Flag Size Guide – Standard UK Flag Sizes and Which Flag for Your Pole

Standard UK flag sizes

Flag sizes in the UK are written length first, then height. A 5ft x 3ft flag is 5ft along the fly (the edge that blows free) and 3ft down the hoist (the edge against the pole). Hand flags and car flags are usually given in inches, and the traditional yard sizes describe the length of the flag in yards.

The 5ft x 3ft flag is the one most people need, and almost every design we sell comes in it. Most designs also come in 20x12in, 3ft x 2ft and 8ft x 5ft. The yard sizes (half a yard up to 3 yards) are stocked in the Union Jack DuraFlag and a small number of other designs. For anything larger, or an exact size to fit a particular pole, use a custom made flag, printed to the size you give us.

What size flag for my flagpole?

The rule of thumb used by flag makers is that the flag’s length should be about a quarter to a third of the pole’s height above the ground. Too big and the flag catches more wind than the pole is built for and wears out quickly; too small and it looks lost. Treat the table below as a guide: on an exposed hill or the coast, drop one size.

So for a 20ft flagpole, fly a 5ft x 3ft flag, or a 2 yard (6ft x 3ft) on a fixed pole in a sheltered spot. For a 25ft flagpole, step up to 8ft x 5ft or 2 yard. A 30ft pole takes 8ft x 5ft; a 40ft pole takes 8ft x 5ft or 3 yard.

Our telescopic flag poles run from 3m to 12m and stand in a ground stake with no digging or concrete; 5m and 6m are the most popular heights for a garden and a 5ft x 3ft flag. Fly the flag from the second-to-top section downwards: the thin tip section is for a windsock only. The full pole-by-pole table, with the stake to use at each height, is in our flagpole buying guide.

Wall-mounted flag poles

The aluminium flag pole and wall bracket comes in 6ft and 8ft, with clips for a flag up to 5ft x 3ft. On a terraced house or a narrow shopfront where the flag might reach the pavement, a 3ft x 2ft hangs more neatly. The wall bracket is also sold on its own.

Hand flags, car flags, table flags and bunting

Wooden-stick hand flags come in 9x6in for small children and 18x12in for adults, sold singly or in packs for schools and parades. Car flags are 18x12in (45 x 30cm) on a 40cm plastic pole that clips over the top of a car window; a spare car flag pole is sold separately. Table flags are 6x4in on a plastic, wooden or chrome base, with a satin version for offices and dinners. For the 6ft hand-held telescopic pole used at matches and parades, a 5ft x 3ft flag is the right size.

Bunting is sold by length rather than flag size: 3m for a doorway or a counter, 5m and 9m for a room or a classroom, and 20m for a hall or a street. Giant bunting has oversized rectangular pennants on an 18.25m or 20m length for a high street, a market square or a shopfront.

Flag ratios: 3:5, 2:3 and 1:2

A flag’s ratio is its height to its length. The common retail sizes do not all share one ratio. 5ft x 3ft and 20x12in are 3:5. 3ft x 2ft, 18x12in, 9x6in and 6x4in are 2:3. 8ft x 5ft is 5:8, close to 3:5. The yard sizes are 1:2, twice as long as they are high, which is the traditional shape of British ensigns.

Many national flags have their own official ratio: Germany is 3:5, France and Italy 2:3, the USA 10:19. Retail flags are normally made to the standard size in the table rather than to each country’s exact ratio, so the design is fitted to the cloth. That is normal and is how flags are sold across the UK.

What is the correct ratio of the Union Jack?

The Union Flag has two accepted shapes. The Flag Institute gives 3:5 as the normal proportions for use on land, which is the shape of the army’s version and of a standard 5ft x 3ft flag. The 1:2 shape is the traditional proportion at sea and is the one often used on government buildings. Both are correct. Our Union Jack flag comes in the standard sizes, and the Union Jack DuraFlag adds the 1:2 yard sizes for anyone matching an official pole.

Flag materials and grades

Most of our flags are sold in up to three grades, named on every product page:

• Flagtex: lightweight woven polyester with eyelets. The everyday flag for events, matches, parties and occasional flying.
• Flagtex Nylon: a lighter cloth that lifts and flies in a light breeze, for a pole used regularly. See the nylon flags range.
• DuraFlag: 150gsm knitted polyester with a reinforced header band and reinforced stitching on the fly end, for a flag that stays up every day. Fittings are rope and toggle for a halyard pole or clips for a telescopic pole. Browse the DuraFlag range.

On a pole that flies every day, buy DuraFlag. For a weekend, a match or an event, Flagtex is the sensible choice.

How to measure a flag or a flagpole

Lay the flag flat. Measure the hoist, the edge with the eyelets or the rope, from top to bottom; then measure the fly, from the hoist edge to the far edge. Write it length first: a flag 150cm long and 90cm high is a 5ft x 3ft. Do not measure along the diagonal or include rope or toggles.

To size a new flag for an existing pole, measure the pole from the ground (or the bracket) to the top, then divide by three and by four: the flag’s length should sit between those two figures. For a wall pole, measure how far the pole projects and check the flag will not reach the ground, a window or the pavement when it hangs down on a still day.

Looking for the biggest size? Every flag we stock in 8ft x 5ft or 3 yard is in one place under large flags, including the giant England flag and the large Union Jack.

Flag size FAQs

Shop by size and use

• Union Jack Flag (20x12in to 8x5ft)flags
• St George Flag (20x12in to 8x5ft)flags
• DuraFlag heavy-duty flagsdaily flying
• County flags5x3ft
• Hand flags9x6in / 18x12in
• Table flags6x4in
• Car flags18x12in
• Bunting3m to 20m
• Telescopic Flag Pole3m to 12m
• Wall Flag Pole & Bracket6ft / 8ft
• Hand-Held Telescopic Pole6ft
• Custom Made Flagany size