Bed size

Standard bed sizes are based on standard mattress sizes, which vary from country to country. Bed sizes also vary according to the size and degree of ornamentation of the bed frame. Dimensions and names vary considerably around the world, with most countries having their own standards and terminology. In addition, two mattresses with the same nominal size may have slightly different dimensions, due to manufacturing tolerances, amount of padding, and support type. Mattress sizes may differ from bedding sizes.
Naming standards on different bed sizes and their corresponding actual measurements can vary across national standards. Examples of such nomenclature are names like "Single", "Full" or "Double", "Queen" or "King" size. Sometimes the naming standards are further divided by adding adjectives such as "Narrow", "Wide", "Extra Wide", "Long", "Extra Long" and so on, which also can vary across national standards.
For example, a King size bed may measure (in width by length):
Because of the growth of international trade and the above potential cause of confusion, bed sizes are becoming more standardized. In most countries, using the International System of Units, bed dimensions most often appear in centimeters, and often only by width and length. In the United States, Canada and other regions influenced by the former British Empire, dimensions are often in inches.
Europe may traditionally have had more variations in national bed size standards than any other part of the world, but in the recent years a few sizes have become more common than others. Bed sizes are defined in centimeters in all European countries, although supplementary Imperial equivalents are sometimes shown in the United Kingdom.
Today, the most common widths sold by pan European retailers are:
Other sizes are also available in some European countries (e.g., 80 or 140 cm (31 or 55 in)), but the widths listed above are the most common when looking at the European market as a whole, while 135 cm (53 in) and 150 cm (59 in) (nominal) are more typical in the UK and Ireland.
Today, the 200 cm (79 in) length is the most common bed length sold by pan-European retailers. Lengths of 210 or 220 cm (83 or 87 in) are often also available by special order. The longer beds are intended for taller people, and as a rule of thumb 210-centimeter-long (83 in) beds may be recommended for people 190 cm (75 in) or taller, while 220 cm (87 in) beds are recommended for people over 200 cm (79 in) tall.
In France, single size beds are usually:
The most common sizes for double beds are:
In Italy, beds are classified by name and use the term piazza as in "place". Standard sizes are:
These sizes are for Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. There are some variations between different countries, but these are the most common sizes. Until the 1980s the most common mattress length was 190 cm (75 in).
Sizes listed refer to mattress sizes.
In Portugal, the most common widths for beds are:
Beds are typically 190 cm (75 in) or 195 cm (77 in) long, but 200 cm (79 in) have become more common.
In Spain, standardized lengths are 180, 190 and 200 cm (71, 75 and 79 in), with 190 cm (75 in) being the most common. Standardized widths are 80, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150 or 180 cm (31, 35, 41, 47, 53, 59 or 71 in). The most common bed sizes are:
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, beds are measured according to the size of mattress they hold, not the dimensions of the bed frame itself; bed frame sizes are not standardized and may differ between manufacturers. Listed below are the typical bed sizes from the National Bed Federation, which is the trade association for the majority of British and Irish bed manufacturers and their suppliers. Most NBF manufacturers use designs dimensioned in feet and inches with the metric indicators not being exact equivalents. There can legally be a tolerance of up to ±2 cm (0.8 in) between the quoted measurements and the size of the mattress itself.
*Also known as a "three-quarter" or "four-foot" bed.
Some UK retailers may have a "queen" size which refers to one of the above standard sizes, but there is inconsistency around which size specifically, with both the small double and super king being prevalent.
Adjustable beds or electric adjustable bed sizes differ from the standard bed size. The length of these beds differ from a standard size due to the nature of the bed needing to bend. So they are 200 cm in length rather than 191 cm. King size and super king size are normally two 75 cm or two 90 cm adjacent beds.
As well as customary UK sizes, some common European sizes can be found in the UK from imports and IKEA. The typical length of an IKEA and other European mattresses is 200 cm (79 in), whereas UK lengths vary depending on the width of the mattress, being usually either 191 or 198 cm (75 or 78 in). In 2015, IKEA started offering beds and mattresses in customary UK sizes alongside their standard European sizes.
In Turkey, single size beds are usually 90 cm × 190 cm (35 in × 75 in); long single size 90 cm × 200 cm (35 in × 79 in); large single size 100 cm × 200 cm (39 in × 79 in).
There is also an intermediate size used for one and a half people in Turkey: 120 cm × 200 cm (47 in × 79 in).
The most common sizes for double beds are: small double size 140 cm × 190 cm (55 in × 75 in); young size 140 cm × 200 cm (55 in × 79 in); double size 150 cm × 200 cm (59 in × 79 in); double size 160 cm × 200 cm (63 in × 79 in); double large size 180 cm × 200 cm (71 in × 79 in); double XL size 200 cm × 200 cm (79 in × 79 in).
The sizes of mattresses use non-numeric labels such as a "king" or "full", but are defined in inches. Historically most beds were "twins" or "doubles" but in the mid-1940s larger mattresses were introduced by manufacturers. These were later standardized as "queen" and "king", and first made a significant impact on the market in the 1950s and 60s. Standard mattress depth ranges from the "standard" size of 9 in (23 cm) to "high contour" of up to 13 in (33 cm). Below are the standard ISPA widths and heights in the United States and Canada.
While the dimensions are specified to the half-inch below, the actual dimension used by manufacturers or various websites may be half an inch larger or smaller.
Less common sizes include:
There are also a number of specialty sizes for specific use cases: In addition, there is a Florida King and a Texas King size.
Bedding in the United States must state the type of bed it is intended for, in addition to the dimensions in both inches and centimeters.
In addition to the horizontal dimensions of beds, another aspect to bed size is the vertical height of the bed. This is particularly relevant for bunk beds, loft beds, Murphy beds, and canopy beds, which require more vertical space than other beds.
In the case of both bunk beds and loft beds, it's generally suggested that there is at least 40 inches (1 meter) of vertical space between the top of the mattress to the ceiling. This allows the average-sized adult to sit up comfortably in bed.
For vertical Murphy beds, which fold up against the wall, ceiling height must accommodate the full length of the Murphy bed wall frame.
For canopy beds, there needs to be suitable clearance between the top of the canopy point and the ceiling.
The following bed sizes are available in Australia.
The following bed sizes are available in New Zealand.
In South Africa, bed sizes have standard lengths of either 188 or 200 cm (74 or 79 in), with the latter being called "XL" variants. XL mattresses have the same widths as their non-XL counterparts. The 200 cm (79 in) XL length is recommended for persons over 183 cm (6 ft) tall.
In China, the following sizes are standard:
In practice, bed sizes are usually categorized by the width. The length is typically 200 cm (79 in), but this may vary. The most common sizes are:
Other bed sizes are available, which are less common however.
In Indonesia, the standard length is always 200 cm (79 in). The following market-standard sizes are commonly available in Indonesia:
Standard Japanese bedding sizes are described in the standard JIS S 1102:2017 Beds for domestic use by the Japanese Standards Association.
Standard bed sizes in Malaysia
Standard bed sizes in Pakistan.
Standard bed sizes in Singapore
There are five common bed sizes in Taiwan, locally known as 3 footer, 3.5 footer, 5 footer, 6 footer and 7 footer. They are also known as Taiwanese small single, twin, full, queen and king respectively.
However, American beds are also popular in Taiwan. Bedroom furniture and bedding of U.S. standard sizes can be purchased in major cities there. In addition, American sizes also include the 3/4 size bed of 48 x 75.