What Size Bed Do I Need?

The UK bed and mattress sizes

In the UK, bed frames and mattresses share the same six standard sizes, quoted as the mattress dimensions (width × length). These are the ones to know:

• Single, 90 × 190 cm (3ft). One single bed or single mattress fits one child or adult. The go-to for kids’ rooms, box rooms and bunk beds.
• Small double, 120 × 190 cm (4ft), also called a "three-quarter". A small double bed or mattress gives a solo sleeper room to spread, or fits two at a squeeze in a smaller room.
• Double, 135 × 190 cm (4ft6). The UK default for couples and the most-stocked size, so double beds and double mattresses offer the widest choice and keenest prices.
• King, 150 × 200 cm (5ft). A king bed or king mattress adds 15 cm of width and, crucially, 10 cm of length over a double. The comfortable choice for couples with the space, and for anyone tall.
• Super king, 180 × 200 cm (6ft). A super king bed or mattress is the luxury end: as much width each as a single. Needs a big room, and check it fits up the stairs.
• Children’s beds cover cabin beds, mid-sleepers and bunks, most built around the single (90 × 190 cm) size. Browse children’s beds for the frames rather than the mattress size.

Which size is right for you?

Bigger is almost always better for sleep quality, as long as the room can take it. Work from three things: who’s in the bed, how tall they are, and how much floor space you’ve got.

• One adult. A single works, but a small double or double is a noticeable upgrade in comfort if the room allows, and worth it for a main bedroom.
• A couple. A double is the traditional minimum, but each person gets only the width of a cot. If you can fit a king, most couples find it transforms their sleep, and a super king more so.
• Taller sleepers. Anyone over about 6ft should look at a king or super king. UK singles, small doubles and doubles are only 190 cm (about 6ft 3in) long, while king and super king are 200 cm.
• Kids and teens. A single suits younger children; growing teens are often better in a small double so they don’t outgrow it in a couple of years.

Measuring your room

A bed can fit and still make a room unusable. Measure before you choose, and plan the whole layout, not just the bed’s footprint.

• Leave a walkway. Aim for at least 60 to 70 cm down each side you need to get to, and space to walk past furniture. A bed jammed against a wall is fine for one side of a child’s bed, less so for a couple.
• Mind the door and wardrobe swings. Check the bed won’t block a door or stop drawers and wardrobe doors from opening fully.
• Look up, and to the sides. Tall headboards, four-posters and canopy beds need ceiling height; ottoman and storage beds need clearance to lift or pull out. Note these on the product’s dimensions, not just the mattress size.
• Tape it out. Mark the bed’s full outline on the floor with masking tape (using the frame size, see below) and live with it for a day before committing.

The frame is bigger than the mattress

The size on the label is the mattress size. The bed frame around it is always larger, sometimes a lot larger, and that external footprint is what has to fit your room.

• A divan sits closest to the mattress size, adding only a couple of centimetres.
• A framed bed with a headboard and side rails typically adds roughly 5 to 15 cm of width and a similar amount at the head and foot.
• Sleigh beds, ottoman beds and beds with a footboard add the most, and the length can grow noticeably.

The EU and US size trap

UK sizes are their own standard. EU and US beds use different dimensions with confusingly similar names, and the mismatch is why an imported frame and a UK mattress often don’t fit together.

• Length is the big one. UK doubles and small doubles are 190 cm long; most EU sizes are 200 cm. A UK mattress in an EU frame (or the reverse) leaves a gap or won’t sit flat.
• "Queen" isn’t a UK size. It’s a US and EU term. A US queen is about 153 × 203 cm, close to but not the same as a UK king, so a "queen" mattress won’t fit a UK king frame properly.
• Buy the frame and mattress in the same system. If a bed is sold as an EU size, pair it with an EU mattress, and check the exact centimetres rather than trusting the size name.

Once you've settled on a size, it's worth comparing prices before you buy, because the same bed or mattress often costs different amounts at different retailers. That's what we do: we track live prices across the UK retailers we list. Not sure which mattress to put on it? Read How to Choose a Mattress, or browse all beds and all mattresses and filter by size, type and price.