What do EU 56 and 62 actually measure?
The number is the baby's body length in centimetres, usually the top of the band. C&A states that size 56 fits a baby up to about 56 cm and size 62 up to about 62 cm, in six-centimetre steps. Zara product labels often pair the same numbers with months: 0–1 months (56 cm) and 1–3 months (62 cm).
UK high-street rails more often print Newborn, Up to 1 month or 0–3 months. Those words are a different system. You translate by centimetres, not by assuming 62 equals every shop's 0–3.
How do 56 and 62 sit next to Next and Mamas & Papas months?
Swipe sideways for the full table
| EU / cm label | C&A body length and age guide | Closest Next row (height) | Closest Mamas & Papas row | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | around 50 cm; C&A '0 month' guide | First Size — 50 cm / 3.4 kg | Newborn — 50 cm / 3.2 kg | That 50 is not George First Size (56 cm) |
| 56 | 51–56 cm; C&A 0–1 months | Up to 1 month — 56 cm / 4.5 kg | Up to 1 month — 56 cm / 4.5 kg | 56 is not automatically 'Newborn' on John Lewis (Newborn goes to 56 cm) |
| 62 | 57–62 cm; C&A 1–3 months | Top of Up to 3 months — 56–62 cm | 0–3 months — 62 cm / 6.5 kg | 62 is not every shop's full 0–3 band |
| 68 | 63–68 cm; C&A 3–6 months | 3–6 months — 62–68 cm / 6–8 kg | 3/6 months — 68 cm / 8 kg | This is the usual step after a long 62 |
Is EU 62 the same as UK 0–3 months?
Not on every chart. C&A's own age guide for 62 is 1–3 months, with body length 57–62 cm. Next's Up to 3 months is a band from 56–62 cm and 4.5–6 kg. Mamas & Papas 0–3 months is a single point at 62 cm / 6.5 kg — heavier than Next's top weight for the same height.
So a 62 cm gift from H&M, Zara or C&A matches the height of a UK 0–3 or Up to 3 months row. It does not copy that shop's weight column. A slim 62 cm baby may fill a continental 62 and still look lost in a Mamas & Papas 0–3 vest cut for 6.5 kg.
H&M's baby advice is to size clothes by height and chest, not age. If a continental parcel only shows 56 or 62, treat those digits as centimetres and ignore a UK month sticker someone added later.
How do I convert a 56 or 62 gift into a UK drawer label?
- Measure crown to heel Lie the baby flat and measure from the top of the head to the heel. C&A and Mamas & Papas both treat the chart as body length.
- Read the centimetre number on the gift 56 means that brand's up-to-56 cm row. 62 means up to 62 cm. Dual labels such as 50/56 or 56/62 are, on C&A's explanation, cut to the larger number.
- Find the same cm on the UK shop you actually use 56 cm is Next or Mamas & Papas Up to 1 month. 62 cm is the top of Next Up to 3 months and the Mamas & Papas 0–3 point. It is not Next First Size (50 cm) and not George First Size's only meaning (George First Size is also 56 cm).
- If you are between 56 and 62, keep both A 58 cm baby sits past a strict 56 and not yet at 62. Wear the 62 for length; do not force a short 56 sleepsuit because a UK tag said Newborn.
What does a 50/56 or 56/62 label mean?
C&A describes combined labels as cut to the larger figure: a 50/56 piece has the dimensions of size 56 and is meant to fit up to about 56 cm. A 56/62 piece is a 62 cm garment. That is useful for gifts that have to last a growth spurt, but it is still a centimetre size, not a promise that it equals John Lewis 0–3 months (56–62 cm / 5.7 kg).
The NHS does not define EU sizes. It only says babies grow quickly and that a small set of vests and sleepsuits is enough. Use the tape; file 56 and 62 next to your UK rows by cm, not by a month calculator on a brand blog.
In short56 and 62 are centimetres. C&A's age guides are 0–1 month and 1–3 months; Zara often prints the same pairing. UK 0–3 months only matches 62 at the height cap, and Mamas & Papas 0–3 is a heavier 6.5 kg point. Measure, then map cm to that shop — do not equate 62 with every 0–3 rail.
Questions parents ask
- What UK size is EU 50?
- About 50 cm body length. On Next that is First Size (50 cm / 3.4 kg); on Mamas & Papas it is Newborn (50 cm / 3.2 kg). It is smaller than George First Size, which is listed at 56 cm.
- Is EU 56 the same as Newborn?
- Only on shops that take Newborn up to 56 cm, such as John Lewis (up to 56 cm / 4.1 kg). Next and Mamas & Papas print Newborn or First Size at 50 cm and put 56 cm on Up to 1 month. Read the cm, not the word Newborn.
- Someone gave us size 62 from Spain. Will it replace our 0–3 months drawer?
- It replaces the height of a 62 cm row. It may not replace the width of Mamas & Papas 0–3 months (6.5 kg). Try it on; if the legs fit and the chest is snug, keep it for length and use a UK 0–3 vest underneath if you need more room at the nappy.
- What comes after 62?
- 68, the next six-centimetre step on C&A (63–68 cm, their 3–6 month guide). That sits on Next 3–6 months (62–68 cm) and Mamas & Papas 3/6 months (68 cm / 8 kg).
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- C&A — Baby clothes sizes (EU centimetre chart) — checked 10 September 2026
- NEXT Help Centre — Baby and Youngsters sizing guide — checked 10 September 2026
- Mamas & Papas — Baby clothing size guide — checked 10 September 2026
- John Lewis — Babywear size guide (bodysuit product page) — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — What you'll need for your baby — checked 10 September 2026
- H&M — Baby size guide (height and chest, not age) — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.