If you have ever bought a comforter set and found an extra pillow cover in the bag with an odd flap on the back, that was a pillow sham. Shams are one of those bedding items nobody explains, which is why so many of them end up shoved in a linen closet. Here is what a sham actually is, what it is for, what size to buy, and when you can skip it entirely.
The short answer
A pillow sham is a decorative pillow cover. It is designed to be seen, not slept on. Instead of the open end you get on a pillowcase, a sham has a finished, closed back with an overlapping envelope opening or a set of buttons, plus a decorative border, flange or trim around the edge. You slide a pillow inside, prop it up against the headboard, and it hides the sleeping pillow while making the bed look finished.
The rule of thumb: pillowcases are for sleeping, shams are for looking at.
Pillow sham vs pillowcase: the real differences
| Pillowcase | Pillow sham | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Protects the pillow you sleep on | Decorates the bed |
| Opening | Open at one end, sometimes with a tuck flap | Closed back with an envelope overlap, buttons or a zipper |
| Edges | Plain, sewn flush to the pillow | Often has a flange, ruffle, cording or quilted border |
| Fabric | Soft and breathable, chosen for skin contact | Chosen to match the comforter or quilt, sometimes heavier or textured |
| Comes with | Sheet sets | Comforter sets, duvet sets and quilt sets |
| Washing | Weekly, along with sheets | Every few weeks, since it rarely touches skin |
One practical consequence: because shams are made to look good rather than feel good, many are stiffer, more textured or more heavily embellished than you would ever want against your face. That is not a defect. It is the point.
Pillow sham sizes
Sham sizes follow pillow sizes, with an extra inch or two built in for the decorative border. Measurements vary slightly by manufacturer, so check the packaging, but these are the standard categories:
- Standard sham: roughly 20 by 26 inches. Fits a standard pillow. This is what most twin and full sets include.
- Queen sham: roughly 20 by 30 inches. Fits a queen pillow. Sometimes labeled "standard/queen" because the two are close.
- King sham: roughly 20 by 36 inches. Fits a king pillow, and it is the size most people get wrong when buying separates.
- Euro sham: 26 by 26 inches, square. Fits a Euro pillow. These sit at the very back of the bed as the tallest layer.
- Boudoir sham: roughly 12 by 16 inches. A small accent size, usually sold on its own.
If a sham has a wide flange, the finished cover looks bigger than the pillow inside it. That is normal. What you do not want is a sham that is genuinely oversized for the pillow, because it will sag and look deflated. When in doubt, size down, or buy a pillow insert made for shams rather than repurposing an old sleeping pillow. Our pillow sizes guide covers the underlying pillow dimensions in more detail.
How many shams do you need?
It depends on bed size and how layered you want the look:
- Twin or twin XL: one standard sham.
- Full or queen: two standard or queen shams, optionally with two Euro shams behind them.
- King or California king: two king shams, often with two or three Euro shams behind them.
The classic hotel arrangement is Euro shams at the back against the headboard, standard or king shams in front of those, sleeping pillows in front of the shams, and one accent pillow at the very front. That is four rows deep and it looks great, but it also means moving a lot of pillows every night. Two rows is plenty for most people. If you want the full hotel treatment, our guide on how to make a bed like a hotel walks through the layering order.
Do you actually need shams?
No. Shams are purely aesthetic. Plenty of people make a bed with nothing but a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, a comforter and two pillows in pillowcases, and it looks clean and intentional.
Shams earn their keep in three situations: when your sleeping pillows are visibly worn or yellowed and you want to hide them during the day, when your bed sits in a studio apartment or a room guests see, and when you want the bed to look styled without buying a headboard. In a small LA studio where the bed is also the main furniture in the room, that last one matters more than you would think.
They also do a small practical job: a sham keeps dust off a spare pillow that lives on the bed but never gets slept on.
How to use shams without making your bed a chore
- Use dedicated inserts. Cheap polyester pillow forms for the shams mean your good sleeping pillows never leave their pillowcases.
- Keep the count low. Two shams and two sleeping pillows takes ten seconds to arrange. Eight pillows takes two minutes twice a day, and you will stop doing it by week three.
- Stack front to back by height. Tallest at the headboard, shortest at the front. Euro, then standard or king, then sleepers.
- Match the sham to the comforter, not the sheets. Shams live in the same visual layer as the top of the bed. If you are pairing them with a duvet, our duvet vs comforter guide explains which one you are working with.
- Finish the bottom too. Shams tidy the top of the bed. A bed skirt does the same for the base and the gap underneath.
Frequently asked questions
Are shams pillowcases?
No. They both cover a pillow, but a pillowcase has an open end and is made to be slept on, while a sham has a closed decorative back and a finished border and is made to be looked at. You can sleep on a sham in a pinch, though the seams and trim usually make it uncomfortable.
What size is a standard pillow sham?
Around 20 by 26 inches, sized to fit a standard pillow. Some brands run an inch larger to accommodate a flange, so check the label before buying separates.
What size is a king pillow sham?
Around 20 by 36 inches. This is the size to buy if you sleep on king pillows, and it is worth double checking, because king shams and queen shams look similar folded in a package but differ by about six inches in length.
What are the dimensions of a Euro sham?
Euro shams are square, typically 26 by 26 inches, and they take a matching 26 inch Euro pillow. They are the back layer in a layered bed and they are what makes a bed look tall and hotel-like rather than flat.
How do you use pillow shams?
Insert a pillow, then stand the sham upright against the headboard behind your sleeping pillows. At night, move the shams to a chair or a bench rather than sleeping on them. That is the whole system.
Can you wash pillow shams?
Usually yes, on a gentle cycle in cold water, but check the care label first. Shams with heavy embroidery, beading or delicate trim often need to be washed by hand or dry cleaned, and they generally do not need washing as often as pillowcases since they rarely touch skin.
Get the bed right from the mattress up
Shams and layers are the finishing touch. What actually decides whether you sleep well is the mattress and the pillow underneath all of it. If your pillows are flat or your bed is not supporting you the way it used to, start with our guide to choosing a pillow, or take the two-minute sleep quiz and we will narrow down the right mattress for how you actually sleep. You can also come try beds in person at any of our five Los Angeles showrooms, with same-day delivery ($100 upgrade, order by 4pm) on in-stock models.
