Skip to content
Planet RoadmapPlanet Roadmap
Sign InGet Started
Glossary
Prioritization

What is T-Shirt Sizing?

T-Shirt Sizing is a relative estimation technique that uses sizes like XS, S, M, L, and XL to represent the effort or complexity of a project or task. Instead of using specific hours or days, it focuses on comparing items against each other to provide a high-level overview of workload.

When to use it

Teams use T-Shirt Sizing during high-level planning sessions when requirements are still being defined and precise time estimates are not yet possible. It helps identify 'big rocks' early in a roadmap cycle and prevents teams from overcommitting resources to complex initiatives. This method is particularly effective for backlog grooming and initial prioritization across multiple departments.

Example

A SaaS product team planning their Q3 roadmap might assign sizes to four major initiatives: adding a 'Download PDF' button (Small), refactoring the database architecture (Extra Large), building a new integration with Slack (Medium), and redesigning the user profile page (Large). By seeing these sizes side-by-side, the team can immediately realize they cannot fit two 'Extra Large' projects into a single quarter. This allows them to trade off the database refactor for three smaller features that deliver immediate user value.

How Planet Roadmap helps with T-Shirt Sizing

Planet Roadmap has a custom fields feature that lets you assign sizes to items to visualize relative effort on Kanban and Table views.

Try Planet Roadmap free

FAQ

How do you convert T-shirt sizes into actual hours?
While T-shirt sizes are meant to be relative, many teams create a mapping (e.g., Small = 1-3 days, Large = 2-3 weeks) to help with scheduling, though the primary goal remains comparing relative complexity rather than tracking precise time.
When should we switch from T-shirt sizes to Story Points?
Use T-shirt sizes for high-level roadmap planning and epics; switch to Story Points or more granular estimates during sprint planning when individual tasks are well-defined and ready for execution.

Related terms

Story PointsBacklog GroomingEpicInitiativeValue vs Effort MatrixRICE ScoreSprint Planning

Read more

Build your roadmap with Planet Roadmap

One workspace for feedback, roadmap, project management, and OKRs — flat-rate pricing, no credit card required.

Try Planet Roadmap Free