at once, the full tablecloth collection lists the size as a variant on each product, so you can filter to your row first and choose the design after. For a 6-seater that also needs to survive daily dal and haldi, the plainer chambray tablecloths are an easier wash.
For fabrics and the plastic-or-cotton question, the table cover for dining table guide covers that side.
Questions people ask about tablecloth size
What size tablecloth fits a 6-seater table?
For a typical 180 by 90 cm table, a cloth of about 90 to 94 inches long and 56 to 60 inches wide. That is roughly 229 to 239 cm by 142 to 152 cm, and it hangs about 24 to 31 cm on each side.
How do I measure my table for a tablecloth?
Measure the top only, length and width, edge to edge in cm. Ignore the legs and the chairs. Add the drop you want twice to each measurement. For an oval, take the longest and widest points.
Is 72 x 56 inches big enough for a 6-seater?
Only on a short one. On a 150 by 90 cm table it leaves about 16 cm at each end, which reads as a little short. On a 180 cm table it would leave about 1.5 cm, so the edge would barely be covered.
Can a tablecloth be too big?
Yes, for daily use. Once the drop goes past about 30 cm on a standard-height table, it reaches the chair seats and ends up in laps. For a buffet or a decorated festive table that nobody sits at, a longer drop is fine.
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