How do I calculate boot space?

For fitting a specific item, do not calculate volume at all. Measure the aperture width and height, the load floor length and width, and the height to the parcel shelf, then compare your item against each. Volume in litres is a comparison figure between cars, not a fit test.

What is a good boot size in litres?

A supermini is roughly 250 to 300 litres, a family hatchback 350 to 400, a saloon 450 to 520, and an estate 550 to 650 with the seats up. Those numbers are useful for ranking cars against each other and close to useless for deciding whether a particular pram will go in.

How much boot space does my car have?

Most manufacturers quote a seats-up and a seats-down figure in litres: a Nissan Kicks is about 700 litres seats down, a Tesla Model 3 about 977, a VW Golf 380 seats up. Those are the numbers to compare cars with. To decide whether one specific item goes in, name your car and your item below and the calculator checks the aperture and the load floor rather than the volume.

Why does the boot opening matter more than the volume?

Because the aperture is the smallest cross section on the route into the boot. A saloon in particular has a narrow lid opening over a large boot, which is why a hatchback with a smaller quoted volume routinely swallows items a bigger saloon cannot take.

Will a pram fit in my boot?

Most single prams fold to roughly 800 x 600 x 350 mm and go into a 350 litre hatchback boot with room beside them. Travel systems and doubles are the problem: a double can fold to 900 x 650 x 450 mm, which exceeds many saloon apertures even when the boot behind is large enough.

Does the calculator work in litres or inches?

Either. Enter your boot in millimetres, inches or as a litre figure with the car named, and enter your item however you have it measured. The verdict is returned against the aperture and the load floor separately, so you can see which one is tight.

ItemFits

About Blog FAQ Features Pricing Work with us

Home / Vehicle & Cargo Fit

Car Boot Space Calculator

Check what fits in the boot, starting with the aperture, which is always smaller than the boot behind it.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

400 questions answered

Room Preview·Visual Results·Simulations

Fit summaryFIG. CARGO

Whether it fits comes down to the measurements most people skip.

The aperture, not the quoted litre figure, is what the item has to pass through.

The spaceSupermini 250 to 300 litres. Family hatchback 350 to 400. Saloon 450 to 520. Estate 550 to 650. Aperture is typically 800 to 1,050 mm wide and 450 to 700 mm tall

What decides itItem dimensions vs. boot aperture width and height, then vs. load floor

What to measureEnter your item, or name it. Single pram folds to about 800 x 600 x 350 mm. Large suitcase about 780 x 500 x 300 mm

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

Reference/dimensions/vehicles Vehicle Guide Vehicle Cargo Dimensions

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Confirmed my 65" TV fits in the RAV4 before buying. Would've been stuck at the store.” — Weekend project

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01Boot aperture at its narrowest: the width between the lamp clusters or the hinges, and the height from the load lip to the underside of the open lid or tailgate. This is the real bottleneck, not the boot volume
02Load floor length from the seatbacks to the closed lid, and again with the seats folded
03Load floor width at the narrowest point, which is between the wheel arches rather than at the widest part of the boot
04Height from the load floor to the parcel shelf, and separately to the roof with the shelf removed
05Load lip height from the ground, which decides whether a heavy item can be slid in or has to be lifted over

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Trusting the litre figure. Boot capacity is measured by filling the space with standardised blocks, so it describes volume and says nothing about whether your item clears the aperture
⚠Comparing litre figures between manufacturers. Some measure to the parcel shelf and some to the roof, and the same boot can be quoted 380 or 520 litres depending on which
⚠Measuring the boot floor and not the opening. A 1,100 mm long boot behind an 800 mm wide aperture will not take a 900 mm wide flat pack
⚠Forgetting the parcel shelf, which typically costs 150 to 250 mm of height and lifts out in about ten seconds
⚠Assuming folded seats give a flat floor. Most fold with a step or an angle, and the usable flat length is shorter than the folded length

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

How do I calculate boot space?
For fitting a specific item, do not calculate volume at all. Measure the aperture width and height, the load floor length and width, and the height to the parcel shelf, then compare your item against each. Volume in litres is a comparison figure between cars, not a fit test.
01
What is a good boot size in litres?
A supermini is roughly 250 to 300 litres, a family hatchback 350 to 400, a saloon 450 to 520, and an estate 550 to 650 with the seats up. Those numbers are useful for ranking cars against each other and close to useless for deciding whether a particular pram will go in.
02
How much boot space does my car have?
Most manufacturers quote a seats-up and a seats-down figure in litres: a Nissan Kicks is about 700 litres seats down, a Tesla Model 3 about 977, a VW Golf 380 seats up. Those are the numbers to compare cars with. To decide whether one specific item goes in, name your car and your item below and the calculator checks the aperture and the load floor rather than the volume.
03
Why does the boot opening matter more than the volume?
Because the aperture is the smallest cross section on the route into the boot. A saloon in particular has a narrow lid opening over a large boot, which is why a hatchback with a smaller quoted volume routinely swallows items a bigger saloon cannot take.
04
Will a pram fit in my boot?
Most single prams fold to roughly 800 x 600 x 350 mm and go into a 350 litre hatchback boot with room beside them. Travel systems and doubles are the problem: a double can fold to 900 x 650 x 450 mm, which exceeds many saloon apertures even when the boot behind is large enough.
05
Does the calculator work in litres or inches?
Either. Enter your boot in millimetres, inches or as a litre figure with the car named, and enter your item however you have it measured. The verdict is returned against the aperture and the load floor separately, so you can see which one is tight.
06

Related guides

Related item guides & reading.

SUV Cargo Capacity for Moving: What Can You Actually Fit?SUVs range from 30 to 145 cubic feet of cargo space. Here's what that translates to in real furniture — and which SUVs are best for hauling.Cargo Van Dimensions Compared: Which One Do You Need?From the Ram ProMaster to the Ford Transit, cargo vans range from 230 to 480 cubic feet. Here's how they compare for furniture moving.

Related fit checks.

Will It Fit in My Car?Check if your item will fit in your car's trunk or cargo area. Measure cargo dimensions, seat-fold depth, and trunk opening before shopping.Will a Couch Fit in a Car?Check whether a couch, loveseat, or armchair fits in a car. Compare couch sizes against sedan trunk openings, folded pass-throughs, and hatchback cargo.Will a Mattress Fit in a Car?Check whether a twin, full, queen, or king mattress fits in a car. Compare each size against sedan and hatchback cargo, and see when rolling or folding helps.Will a TV Fit in My Car?Check if a 55", 65", 75", or 85" TV box fits your car, SUV, or minivan. Free calculator compares TV box dimensions to your exact trunk opening and cargo area.Will It Fit in an SUV?Check if your item will fit in an SUV. Measure cargo length with the rear seats folded, the liftgate opening, and the width between the wheel wells before you load.

All vehicle fit checks →

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Get a verdict in seconds — then test every angle until you’re sure.

Open the fit calculator

ItemFits

About Blog FAQ Features Pricing Work with us

Home / Vehicle & Cargo Fit

Car Boot Space Calculator

Check what fits in the boot, starting with the aperture, which is always smaller than the boot behind it.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

400 questions answered

Room Preview·Visual Results·Simulations

Fit summaryFIG. CARGO

Whether it fits comes down to the measurements most people skip.

The aperture, not the quoted litre figure, is what the item has to pass through.

The spaceSupermini 250 to 300 litres. Family hatchback 350 to 400. Saloon 450 to 520. Estate 550 to 650. Aperture is typically 800 to 1,050 mm wide and 450 to 700 mm tall

What decides itItem dimensions vs. boot aperture width and height, then vs. load floor

What to measureEnter your item, or name it. Single pram folds to about 800 x 600 x 350 mm. Large suitcase about 780 x 500 x 300 mm

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

Reference/dimensions/vehicles Vehicle Guide Vehicle Cargo Dimensions

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Confirmed my 65" TV fits in the RAV4 before buying. Would've been stuck at the store.” — Weekend project

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01Boot aperture at its narrowest: the width between the lamp clusters or the hinges, and the height from the load lip to the underside of the open lid or tailgate. This is the real bottleneck, not the boot volume
02Load floor length from the seatbacks to the closed lid, and again with the seats folded
03Load floor width at the narrowest point, which is between the wheel arches rather than at the widest part of the boot
04Height from the load floor to the parcel shelf, and separately to the roof with the shelf removed
05Load lip height from the ground, which decides whether a heavy item can be slid in or has to be lifted over

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Trusting the litre figure. Boot capacity is measured by filling the space with standardised blocks, so it describes volume and says nothing about whether your item clears the aperture
⚠Comparing litre figures between manufacturers. Some measure to the parcel shelf and some to the roof, and the same boot can be quoted 380 or 520 litres depending on which
⚠Measuring the boot floor and not the opening. A 1,100 mm long boot behind an 800 mm wide aperture will not take a 900 mm wide flat pack
⚠Forgetting the parcel shelf, which typically costs 150 to 250 mm of height and lifts out in about ten seconds
⚠Assuming folded seats give a flat floor. Most fold with a step or an angle, and the usable flat length is shorter than the folded length

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

How do I calculate boot space?
For fitting a specific item, do not calculate volume at all. Measure the aperture width and height, the load floor length and width, and the height to the parcel shelf, then compare your item against each. Volume in litres is a comparison figure between cars, not a fit test.
01
What is a good boot size in litres?
A supermini is roughly 250 to 300 litres, a family hatchback 350 to 400, a saloon 450 to 520, and an estate 550 to 650 with the seats up. Those numbers are useful for ranking cars against each other and close to useless for deciding whether a particular pram will go in.
02
How much boot space does my car have?
Most manufacturers quote a seats-up and a seats-down figure in litres: a Nissan Kicks is about 700 litres seats down, a Tesla Model 3 about 977, a VW Golf 380 seats up. Those are the numbers to compare cars with. To decide whether one specific item goes in, name your car and your item below and the calculator checks the aperture and the load floor rather than the volume.
03
Why does the boot opening matter more than the volume?
Because the aperture is the smallest cross section on the route into the boot. A saloon in particular has a narrow lid opening over a large boot, which is why a hatchback with a smaller quoted volume routinely swallows items a bigger saloon cannot take.
04
Will a pram fit in my boot?
Most single prams fold to roughly 800 x 600 x 350 mm and go into a 350 litre hatchback boot with room beside them. Travel systems and doubles are the problem: a double can fold to 900 x 650 x 450 mm, which exceeds many saloon apertures even when the boot behind is large enough.
05
Does the calculator work in litres or inches?
Either. Enter your boot in millimetres, inches or as a litre figure with the car named, and enter your item however you have it measured. The verdict is returned against the aperture and the load floor separately, so you can see which one is tight.
06

Related guides

Related item guides & reading.

Related fit checks.

All vehicle fit checks →

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Get a verdict in seconds — then test every angle until you’re sure.

Open the fit calculator