13 OBJECTS · 6 cm TO 2.2 m

Size It Up: Everyday

Everyday objects are hiding in plain sight. A refrigerator, an interior door, a queen bed and a bathtub are things you touch daily but rarely measure, which is why the reveal so often lands within a few centimetres — and occasionally a metre off.

The Everyday set holds 13 measured objects, from a house key at 6 cm to a three-seat sofa at 2.2 m — the numbers on this page cover a factor of about 37. Each one is measured on the axis the game scores: standing height for things you would walk up to, longest visible span for everything else. Every size below links to the published measurement it came from.

THE NUMBERS

How big are these, really?

All 13 objects in the Everyday set, smallest to largest. Each rung is compared with the one below it, so the category reads as a single ladder rather than a list of unrelated figures.

6 cm

House Key length / span

House Key: Keys settle around 6 cm because that is what the lock cylinder needs, not the hand. Source ↗

9.5 cm

Coffee Mug height

Coffee Mug: A standard mug holds about 350 ml — the same as a soda can, in a shorter, wider package. Source ↗

11 cm

Light Bulb height

Light Bulb: The classic A60 bulb takes its name from its widest point, 60 mm across. About 1.2× the height of a coffee mug. Source ↗

12.2 cm

Soda Can height

Soda Can: The 330 ml can has kept essentially the same silhouette since 1963. About 1.1× the height of a light bulb. Source ↗

20 cm

Paperback Book height

Paperback Book: Mass-market paperbacks are sized to fit a coat pocket. About 1.6× the height of a soda can. Source ↗

90 cm

Dining Chair height

Dining Chair: Chair dimensions are standardised around the table: 45 cm to the seat, 90 cm to the top of the back. About 4.5× the height of a paperback book. Source ↗

1.1 m

Open Umbrella length / span

Open Umbrella: Measured across the open canopy — wide enough to cover two people badly. About 18× the length of a house key. Source ↗

1.6 m

Floor Lamp height

Floor Lamp: Floor lamps are built to put the shade just above a seated person’s eye line. About 1.8× the height of a dining chair. Source ↗

1.7 m

Bathtub length / span

Bathtub: A standard tub is shorter than most adults are tall, which is why you never quite lie flat. About 1.6× the length of an open umbrella. Source ↗

1.8 m

Refrigerator height

Refrigerator: A full-height fridge-freezer stops just short of eye level for most adults. About 1.1× the height of a floor lamp. Source ↗

2 m

Queen Bed length / span

Queen Bed: A US queen mattress is 80 inches long. About 1.2× the length of a bathtub. Source ↗

2 m

US Interior Door height

US Interior Door: The familiar American interior door is usually 80 inches tall. About 1.1× the height of a refrigerator. Source ↗

2.2 m

Three-Seat Sofa length / span

Three-Seat Sofa: Two metres of sofa is mostly frame and armrest; the seating itself is nearer 1.6 m. About 1.1× the length of a queen bed. Source ↗

PLAY IT

Play the Everyday set

Reading the numbers is one thing; sizing them by eye against a reference silhouette is another.

The daily puzzle mixes every category, so these objects turn up there at random. For a set built only from them, Unlimited deals five of them at a time, as often as you like. Unlimited is practice: it is unranked and never touches the daily leaderboard. New to the game? How to play covers the rules and the 0–500 scoring in two minutes.

KEEP GOING

Other categories

Every category has its own page of measured sizes. Landmarks and space produce the biggest scale shocks; sports and everyday objects are the fairest places to calibrate your eye.