Royal Mail Length + Girth Calculator
Royal Mail size limits
Royal Mail enforces thresholds that affect what you pay and whether your package ships. The calculator above flags each one automatically.
- Up to 80 inches: Standard rates.
- 80 – 118 inches: Royal Mail Tracked services have stricter limits — Tracked 24/48 caps length + girth at 245 cm. Always check the specific service.
- Over 118 inches: Over 300 cm length + girth, the parcel is handled by Parcelforce and priced separately.
Maximum single side: 60 in. Maximum weight: 4.4 lb. Always verify against the current Royal Mail rate guide before shipping high-value items.
How Royal Mail measures girth
Royal Mail uses the standard girth formula:
girth = 2 × (width + height)
length + girth = length + 2 × (width + height)
Worked example. A 50 × 20 × 20 inch box has girth (20 + 20) × 2 = 80 inches, and length + girth = 130 inches.
Royal Mail measures girth as 2 × (width + height) and combines with the longest side.
Royal Mail vs other carriers
If your package exceeds Royal Mail limits, here's how it compares:
| Carrier | Max L + G | Compare |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | 165 in / 419 cm | UPS Ground → |
| FedEx Ground | 165 in / 419 cm | FedEx Ground → |
| USPS | 108 in / 274 cm | USPS → |
| DHL Express | 157 in / 399 cm | DHL Express → |
| Canada Post | 118 in / 300 cm | Canada Post → |
| Australia Post | 55 in / 140 cm | Australia Post → |
Frequently asked
What is the maximum girth allowed by Royal Mail?
Royal Mail allows up to 118 inches (300 cm) combined length plus girth. Royal Mail Tracked services have stricter limits — Tracked 24/48 caps length + girth at 245 cm. Always check the specific service.
How is Royal Mail girth calculated?
Girth equals 2 × (width + height), using the two smaller dimensions. Add the longest side for length + girth.
What happens if my package exceeds the limit?
Over 300 cm length + girth, the parcel is handled by Parcelforce and priced separately.
Does Royal Mail measure tubes differently?
Royal Mail measures girth as 2 × (width + height) and combines with the longest side.
Sources & standards
Size limits and fee estimates on this page are sourced from the carrier's own published documentation, linked below, and dated to when they were last checked. Carriers (especially UPS, FedEx, and USPS) revise these figures multiple times a year, including seasonal peak surcharges — always confirm against the current source before making a shipping decision based on cost.
- Royal Mail — official parcel size and pricing guidance — Royal Mail does not publish a single downloadable rate-card PDF the way the other carriers here do; figures are drawn from its public size/weight guidance and cross-checked periodically. source