You have picked the colour, you know your bed size, and then one question stops the order: will a linen fitted sheet actually stay on a mattress this thick? It is a fair question. Australian mattresses have quietly grown deeper over the last decade — pillow-tops, thick foam layers and permanent toppers all add centimetres — and a fitted sheet cut for a shallow mattress will pop a corner by the second night.
Here is how mattress depth and fitted sheet pockets actually work, how to measure yours in under a minute, and what to do if your bed sits outside the usual range.
What counts as a “deep” mattress in Australia?
Depth is measured from the base of the mattress to the highest point of the sleeping surface, including any pillow-top sewn on top. A rough guide:
- Standard: 20–30 cm (8–12"). Older spring mattresses and slim foam mattresses.
- Deep: 30–40 cm (12–16"). Most mattresses sold in Australia today, especially hybrid and euro-top models.
- Extra deep: 40 cm and over (16"+). Pillow-tops, luxury hybrids, or any mattress with a topper left on permanently.
The trap is the topper. A 5 cm wool or latex topper turns a comfortably standard mattress into a deep one, and it is the thing people most often forget to include when they measure.
How deep are SCANDALINEN linen fitted sheets?
Our French linen fitted sheets are cut deep pocket as standard — sized to fit mattresses roughly 35–45 cm (14–18") deep — with elastic running the full way around the hem rather than only at the corners. That full-perimeter elastic is what keeps a sheet gripped on a tall mattress. Corner-only elastic is the usual reason a sheet rides up overnight.
The same depth applies to the fitted sheet inside our French linen sheet sets, and every size is listed on the product pages in the French linen bed sheet collection.
How to measure your mattress in under a minute
- Strip the bed back to the bare mattress, and leave any permanent topper in place.
- Stand a tape measure vertically against the middle of the long edge — not at a corner, which compresses and reads short.
- Measure from where the mattress meets the base to the highest point of the top surface.
- Add 2–3 cm if you use a padded mattress protector.
Write that number down. Together with your bed size, it is everything we need. If you are not sure which size name matches your bed, our linen sheet sizes guide for Australia lists every AU size in centimetres.
What goes wrong when the pocket depth is off
Too shallow, and the sheet lives under constant tension: corners lift, the elastic stretches out within months, and the seams take strain they were never designed for. Too deep, and you get the opposite problem — loose fabric bunching under your hips and a bed that never quite looks made.
Linen shows both faults more clearly than cotton does, because linen has almost none of the mechanical stretch you get from a jersey or percale weave. Getting the depth right is not fussiness. On a linen sheet, it is most of the fit.
When to order a custom depth
Because everything is cut and sewn to order in our Hanoi workshop, depth is not locked to a standard. Ask for a custom pocket if your mattress is:
- Deeper than 45 cm once toppers are included
- Shallower than 25 cm — common in caravans, daybeds, bunks and guest rooms
- A European or imported size that does not match an AU label
Custom depth is handled the same way as custom width and length. Our guide to custom size linen sheets walks through the process and what measurements to send us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a deep pocket sheet if I use a topper?
Almost always. Measure with the topper in place — 5 cm is enough to move a mattress from standard to deep, and it is the single most common reason a fitted sheet will not stay put.
Will a deep pocket fitted sheet look baggy on a thinner mattress?
Slightly, at the sides. Full-perimeter elastic pulls most of the slack underneath so it stays on, but if your mattress is under 25 cm a custom depth will look far tidier and wear better.
Does linen shrink enough to change the pocket depth?
Our linen is stonewashed and pre-shrunk before it is cut, and we build the remaining allowance into the pattern. Wash warm rather than hot and you should not see the pocket tighten.
Do I still need a flat sheet if the fitted sheet fits properly?
That depends on how you sleep and how often you want to wash. We weighed it up in flat sheet vs fitted sheet: do you need both?
Ready to order?
Measure once, then choose your size with confidence. Browse the French linen bed sheets, pair one with a flat sheet, or explore the full French Linen collection.
Try SCANDALINEN linen — 10% off this week
100% French linen and bamboo linen blends, OEKO-TEX certified, handcrafted to order. Ships to Australia and NZ.
Use code LINEN10 at checkout.
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What if no "deep pocket" sheet is deep enough?
Then the label is the problem, not your mattress. "Deep pocket" is a marketing term with no fixed definition — one brand means 35 cm, another means 50 cm, and neither prints the number prominently. Standard fitted sheets are cut for mattresses 23–30 cm deep. Modern hybrids and pillow-tops routinely pass 38 cm, and even premium bedding lines usually stop near 43 cm. Add a topper and a protector and you are outside every chart on the market.
The fix is to stop buying by label and order by number. We cut fitted sheets to any depth you give us, at the same price as a standard one, with a 1.5 cm elastic bound all the way around the edge rather than only at the corners.
The one number that fixes it
Measure the mattress at its thickest point, with the topper and protector you actually sleep on, then add 5 cm. That final figure is the depth to order. The 5 cm is what lets the sheet tuck under and hold its tension — without it, even a correctly sized sheet works loose. Correct sizing is also worth money: research suggests it stops roughly 9 in 10 people replacing sheets early, saving around $74 a year.
Send us three numbers — width, length and that final depth — and we cut to them. No surcharge, no minimum order, and the lead time is identical to a standard order.
Go deeper: How to measure your bed for custom size bedding · Caravan, RV and boat berths · Oversized beds · Where to buy custom size linen bedding
Tell us the depth. We cut to it.
Any depth, any width, any length — at standard price. 1.5 cm elastic all the way around, 100% European flax at 160–175 GSM, stonewashed, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified, sewn to order in Hanoi. 50+ colours, no minimum order, 30-day returns.
Use code LINEN10 for 10% off.
Send Your Depth → Shop Fitted Sheets →
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