Matching family Christmas pyjamas: sizing, fabric and how to order

Matching family pyjamas only work in the Christmas morning photo if every set fits and every set arrives in time. The print is the easy decision. The harder ones are the size run (does the range cover a baby and a six-foot adult?), the fabric, the safety label on children’s sets and the order date. This guide gives UK size charts in centimetres, a fabric table, the labelling rules for children’s nightwear and a timeline for ordering the whole family’s family matching Christmas pyjamas in one go.

Pyjamas sit alongside jumpers, Santa hats and party dresses in our Christmas clothing section, so you can plan what everyone wears on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the same time.

Check the size run before you pick a print

Family ranges are sold one size at a time. A design is no use to you if it stops at age 10 or adult XL, so list everyone who needs a set and check the smallest and the largest size on the listing first.

• Baby: a one-piece sleepsuit or romper in the family print, sized in months.
• Children: age sizes, usually from 2-3 years upwards.
• Teenagers: children’s charts stop at different ages, so compare a teenager’s measurements with both the oldest children’s size and adult XS or S.
• Adults: unisex S to XXL is common; check whether 3XL and above exist if you need them.
• Maternity: a small number of ranges include a maternity set.
• Dog: a matching jumper or pyjama suit, sized by back length.

If the range stops short for one person, choose their set from the wider Christmas pyjamas collection in the same colours, such as red tartan or green and white stripes. The photo still reads as a set when the colours match, even if the pattern differs.

Matching family pyjamas sizing: go by centimetres

Children: height first, then chest

An age label is only an approximation, and the heights behind it vary, even within one retailer: on Next’s size charts, a girls’ 15-16 is 168 cm tall and a boys’ 15-16 is 176 cm. Measure your child without shoes, feet together and flat on the floor, from the floor to the top of the head. Measure the chest at its fullest point, with the tape just under the arms.

Age size	Height (cm)	Chest (cm)
3-4 years	104	57
4-5 years	110	59
5-6 years	116	61
6-7 years	122	63
7-8 years	128	67
8-9 years	134	70
9-10 years	140	73
10-11 years	146	76
11-12 years	152	79
12-13 years	158	82
13-14 years	164	86
14-15 years	170	90
15-16 years	176	94

These figures come from Next’s boyswear body sizing chart. Its girls’ chart gives the same heights up to age 13-14, then levels off at 168 cm, and other brands may differ again, so always use the chart on the listing you buy from. For a child between two sizes, we suggest the larger one: pyjamas are cut loose, children grow over the winter, and cotton can shrink slightly on its first wash.

Adults: compare centimetres, not letters

Adult sets in family ranges are often unisex and sized S to XXL, and one brand’s M can be another brand’s L. Lay a pyjama top that fits well flat on a table, measure straight across from armpit to armpit, double the figure and compare it with the chest measurement on the chart. If anyone in the family is tall, check the leg length too: cuffed pyjama bottoms cannot be let down.

Babies: choose the sleepsuit, in cotton

For a baby, pick the one-piece sleepsuit version of the print rather than a two-piece set, and cotton rather than thick fleece if the baby will sleep in it. The Lullaby Trust recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C for babies, with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag. It also says babies do not need hats indoors: they release heat through the head, and a hat can make them too hot. If a Santa hat goes on for the photo, take it off before any nap.

Dogs: measure the back

Pet versions are sized by back length, from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and by chest girth just behind the front legs. Check that the listing gives both in centimetres, and leave room for the legs to move.

Which fabric to choose for family Christmas pyjamas

Most family sets use one of five fabrics. The right one depends on how warm your house is on Christmas morning and how many times the sets will go through the wash over the winter.

Fabric	Warmth	What to expect	Suits
Cotton jersey	Medium	Soft and stretchy, breathes well, easy to wash	Warm houses, children who run hot, babies
Brushed cotton (flannel)	Medium to high	Soft brushed surface, still breathable, little stretch	Colder houses and bedrooms
Polyester fleece or minky	High	Very soft and warm, does not breathe, dries quickly	Cold mornings and lounging, less so for a full night’s sleep
Cotton and polyester blend	Medium	Holds its shape and creases less than pure cotton	Sets that will be washed every week until spring
Viscose from bamboo, or modal	Low to medium	Smooth and cool on the skin, drapes loosely	Adults who sleep hot

Safety labels on children’s pyjamas: the UK rules

The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 define children’s nightwear as anything designed for someone under 13. Children’s nightdresses and dressing gowns must meet the flammability standard BS 5722. Children’s pyjamas, cotton terry towelling bath robes and garments for babies under 3 months are exempt from that test, but like adult nightwear they must carry a label.

• “KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE”, printed in red: compulsory when the item does not meet BS 5722, and allowed when it does.
• “LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722”, printed in black: only for items that meet the standard.
• “DO NOT WASH AT MORE THAN 50°C. CHECK SUITABILITY OF WASHING AGENT”, printed in black: required on nightwear that includes fabric treated with flame-retardant chemicals.

Two practical points follow. If a family range includes a nightdress for a girl under 13, that nightdress has to meet BS 5722. And if a listing for children’s pyjamas shows no label in its photos or description, ask the seller before ordering. Whatever the label says, keep children in nightwear away from open fires and lit candles on Christmas morning.

When to buy matching Christmas pyjamas

Popular prints tend to sell out in children’s sizes first, and every week you wait shortens the time left to swap a size. This timeline counts back from Christmas Eve, which falls on Thursday 24 December in 2026.

Order in	What you get
October	The widest choice of prints and complete size runs, with time for a second order if a size is wrong.
1 to 15 November	Good choice still. Check the returns window on the listing before you order: it decides how long you have to swap a size.
16 November to early December	Time for one exchange, provided everyone tries their set on the day it arrives.
The last two weeks before Christmas Eve	Order only sets in stock with a fast delivery date, and size up rather than count on an exchange.

How to order matching family pyjamas without a return

1. Write the list: each person’s name, height for children, chest measurement for adults, and the dog’s back length.
2. Choose a range whose size run covers everyone, then match each person to that seller’s chart in centimetres.
3. Round up any child who falls between sizes, and any adult who prefers a loose fit.
4. Put every size from the same listing in one basket. Similar prints from different sellers rarely match in shade or pattern scale.
5. Try each set on the day it arrives, before the first wash, and keep the labels on until everyone has tried theirs.
6. Reorder a wrong size straight away, while the print is still in stock in that size.

With the list in hand, compare a few ranges in our family matching pyjamas collection:

Before Christmas Eve: wash once, then plan the photo

Wash each set once before it is worn, inside out and at the temperature on the care label, so any loose dye comes out in the machine rather than on the sofa. Wash a new red set on its own the first time.

If the pyjamas go into a Christmas Eve box, fold them in after that wash. For the photo, stand near a window in daylight or next to the lit tree, and hold the camera at the children’s eye level. The clothes for the rest of the day are covered in our guide to Christmas Day outfit ideas, and the jumpers and Santa hats for the family are in Christmas clothing.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy matching family Christmas pyjamas in the UK?

Most UK supermarkets and high-street chains bring out a family range each autumn, and Amazon.co.uk lists sets sold size by size, from baby sleepsuits to adult XXL. Our family matching collection groups sets that cover children and adults in the same print. Whichever range you choose, check the full size run before you commit to a design.

When should you buy matching Christmas pyjamas?

October and the first half of November give the widest choice of prints and sizes, and leave time to exchange a wrong size. Children’s sizes in popular prints tend to go first. If you order in December, size up and choose sets that are in stock with a fast delivery date.

Why do families wear matching pyjamas at Christmas?

In the UK the habit is tied to Christmas Eve: new pyjamas are opened on the 24th, often in a Christmas Eve box, and worn on Christmas morning while the presents are opened. Matching sets also give the family one photo a year in the same outfit, which is easy to compare from one Christmas to the next.

Where can I find mum and baby matching pyjamas?

Look for a family range that includes a baby sleepsuit or romper in the same print, then buy the mum’s set in adult sizes from the same listing. For a baby who will sleep in it, choose cotton. The Lullaby Trust recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C for babies.

Where can I buy matching couples pyjamas?

Family ranges are sold per size, so a couple can buy just the two adult sizes of any family print. Check whether the adult sizes are unisex or cut separately for men and women, and compare chest measurements in centimetres. Two sets in the same colours from a general Christmas pyjamas range work too if you want different cuts.

What size matching pyjamas should I buy for my child?

Go by height rather than age: measure your child without shoes and match the figure to the chart on the listing. On Next’s boyswear chart, age 5-6 is listed at 116 cm and age 8-9 at 134 cm. If your child falls between two sizes, take the larger one.

Can you get matching Christmas pyjamas for the dog?

Some family ranges include a dog jumper or pyjama suit in the same print. Dog sizes go by back length, from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and by chest girth. Check both figures in centimetres before ordering.