Bed Dimensions

The range and inconsistency in so-called standard bed dimensions is enough to make you lose sleep! It’s all the worse when you are looking to buy a new bed or replace your old worn-out bed with something more comfortable. After all, you’ll spend one-third of your life in bed, so it needs to be supportive, comfortable and quiet.

There needs to be a global uprising to settle for once and for all international bed dimensions and ensure they are identical from country to country. As it is, the United Kingdom has one set of bed dimensions and the U.S.A. a different set. Europe’s bed dimensions are different from New Zealand’s, and on it goes. Not only are the bed dimensions different, so are the titles they affix to each size of bed. Add to that companies like IKEA that sell their own versions of beds (and different sheet sets to match…) and it’s a cauldron of confusion filled with pocket coils, foam, springs or water… Bed dimensions are confusing.

Bed Dimensions Standards

Why don’t bed manufacturers get together and agree on a global standard for bed dimensions? Well, for openers, some countries are on the metric system and others on Imperial measurements. Most bed dimensions for standard U.K. mattresses seem to be based on the fact the most Britons are shorter than most Americans. And it’s not just the bed dimensions themselves; there are dozens of different names for the various sizes of beds. And, as if that’s not enough to give you nightmares, there are types of beds, such as Murphy beds (also known as wall beds, depending if you’re British or American), crib beds, bunk beds and now also loft beds, that seem to have a bed over a desk as a space-saving design.

At beddimensions.net our plan is to help you figure out the right sized bed for you and to ensure you’ll actually be able to get properly fitting bedding for it. Now, if you live in America and decide to move to the U.K., we think you should just sell your bed and buy a new one, rather than fight with sheet sizes for the rest of time!

Standard Bed Dimensions

Here is our version of general bed dimensions, one that incorporates all but corporate-specific or customized (including round and other odd-shaped mattresses) beds. This is our general list, but you’ll find other pages on this website that deal with the range of complexities within individual bed dimensions.

• Single/Twin 36” or 39” wide by 75” long (there are some extra-long beds available in this category)
• Double/Full 54” wide by 75” long (again there are some extra-long versions on the market)
• Queen (not available in the U.K.) 60” by 80” (this one is actually a standard in North America)
• King 76” by 80” (there are half a dozen versions of king bed dimensions under different names, so please visit that page of this website)

In the United States and Canada, most bed dimensions are the same, but the names can differ; for example, in the U.S.A. a standard bed that fits two normal-sized people is a “full”; in Canada, it’s a “double”. In the U.S.A. a bed for one person is a “twin” (not sure why; makes no sense!) and in Canada, like the U.K., it’s called a “single” (makes sense). In the U.K. a bed dimension called either “three-quarters” or “small double” is a bit bigger than a single bed, but smaller than a double.

So, before you head to the local mattress shop to test-sleep your potential new bed, make sure you have three things with you:

1. a measurement of the maximum space your bed can occupy in your bedroom
2. the terminology of the country you are in when you buy the bed
3. an understanding of how many people, and how large or small they are, who will regularly sleep in the bed

If you’re still confused and are losing sleep over bed dimensions, have a tour through our website pages for more detailed information on specific bed dimensions, like:

• King size bed dimensions
• Queen size bed dimensions
• Full size bed dimensions
• Twin size bed dimensions

Another issue, as if there are not enough already, is the depth of some mattresses these days. Remember, the manufacturers of beds have taken a cue from car makers and computer manufacturers: planned obsolescence. They keep changing bed dimensions (if not width and length, then depth) to keep people buying their products!

What matters is your fit and comfort, and also thinking long- term: will the sheets you have access to at the retail stores that sell bedding actually fit your bed? It might be smart to check standard sheet sizes before you buy the bed. The bed dimensions will affect only one purchase, but you’ll need to supply sheets for your bed as long as you own it, and if you can’t find ones that fit, you’ll be too frustrated to sleep!

Bed Dimensions Chart

Ah, the thought of a comfy new bed… But what size should you buy? How should you select your ideal bed dimensions? Of course, the basics depend upon the number and size (girth and weight) of the people who will be sleeping in it, the age of those people (for example, a younger person might need a single or twin bed now and a double or full bed later), the health of the bed’s occupants (an older, frail person will need a softer bed, whereas a person with a bad back might need a firmer one), and the size of the space allocated in the room where the bed will be placed. It’s a lot to consider, and we haven’t even touched on matters like type of mattress or price!

Some of the factors influencing bed dimensions have to do with the country where you will be living with your bed, and even to the vernacular of the bed; what we mean by this is what “language” your bed speaks. For example, while Canadian and American bed dimensions are basically the same, the Americans use different terminology from the Canadians, who are governed by a more British type of English. In Canada, a “single” bed is a “twin” bed in the U.S.A., but they measure identically.

To lessen the confusion, despite there always being exceptions, we have put together the following chart to help you determine your bed dimensions. As you reference this chart, please take careful note of the following: these are modern dimensions and there are some older beds that will not conform to the bed dimensions on this chart. We are, of course, assuming that you are planning on purchasing a new bed, so we sincerely hope this helps sort out the confusion about bed dimensions before you even head out to the store.

Bed Dimensions Chart

The countries included in this chart are by and large the ones in the world where people purchase typical box springs and mattresses as their sleeping units. We hear through the siesta grapevine that hammocks placed strategically under palm trees on a breezy stretch of beach also come in a range of sizes, but nobody cares!

Twin Size Bed Dimensions

In Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as most of Europe, a bed for a single person is called, suitably, a single bed, and from that we take single size bed dimensions; in the U.S.A. they’re called twin size bed dimensions because of a different moniker. Either way, these beds are slightly larger than a cot, which generally measures approximately 30” by 80”, and allow for at least a little wiggle room.

Twin or single beds are no longer simple, as they once were, to define. Most of them have twin sized bed dimensions in a width of either 36” (U.K.) or 39” (North America), but the length changes and grows from there. In the U.K. and most of Europe a single bed measures 36” by 75”, and in North America standard twin size bed dimensions are 39” by 75”. Then it goes crazy. Also see our main page about various Bed Dimensions.

North American Twin Size Bed Dimensions

Here is a collection of twin size bed dimensions, all of these by North American terms and measurements, including metric (Canada uses the metric system):

• Standard Twin 39” by 75” or 91cm x 191cm
• Twin Extra Long 39” by 80”
• Twin Extra Extra Long 39” by 84”

We’re not sure why, if you’re as tall as to need a single-width bed that is as much as 84” long, you don’t just buy a double (or full) and lie on it diagonally…

International Twin Size Bed Dimensions

Twin size bed dimensions are not as varied and crazy as the global list of king size bed dimensions, and they should be regarded with some level of caution. Ask yourself if investing in a twin or single mattress makes sense. Is the room too small to handle a larger bed? That’s a good reason, unless the residence is temporary. Is the bed slated for a child or youth who will be leaving home within 5 or 10 years? Depending on the quality and therefore longevity of the mattress you purchase, you may be better off to buy a double (or full) or even a queen, unless you live in the U.K. because they don’t have queen size bed dimensions there.

Exhausted? We think this mass of bed dimensions information should be sorted out and standardized, but it hasn’t been, not yet, anyway. And none of these bed dimensions takes into account depth, but that’s another nightmare. Twin size bed dimensions almost follow some level of conformity and may be your easiest measurement when assessing the size of your next bed.

Queen Size Bed Dimensions

What are queen size bed dimensions? Frankly, it depends on where you live and what language you speak.

Deciding on the right mattress means knowing what the bed dimensions of your choices are; this is determined largely by how many people will occupy the bed and how large is the room where the bed will be situated. A third factor may also come into play: is the bed for an adult or a child that may out-grow it and someday move away from home, leaving the bed behind? If you plan to use your youngster’s bed as a guest bed in the future, then don’t get a single or twin; plan ahead.

International Queen Size Bed Dimensions

Bed dimensions can be a confusing matter because there are so many versions of names and sizes of mattresses. Queen size bed dimensions have proven to be the most popular size of bed in North America, possibly because people, over the years, have become larger and queen size beds are about 6 inches wider and longer than full (in American vernacular) or double (in Canadian and U.K. English) size beds. The United Kingdom (considered to be European sizing) does not offer a “queen” size mattress; theirs go from double to king, which is the same width (60”) as a North American queen size bed dimension, but the U.K. king size versions are 2” shorter than the North American ones.

Queen size bed dimensions in North America are 60” by 80”; the metric equivalent (Canada uses the metric system; the U.S.A. is on Imperial measurements) is 152cm x 203cm. Bed dimensions are always given in width by length, just for your information. But queen is not where this bedtime story begins and ends; that would be too simple in a world of bed dimensions that seem to have no standard, certainly not on an international level and not just because of the difference between Imperial and metric. Also see our main page about Bed Dimensions.

For example, queen size bed dimensions do not take into account the thickness, or depth, of the mattress, or the height of the bed frame, and accordingly, these factors must be considered when purchasing linens for a bed. New fitted sheets that are designed for the pillow-top or deeper mattresses will say “deep-pocket corners” or something to that effect, on the package, so as to identify them as being larger (deeper) than normal fitted (bottom) sheets. Fitted sheets with deep-pocket corners may not fit a standard-depth mattress snugly and can ride up when you are sleeping.

North American Queen Size Bed Dimensions

North American queen size bed dimensions designate the measurements of a single mattress, but a new trend toward marrying two individual mattresses to make one larger bed has resulted in a queen size bed dimension known as “dual queen” in the U.S.A. With a dual queen mattress, you get two mattresses, each measuring 30” wide by 80” deep, that sit on a box spring (normally) that supports both. The other type of queen size bed dimensions is sometimes called “queen plus” and this is simply a mattress with a 6-inch wider queen size bed dimension.

For normal purposes, North American queen size bed dimensions are 60” x 80”, unless the retail store or manufacturer specifies otherwise, and linens can be purchased accordingly.

King Size Bed Dimensions

When learning about king size bed dimensions, it seems as though every king that has ever ruled anywhere in the world has a size of king bed; there are dozens of descriptors for king size mattresses. We hope to help by settling some confusion, but in some countries, like the U.K., for example, king size bed dimensions are smaller than North American queen size bed dimensions, and a royal war ensues.

International King Size Bed Dimensions Differences

Let’s begin with national differences. In the United Kingdom (and most of Europe), king size bed dimensions measure 60” by 78”; this is closer to the queen size bed dimensions of North American mattresses, but is 2” shorter in the length. The U.K. has a slightly larger version of king size bed dimensions, known as “super king” at 70” by 78”.

In North America, king size bed dimensions, on a “normal” king size mattress are 76” x 80”. The understanding has always been that this is to accommodate people who are generally built larger and taller. There is no “super king” mattress in North America, as there is in the U.K., but America makes up for it with half a dozen or more other king size bed dimensions to make you royally confused.

North American King Size Bed Dimensions

Here are the list (that we know of!) of North American king size bed dimensions:

• Standard King (also known as Eastern King) 76” wide by 80” long
• Dual King (with two mattresses of equal size and box springs, accordingly) two mattresses at 39” wide by 80” long
• California King 72” wide by 84” long
• Dual California King (see dual king, above) two mattresses at 36” wide by 84” long
• Alaska King (so big it comes in three pieces, totaling the king size bed dimensions) 108” by 108” (translation, a huge 9’ by 9’ bed, ideal if you’re not fond of your sleeping partner!)
• Wyoming King 84” by 84”

Now, just when you thought you had all the royals lined up, the new bed dimension is known as “emperor’ and it measures 72” by 84” or 183 cm by 213cm, narrow and longer. Also see our main page about Bed Dimensions.

We can hear the sheet manufacturers scratching their heads. Maybe they ought to come up with some sort of Velcro-based fitted sheet that is adjustable! All of these sizes require some adjustment when you are dealing with depths of mattresses and specialty beds, such as the adjustable kind, but it may be best to buy the biggest flat sheets you can find and hope they never wear out!

Some people prefer to have separate mattresses (as stipulated in the dual king size bed dimensions) so that each person feels like they are sleeping in their own bed, without influence from the other person’s movements. If only snoring could not be heard from one side of a big bed to the other! King size bed dimensions vary, but we’re not sure why so many choices have emerged in recent years.

Full Size Bed Dimensions

Intended to sleep two people, full size bed dimensions are normally 54” wide by 75” long, unless you’re in the United Kingdom or Europe and then they are called “double” beds; the same is true in Canada, but to add conflict to confusion, while Canada may call theirs doubles, they measure the same as American full size bed dimensions, and not the same as U.K. double size bed dimensions. Clear as a thick mattress?

When we dream at night in our beds of various sizes, we dream of a world where there are global standards set for bed dimensions. And then we wake up to reality… The fact is that full size bed dimensions are different. In the U.K. and most of Europe (which can make for an uncomfortable hotel stay if you’re American and think that terms of beds match), beds that sleep two are called “double” (measuring 54” by 75”, which is pretty much the same as American full size bed dimensions), and “three-quarters” or “small double” that measure 48” by 75”.

North American Full Size Bed Dimensions

In North America, full size bed dimensions are generally 54” x 75”, removing at least some confusion, unless you’re in Canada, and the full size bed dimensions are double size bed dimensions, measuring 137cm x 191cm. Yawn.

This is simple compared to the wide range of king size bed dimensions available around the world. The U.S.A. also offers full size bed dimensions in an extra-long edition, and those measure 54” x 80”. See our page overview page about Bed Dimensions.

These standards get muddied when the mattress is part of a bed/chesterfield or sofa bed unit, with additional inches allocated at the top to allow for the chesterfield or sofa back cushions, and a distinctly shallower mattress depth, to ensure a painful night’s sleep!

Alternative Full Size Bed Dimensions

Murphy or wall beds also manipulate standards, allowing for the roughly 16” depth of the side walls of the bed cabinet, into which it folds. Hospital beds, bunks beds, toddler beds, dog and cat beds, cots and cribs drive another range of bed dimensions, but fewer consumers are concerned with these mattress sizes.

Whether you call it a full or a double, the size of your sleep is what matters. Full size bed dimensions are the least murky of the rage of sizes available in the world of beds.