Fabric kg to meter converter (meter to kg)
Convert between fabric length and weight when you know the usable width and GSM - for checking roll weights, ordering knit fabric by the kilo, or estimating metres in a delivery.
How this is calculated
From the definition of GSM: weight (kg) = length (m) × width (m) × GSM ÷ 1000, and so length (m) = weight (kg) × 1000 ÷ (width (m) × GSM). Width in inches is converted with 1 in = 2.54 cm; yards with 1 yd = 0.9144 m.
Worked example. 100 m of 150 cm fabric at 180 GSM weighs 100 × 1.5 × 180 ÷ 1000 = 27 kg. One running metre weighs 1.5 × 180 = 270 g, so 27 kg is 100 m.
Quick tables: kilograms and metres of fabric
Both tables use weight = length × width × GSM ÷ 1000. Widths are the usable width in centimetres.
| GSM | 140 cm | 150 cm | 160 cm | 180 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 18.0 |
| 150 | 21.0 | 22.5 | 24.0 | 27.0 |
| 180 | 25.2 | 27.0 | 28.8 | 32.4 |
| 200 | 28.0 | 30.0 | 32.0 | 36.0 |
| 250 | 35.0 | 37.5 | 40.0 | 45.0 |
| 300 | 42.0 | 45.0 | 48.0 | 54.0 |
| GSM | 140 cm | 150 cm | 160 cm | 180 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 7.14 | 6.67 | 6.25 | 5.56 |
| 150 | 4.76 | 4.44 | 4.17 | 3.70 |
| 180 | 3.97 | 3.70 | 3.47 | 3.09 |
| 200 | 3.57 | 3.33 | 3.13 | 2.78 |
| 250 | 2.86 | 2.67 | 2.50 | 2.22 |
| 300 | 2.38 | 2.22 | 2.08 | 1.85 |
Questions
- Which width should I use?
- The width you will actually use, measured the same way the GSM was measured. For woven fabric that is usually the cuttable width inside the selvedges; for tubular knits, use the open width (twice the tube width).
- Why does my roll weigh more than this?
- Roll weight includes the tube and packing, and the fabric may carry more moisture or finish than the GSM sample. Compare net weight, and check GSM on the same roll.
- How do I convert kilograms of fabric to metres?
- Divide 1,000 by the width in metres times the GSM, then multiply by the kilograms. For 150 cm fabric at 180 GSM, one kilogram is 1000 ÷ (1.5 × 180) = 3.70 m, so 27 kg is 100 m.
- How many metres are in a kilogram of knit fabric?
- It depends on the open width and the GSM, so there is no single answer. A kilogram of 180 GSM knit at 150 cm open width is about 3.7 m; at 200 GSM and 180 cm open width it is about 2.8 m. The second table above gives the common combinations.
- How do I convert yards to kilograms?
- Convert the yards to metres first (1 yd = 0.9144 m), then use the same formula. 100 yd is 91.44 m, which for 150 cm fabric at 180 GSM weighs 91.44 × 1.5 × 180 ÷ 1000 = 24.69 kg.
- Does the length include the tube and any waste at the roll end?
- Only if you measured it that way. The calculator treats length as clean, usable fabric. Deduct the unusable ends and any marked defects before comparing with a cutting plan.
Read the full guide
Sources & verification
The relation follows directly from mass per unit area as defined in ASTM D3776 and ISO 3801. The worked example is recomputed in the automated tests.