H&M and Primark compete for the same budget, and they share the same sizing reputation: both run small, and both are famously inconsistent from item to item. H&M's smallness concentrates in bottoms — jeans, trousers, and fitted skirts commonly fit one to two sizes under the label. Primark's concentrates in jeans, fitted dresses, and tailored shirts, to the point that even its own staff recommend sizing up in denim.
The labels differ — H&M prints EU numbers, Primark prints UK numbers — but both charts convert cleanly to the same EU scale, and when you line them up the measurements nearly coincide: Primark's single values sit inside or right at the edge of H&M's ranges. That makes this one of the easier label conversions on the high street; the hard part is that neither label is a reliable promise of fit.
The short answer
It's close to a tie — both run small, in slightly different places
Neither brand wins this one cleanly, and pretending otherwise wouldn't help you. Chart to chart they're nearly identical: Primark's UK 12 (EU 40) lists a 91 cm bust and 74 cm waist, while H&M's EU 40 lists 90–94 cm and 74–78 cm. Fit to fit they're also matched — both run small, both vary garment to garment, and both have basics that sit closer to true to size than their fitted pieces.
The differences are in the details. H&M's worst category is bottoms across the board, and it adds a letter-size wrinkle: its alpha sizes each span two EU sizes, so an H&M M is EU 40–42 while Primark's M covers roughly UK 12–14 — coincidentally similar bodies, but only by accident of both brands cutting letters wide. Primark's worst categories are denim, fitted dresses, and formal shirts, and its garment-to-garment consistency is the loosest of any brand we cover — two identical items can genuinely measure differently.
H&M vs Primark at a glance
| H&M | Primark | |
|---|---|---|
| Label system | EU numeric (34–44) with wide letters | UK numeric (4–20) with EU and US conversions printed |
| Overall fit | Runs small — bottoms worst, by one to two sizes | Runs small — jeans, fitted dresses, tailored shirts worst |
| Truest to label | Tops and knitwear; flowy styles run generous | Basics and oversized tops |
| Consistency | Loose between items | Loosest around — identical garments can measure differently |
| Chart history | Publishes measurement ranges per EU size | Revised its chart in 2021 after runs-small complaints |
Size labels on the same EU scale
Primark prints UK sizes with official EU and US conversions; H&M prints EU sizes. Lined up on the EU scale, the labels map one-to-one — but note H&M's letters span two EU sizes, so letter-to-letter comparison is the one conversion that misleads.
| EU | Primark label (UK) | H&M label | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 6 | XS | 2 |
| 36 | 8 | S | 4 |
| 38 | 10 | S | 6 |
| 40 | 12 | M | 8 |
| 42 | 14 | M | 10 |
| 44 | 16 | L | 12 |
Women's bust and waist side by side
Body measurements aligned by EU size. Primark publishes single values (in cm, inches converted), H&M publishes ranges — Primark's figures sit inside or at the bottom edge of H&M's ranges, so the charts effectively agree.
| EU | Primark bust | H&M bust | Primark waist | H&M waist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 79 cm · 31" | 78–82 cm · 30.7–32.3" | 62 cm · 24.5" | 62–66 cm · 24.4–26" |
| 36 | 83 cm · 32.5" | 82–86 cm · 32.3–33.9" | 66 cm · 26" | 66–70 cm · 26–27.6" |
| 38 | 87 cm · 34.5" | 86–90 cm · 33.9–35.4" | 70 cm · 27.5" | 70–74 cm · 27.6–29.1" |
| 40 | 91 cm · 36" | 90–94 cm · 35.4–37" | 74 cm · 29" | 74–78 cm · 29.1–30.7" |
| 42 | 96 cm · 38" | 94–98 cm · 37–38.6" | 79 cm · 31" | 78–82.5 cm · 30.7–32.5" |
| 44 | 102 cm · 40" | 98–102 cm · 38.6–40.2" | 85 cm · 33.5" | 82.5–87.5 cm · 32.5–34.4" |
Men's tops aligned by chest
Rows matched by chest measurement — Primark lists to-fit chest figures and says its men's sizes are the same across UK, EU, and US; H&M figures are body measurements per EU size. The letters land close at these anchors.
| Primark size | Primark chest | Closest H&M size | H&M chest |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 36–38" · 91–96 cm | EU 46 (S) | 90–94 cm · 35.4–37" |
| M | 38–40" · 97–102 cm | EU 50 (M) | 98–102 cm · 38.6–40.2" |
| L | 41–43" · 103–108 cm | EU 52 (L) | 102–106 cm · 40.2–41.7" |
Switching between H&M and Primark
- Convert through the numbers, not the letters: H&M EU 40 = Primark UK 12. The numeric mapping is exact; the letters only roughly coincide because both brands cut them wide.
- Apply the same denim rule at both stores: size up at least one in jeans — two for low-stretch styles at H&M — and treat the label as a starting point, not a promise.
- Trust the basics, doubt the fitted pieces. At both brands, plain tops and oversized styles sit near true to size while fitted garments carry the small sizing.
- When fit really matters, check the garment itself: H&M lists measurements on many product pages, and at Primark — where two identical items can measure differently — the label inside the garment beats the size on the hanger.
Measurements are based on each brand's published size charts and may vary by garment, fabric, and region. For the full charts and fit notes, see the H&M size guide and the Primark size guide.
H&M vs Primark sizing FAQs
Which runs smaller, H&M or Primark?
Honestly, it's about even. Both run small and both are inconsistent; their published measurements nearly coincide when aligned on the EU scale. The smallness just lands in different racks — H&M's in bottoms generally, Primark's in jeans, fitted dresses, and tailored shirts.
What's my Primark size if I wear EU 38 at H&M?
A UK 10 — Primark's official conversion puts UK 10 at EU 38, and its listed measurements (87 cm bust, 70 cm waist) sit right inside H&M's EU 38 ranges. Carry over your usual adjustments too: if you size up for fitted styles at H&M, do the same at Primark.
Is an H&M medium the same as a Primark medium?
Roughly, but for an odd reason. H&M's M spans EU 40–42 by design; Primark's M covers about UK 12–14, which is the same EU 40–42 territory. The letters happen to agree — still, the numeric sizes are the reliable way to convert, especially near size boundaries.
Which brand is more consistent between items?
H&M, slightly — and that's a low bar. H&M's fit varies noticeably between items, but Primark's garment-to-garment tolerance is looser still: two copies of the same piece in the same size can measure differently. At Primark, checking the measurements on the garment label is genuinely worthwhile.
Do I size up in jeans at both brands?
Yes. H&M denim commonly needs one to two sizes up. At Primark, sizing up in jeans is standard advice that even its own staff give. Neither brand's denim label can be taken at face value, so when in doubt, go up.
