2 1/2" here. I find this measurement the easiest to apply and it provides a nice finish.

My cousin, who has taught quilting for years, prefers to cut her binding 2 1/2", then iron it in half, then sew it on with a 1/4" seam. Normal, for me, up until now. She then double folds the binding, with what would be the outside edge, nestled next to the seam she just sewed on, irons the binding again and then hand sews this much smaller binding, making sure her stitches cover the seam on the back. The binding is super full, very narrow, and she has gotten rave reviews for it when her quilts were being judged. For me...it's too much trouble making sure I am rolling everything under just right to get that small of a binding. FYI.. She likes the 4 layers of fabric on the outside edge, says it will never wear through all 4 of those, and all her quilts are used & washed a lot. She likes Warm & natural or White in her quilts. She hand quilts all her quilts.

Edit: I got to thinking about it and she may cut hers 3". I am going to have to check with her and find out. I decided after my first binding cut at 2 1/2", that her method was over the top for being too hard to make it come out right for a beginner and have never tried it.

I have used 2" and it worked just fine. In fact, I even went less than 2" when the shortage of fabric was a factor…it was tough on the fingers when turning to the back and sewing but in the end, it worked okay also. Depends on what you want to do and what works for you.

I usually cut 2 1/8 and get a narrow crisp looking finish, but I have also used 2" strips with great results.

I've always used 2" binding. Love the narrow binding. It doesn't stand out too much. Tried a 2.5" and it just looks too wide and my eye was drawn to the binding first, not the quilt. I say give it a try. If you don't care for it, you know to make it wider on the next quilt. I seriously doubt you'll be disappointed, though.

With my 20 year quilts, the outer edge of the binding is where the wear marks are. 20 years ago I loved tight binding. Now I make my binding a tad looser so that it has wiggle room, thus gets less stress. A 2" binding will be tight, I think. I personally would go with no less than 2.5".

Good thinking!

I used to use 2.5 but found it left some empty space inside as I stitch with a 1/4" seam. I use 80/20 for batting so my quilts are not super thick. I changed to 2.25 folding the fabric in half for a double thickness and it still leaves a little space inside so may knock it down to 2.0 next time but will make that decision once I wash it as it may shrink just enough.

Of course as others will state, it also depends on how thick your quilt sandwich is as to whether you would use a larger binding or not. So far I haven't had to.

I was taught, thirty years ago, to use a 2 inch binding. I sometimes use wider. A wider binding gives the look of an added border on quilt. A narrower binding is very helpful if you are entering your quilt in any kind of competition. Judges look for quilts with a solid-feeling binding. If my quilt has a very light batting, I sometimes use strings of batting to 'stuff' the binding to make it firm.

Think it depends on how heavy/thick your quilt is, so as to be able to wrap a narrow binding around it and make it pretty easy for you to sew down. Not thick or heavy, I wouldn't hesitate to use a 2 inch binding, and are you saying it will be 1 inch after folding? So you are down to 1/2 inch on top and back side, and that doesn't include taking away 1/4 inch on each side for seam allowance. Try on a sample, is the best advice, I would say.