Double beds are 190cm long in the UK, which is 6ft 3in. That figure refers to the mattress. A double bed frame is longer overall, typically 195cm to 210cm, because a headboard adds 5cm to 18cm depending on how deeply it is padded and a footboard, where fitted, adds around 8cm more.
The number matters because 190cm is shorter than many people expect. European doubles are usually 200cm long and American full size mattresses are around 191cm. If you have slept on a continental double abroad and found it roomier at the feet, that is why. In Britain, plan around 190cm for the mattress and always check the external frame length before measuring up a wall or alcove.
One of the more useful quirks of UK bed sizing is that singles, small doubles and standard doubles all share a 190cm mattress length. A single is 90cm by 190cm. A small double is 120cm by 190cm. A double is 135cm by 190cm.
This means the depth of your room does not change when you move between those three sizes: only the width does. If a single bed fits along one wall of a box room, a double will fit in the same length of wall, assuming there is width to spare. That simplifies planning considerably when you are deciding what a room can take.
Length only increases at king size, where the mattress becomes 200cm. So the jump from double to king adds 10cm of length as well as 15cm of width. A recess or alcove that comfortably held a double frame will often refuse a king frame, because the mattress alone reaches 200cm before the headboard is counted.
The usual guidance is that a mattress should be 10cm to 15cm longer than the tallest person using it, so nobody’s feet reach the end when they stretch out. On that basis, 190cm suits sleepers up to roughly 175cm to 180cm tall, which is around 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in.
Above that height, a double starts to feel short. Someone at six feet tall has almost no clearance at the feet, and side sleepers who stretch out diagonally will notice it more than back sleepers. Tucked in bedding makes it worse, since a taut top sheet pulls the feet into an uncomfortable position.
If either sleeper is over about 180cm, a king mattress at 200cm is the more sensible choice, and the extra length usually improves sleep quality more noticeably than the extra width. Where a king will not fit, a long single at 90cm by 200cm can suit one tall sleeper, or some manufacturers offer extra length doubles, though availability is limited.
Mattress depth does not affect length, but it does affect how a tall sleeper experiences the bed. A deeper mattress with more edge support gives a firmer perimeter, which stops the sensation of rolling off when you shift towards the end.
The specification to look for is external length, not mattress size. Divan bases are the most space efficient because the base footprint closely matches the mattress, adding almost nothing until you bolt on a headboard. Slatted frames with posts and side rails add more at both ends.
Headboard depth is the main variable. A flat wooden panel adds around 5cm. A lightly padded fabric headboard adds 8cm to 12cm. A deeply buttoned or winged upholstered headboard can add 15cm to 18cm. Footboards, more common on wooden and metal frames, add roughly 8cm and are worth avoiding if length is your constraint.
Also allow a small gap between the headboard and the wall if a radiator sits behind it, so heat can circulate. And account for skirting boards, which prevent a frame sitting flush against the wall and can add 2cm to the effective footprint.
Our modern double wooden beds UK sale listings state both mattress and external dimensions, which makes fitting a bed into a measured alcove far more predictable than working from the size name alone.
Start by measuring the wall run where the bed will sit, at skirting height and again at about 90cm up. Then add the external frame length to whatever clearance you need at the foot. If you simply walk past the end of the bed, 50cm is workable. If a wardrobe door or chest drawer opens into that space, you need the full swing or pull out depth clear.
A common UK problem is a bedroom just under 3m deep with a fitted wardrobe on the far wall. A 210cm frame plus a 55cm drawer pull out leaves very little margin, and the drawer will catch the mattress. In that situation, either choose a divan base with no footboard to claw back length, or move the storage to the side wall.
Loft rooms bring the opposite issue: length is often plentiful but headroom is not. Position the bed where the ceiling is lowest and choose a low profile frame, since you only need sitting height above the mattress. A frame with a low headboard also avoids clashing with a sloping ceiling.
Mark the full external footprint on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day. Walking the outline reveals things a measurement cannot, such as a bedroom door that will not clear the corner of the bed.
Double fitted sheets are made for 135cm by 190cm, with depth listed separately. Standard sheets suit mattresses up to about 25cm deep, and deep sheets cover 30cm to 40cm. If you add a topper, buy bedding for the combined depth or the sheet will pull free at the corners overnight.
Double duvets are usually 200cm by 200cm. Note that the duvet is longer than the mattress, which is intentional: the extra length allows for a fold at the top and coverage at the feet. If you are tall and find your feet exposed, a king duvet on a double bed gives more length as well as width, though it will trail at the sides.
Be careful with imported bedding. A European double fitted sheet is cut for a 200cm mattress and will be loose and baggy on a UK 190cm mattress. Always check the centimetre measurements rather than trusting the size label.
If your room has length to spare, the area at the foot of a double bed is useful space. A blanket box or ottoman gives storage and a place to sit while dressing, and it visually closes the end of the bed, which makes a long narrow room feel more balanced. Our modern ottomans UK sale range includes designs sized to sit neatly across a double.
Where length is tight, take storage from under the mattress instead. Ottoman lift up frames use the entire under bed volume, and divan drawers offer easier access to flatter items. Neither adds anything to the room’s footprint, which is the point.
Beside the bed, keep furniture in proportion to the length of the wall. Two slim cabinets read better against a 210cm bed than one wide unit, and our modern bedside cabinets UK range includes narrow options for tight gaps. For the wider room, our modern bedroom furniture sets UK sale collections keep finishes consistent without needing to match every piece individually.
Every bed and mattress at Furniture in Fashion lists full dimensions so you can plan against real numbers, and free delivery is available to most UK mainland postcodes.
Converted lofts are where the 190cm length becomes the deciding measurement rather than a detail. Sloping ceilings mean the usable length of the room changes with height, so the floor may be long enough while the space above the mattress is not. Measure the length available at mattress height, roughly 60cm from the floor, and again at sitting height, since that is where you will actually need clearance when getting in and out.
Placing the bed with its head under the lowest part of the slope is the usual solution, because you need the least headroom while lying down. Keep the foot end towards the taller side of the room so you can stand up to make the bed. If a dormer window interrupts the wall, the recess it creates can sometimes take the full length of the mattress, which recovers space in the main part of the room.
Access is the second constraint in a loft. Staircases into converted roof spaces are often steeper and narrower than the rest of the house, with a tight turn at the top and a restricted ceiling height on the final steps. A divan base in two halves passes through spaces a rigid one piece frame cannot, and a frame delivered flat packed and assembled in the room removes the problem altogether. Measure the diagonal of the smallest opening rather than its width, since that is the figure that decides whether a base will turn the corner.
The mattress is 190cm long, or 6ft 3in. Frames add 5cm to 18cm for a headboard and around 8cm more for a footboard.
No. UK singles, small doubles and doubles are all 190cm long. Only the width differs between them.
It is tight, with almost no clearance at the feet. A king mattress at 200cm is a better choice for anyone around six feet or taller.
European doubles are usually 200cm long, 10cm more than the UK’s 190cm, and often 140cm wide rather than 135cm.
Allow the external frame length, commonly 195cm to 210cm, plus clearance at the foot for walking past or for wardrobe doors and drawers to open fully.
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