Bed Size Guide: UK Bed and Mattress Sizes Explained
Bed sizes in the UK are not the same as bed sizes anywhere else, and the imperial names most people use – 4’6, 5’0 – describe the width of the mattress rather than the frame it sits in. This guide sets out every standard size, what each one needs in terms of room space, and the three measurements worth taking before you order.
UK bed and mattress sizes
| Size | Imperial | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small single | 2’6 x 6’3 | 75 x 190 cm | 30 x 75 in |
| Single | 3’0 x 6’3 | 90 x 190 cm | 35 x 75 in |
| Small double | 4’0 x 6’3 | 120 x 190 cm | 47 x 75 in |
| Double | 4’6 x 6’3 | 135 x 190 cm | 53 x 75 in |
| King | 5’0 x 6’6 | 150 x 200 cm | 59 x 79 in |
| Super king | 6’0 x 6’6 | 180 x 200 cm | 71 x 79 in |
Two things to notice. A king is only 15cm wider than a double, but it is also 10cm longer – which matters more than the width if anyone in the bed is over six feet tall. And a small double at 120cm is 15cm narrower than a standard double, so standard double bedding will be loose on it. Small double bedding is sold separately and is worth buying properly rather than making do.
What each size needs in room space
A bed needs more than its own footprint. Allow at least 60cm on any side you walk down, and 75cm if you want to make the bed comfortably or open a wardrobe on that side. As a working guide:
- Single (90cm) – fits a room from about 2.1m x 2.7m with access down one side.
- Small double (120cm) – the size to reach for when a room is too tight for a double but a single feels mean. From about 2.4m x 2.7m.
- Double (135cm) – wants about 2.7m x 3m to have both sides usable.
- King (150cm) – about 3m x 3.3m before it starts to dominate the room.
- Super king (180cm) – about 3.3m x 3.6m, and worth checking the door swing as well as the walls.
The frame is bigger than the mattress
Mattress sizes are standard; bed frames are not. An upholstered or ottoman frame typically adds 5cm to 15cm on each side, and a frame with a footboard adds length as well. If a room is tight, measure the external dimensions given on the product page rather than the mattress size, because that is what has to fit between your walls.
Three measurements to take before ordering
- The room. Wall to wall, including skirting, and note where the door swings and the radiator sits.
- The access route. Doorways, stair turns and landing width. A flat-packed frame is rarely a problem; a made-up divan base or a sofa bed can be.
- The ceiling and the lift. For an ottoman bed, you need enough clearance above the mattress to raise the base fully. For a bunk, cabin or high sleeper, you want roughly 75cm between the top of the mattress and the ceiling so whoever sleeps there can sit up.
Mattress depth, and why ottoman beds care about it
Mattress depth is the one specification people skip. On an ottoman bed a mattress that is too deep stops the base closing flush, and on a bunk bed or high sleeper a deep mattress raises the sleeping surface above the safety rail. Both limits are listed on the product pages, and both are worth checking before you buy the mattress rather than after.
European and continental sizes
European sizes are longer and differently proportioned: a continental single is 90 x 200cm, a continental double 140 x 200cm and a continental king 160 x 200cm. If you have brought a bed back from the continent or bought bedding abroad, UK mattresses will not fit it correctly – the length is the usual culprit.
Children’s beds and when to move up
Most children move from a cot to a toddler bed between 18 months and three years, and from a toddler bed to a standard single somewhere between four and six. A single at 90 x 190cm will then last into adulthood, which is why it is usually worth skipping the intermediate sizes unless the room genuinely cannot take a full single.
For shared rooms, a bunk bed sleeps two in the floor space of one, and safety guidance is that children under six should not use the top bunk. Where one child needs a desk more than a second bed, a cabin bed or mid sleeper puts storage or a workspace underneath instead.
Still not sure?
If you are between two sizes, the question that settles it is usually not the bed but the room: measure the walking space you would be left with on each side and decide whether you can live with it. Browse the full range of beds and mattresses, all with free delivery to UK mainland addresses, or call us on 01752 418 418 if you would like a second opinion before ordering.
