Standard bed sizes are based on mattress dimensions, which vary from country to country. Bed sizes may also vary depending on the design and ornamentation of the bed frame. Dimensions and terminology differ worldwide, as most countries maintain their own standards. In addition, two mattresses with the same nominal size may have slightly different dimensions due to manufacturing tolerances, padding, and support type. Mattress and bedding sizes may not always correspond.
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", "Long", "Extra Long", "Wide", "Extra Wide", 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.
In South Africa, bed sizes have standard lengths of either , with the latter being called "XL" variants. XL mattresses have the same widths as their non-XL counterparts. The XL length is recommended for persons over tall.
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., ), but the widths listed above are the most common when looking at the European market as a whole, while and (nominal) are more typical in the UK and Ireland.
Today, the length is the most common bed length sold by pan-European retailers. Lengths of are often also available by special order. The longer beds are intended for taller people, and as a rule of thumb beds may be recommended for people or taller, while beds are recommended for people over 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 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 .
Sizes listed refer to mattress sizes.
In Portugal, the most common widths for beds are:
Beds are typically or long, but have become more common.
In Spain, standardized lengths are , with being the most common. Standardized widths are . 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 ñ between the quoted measurements and the size of the mattress itself.
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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.
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 , whereas UK lengths vary depending on the width of the mattress, being usually either . In 2015, IKEA started offering beds and mattresses in customary UK sizes alongside their standard European sizes.
Adjustable beds or electric adjustable bed sizes differ from the standard bed size. The length of these beds differs from a standard size because the beds need to bend. So they are in length rather than . King size and super king size are normally two or two adjacent beds.
In Turkey, single size beds are usually ; long single size ; large single size .
There is also an intermediate size used for one and a half people in Turkey: .
The most common sizes for double beds are: small double size ; young size ; double size ; double size ; double large size ; double XL size .
In China, the following sizes are standard:
In practice, bed sizes are usually categorized by the width. The length is typically , 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 . 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 include Single, Queen 1, Queen 2, and King
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.
The following bed sizes are available in Australia.
The following bed sizes are available in New Zealand.
The sizes of mattresses use non-numeric labels such as "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 to "high contour" of up to . 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 dimensions used by manufacturers or various websites may be half an inch larger or smaller.
In the North American hospitality industry, hotels often provide specialized "Hospitality King" or "Hotel King" sizes that differ from standard residential dimensions. While a standard Eastern King is 76 in ÃÂ 80 in (193 cm ÃÂ 203 cm), many hotels provide a mattress that is 72 in ÃÂ 80 in (183 cm ÃÂ 203 cm). This size combines the length of a standard King with the width of a California King, allowing hotels to maximize floor circulation space while still marketing the room as a "King" category.
Additionally, many hotels use "zip-and-link" systems (often called a "Split King" or "Hollywood Twin" in the United States). This consists of two Twin XL mattresses (38 in ÃÂ 80 in) joined together, for example, with a zipper. While this equates to the dimensions of a standard King, guests may perceive it as smaller due to the reinforced edge support and the central seam.
While many furniture websites claim that David Bergeson invented the California King bed size in Concord, California, to accommodate his long legs and short arms in 1982, the International Sleep Products Association has proven that it was developed in the 1920s for Hollywood celebrities, thus predating the standard king bed size.
Less common sizes include:
There are also a number of specialty sizes for specific use cases. In addition, there are Florida King and Texas King sizes.
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 of 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.
For both bunk beds and loft beds, it's generally recommended that there be at least 40 inches (1 meter) of vertical space between the top of the mattress and the ceiling. This allows the average-sized adult to sit up comfortably in bed.
For vertical Murphy beds that fold up against the wall, the ceiling height must accommodate the full length of the Murphy bed's wall frame.
For canopy beds, there needs to be suitable clearance between the top of the canopy point and the ceiling.