A bed with drawers uses the same mattress sizes as any other UK bed, so a single is 90cm by 190cm, a small double is 120cm by 190cm, a double is 135cm by 190cm, a king is 150cm by 200cm and a super king is 180cm by 200cm. What changes is the external footprint. Once you add the frame, the side rails and the drawer mechanism, most storage beds measure roughly 10cm to 20cm wider and longer than the mattress they hold. Height also rises, with many storage frames sitting between 40cm and 60cm from floor to mattress top.
The measurement that catches people out is not the bed itself. It is the space needed in front of the drawers. A side opening drawer needs around 50cm to 60cm of clear floor to pull out fully, and an end opening drawer needs a similar run at the foot of the bed. In a compact UK bedroom that clearance matters far more than the frame dimensions printed on the product page.
Every storage bed sold in Britain is built around one of five standard mattress sizes. Knowing them makes comparing frames much simpler, because the mattress size stays fixed while the frame around it varies by design.
A single measures 90cm by 190cm, which is 3ft by 6ft 3in. A small double, sometimes called a three quarter bed, measures 120cm by 190cm or 4ft by 6ft 3in. A standard double is 135cm by 190cm, equal to 4ft 6in by 6ft 3in. A king size is 150cm by 200cm, or 5ft by 6ft 6in. A super king is 180cm by 200cm, which is 6ft by 6ft 6in.
Note that a king and a super king are 10cm longer than the smaller sizes. That extra length is welcome for taller sleepers, but it also pushes the overall frame closer to 215cm once the headboard and footboard are included. In a small room, those ten centimetres can decide whether a wardrobe door opens cleanly.
Drawer beds need a rigid outer carcass to carry the weight of a mattress, two sleepers and whatever you store below. That structure sits outside the mattress line, which is why the external dimensions always exceed the mattress size.
As a working rule, add 10cm to 15cm to the width and around 15cm to 25cm to the length. A double storage bed with a 135cm mattress often measures close to 145cm to 150cm wide and 215cm long once a padded headboard is included. Deeply upholstered designs add more, because the padding wraps the frame on every side. Slim wooden frames add less.
Height varies more than most buyers expect. Low platform storage beds can sit at 35cm, while taller divan style frames reach 60cm or more before the mattress goes on. Add a 25cm mattress and the sleeping surface may land above 80cm, which suits anyone who finds low beds awkward to get out of but can feel imposing under a sloped ceiling. If you are browsing frames across our range of modern beds UK sale, check the floor to slat measurement rather than relying on photographs, since camera angles flatten height differences.
Storage beds come in three broad formats, and each one needs a different amount of space around it.
Side opening drawers are the most common. They usually come as two or four drawers set into the base rails, and they are best when at least one long side of the bed is free. Pull out depth is typically 50cm to 60cm, so measure from the bed rail to the nearest wardrobe, radiator or wall before committing.
End opening drawers slide out at the foot of the bed. They work well when both sides of the bed sit close to walls, which is common in narrow rooms where the bed is centred under a window. The trade off is that you cannot place a blanket box or bench at the foot without moving it each time.
Ottoman beds lift the whole mattress platform on gas struts to reveal a full length cavity. They need no floor clearance at the sides at all, only headroom above. For rooms where every centimetre of floor is spoken for, ottoman designs are the most space efficient choice, though you do need to clear the bed before opening it.
Drawer capacity is where storage beds earn their place. A typical side drawer on a double bed offers an internal space of around 70cm by 45cm with a depth of 15cm to 20cm. Two of those hold a season of folded jumpers, spare pillowcases and a duvet cover set without straining the runners.
An ottoman cavity on the same size bed can offer several hundred litres, enough for a spare duvet, suitcases and out of season coats. If you are storing bedding rather than clothing, that volume is the difference between keeping linens in the bedroom and keeping them in the loft.
Be realistic about weight. Drawers on runners are designed for textiles and light items, not books or tools. Overloading them is the fastest way to make a drawer stick. Bulky but light items belong under the bed. Heavy items belong in a chest, and our wooden chest of drawers UK sale range covers that job properly.
Work through four measurements and you will avoid almost every common mistake.
First, measure the wall the bed will sit against and subtract the frame width. You want at least 60cm of walking space on the side you use most, and 75cm feels comfortable if the room allows.
Second, measure from the bed position to the nearest obstruction on the drawer side. Compare that to the drawer pull out depth, then add a little margin so you are not pressed against a wardrobe while reaching in.
Third, check door swings. Bedroom doors, wardrobe doors and en suite doors all need clearance, and a storage bed is not easily shuffled once loaded.
Fourth, measure your access route. Storage beds arrive as flat packed sections rather than one piece, which helps, but the headboard is often the longest single panel. Narrow stairwells and tight landings are worth checking in advance.
Marking the footprint on the floor with masking tape takes ten minutes and tells you more than any diagram. Walk around the outline, open imaginary drawers and see how the room feels.
In a box room of around 2.1m by 2.4m, a single storage bed with end opening drawers usually works best, because it leaves one clear side for walking. A small double may physically fit, but it rarely leaves room to open anything.
In a typical UK second bedroom of about 2.7m by 3.2m, a small double or standard double with side drawers is realistic. Keep the bed against the longest wall and leave the drawer side facing the open floor.
In a main bedroom of 3.5m by 4m or larger, a king size storage bed sits comfortably with space for bedside units either side. At this size the bed becomes the anchor of the room, and it is worth matching the frame finish to the rest of your modern bedroom furniture UK sale pieces so the scheme reads as one collection rather than several separate purchases.
Runner quality decides how a drawer bed ages. Metal runners with a smooth glide handle daily use better than plain timber channels, particularly on wider drawers.
Slat support matters too. Sprung slats give a little flex and suit most mattresses, while solid platforms suit memory foam. Check the manufacturer guidance for your mattress type rather than assuming.
Consider flooring as well. Thick carpet can raise the base slightly and catch on low drawer fronts. On carpeted rooms, a frame with a small ground clearance under the drawer is more forgiving.
Finally, think about assembly. Storage beds have more components than a simple frame, so allow time and a second pair of hands. At Furniture in Fashion we list full assembled dimensions on every bed listing so you can compare like for like before ordering, and we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Yes, slightly. The mattress size is identical, but the external frame is usually 10cm to 15cm wider and 15cm to 25cm longer, and the base sits higher off the floor.
Allow 50cm to 60cm of clear floor in front of the drawer front. If you cannot spare that, choose an end opening design or an ottoman lift bed instead.
Most standard UK mattresses fit, provided you match the size exactly. Check whether the base uses sprung slats or a solid platform, as some memory foam and hybrid mattresses specify one or the other.
They do, though very deep pile carpet can reduce drawer clearance. Look for a frame with a small gap beneath the drawer front, and avoid dragging the assembled bed across the carpet when positioning it.
An ottoman lift bed, because it needs no side clearance at all. A single frame with end opening drawers is the next best option where headroom is limited.
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