How Long Is a King Size Bed?

The direct answer

A UK king size bed is 200cm long. That is the mattress measurement, equal to 6ft 6in. The frame is longer, generally 205cm to 215cm from the back of the headboard to the front of the footboard, because the structure sits around the mattress rather than beneath it alone.

Width, for reference, is 150cm. So a king mattress is 150cm by 200cm, and a realistic floor footprint to plan around is roughly 160cm by 210cm depending on the frame material.

Why length is the figure that matters most

Width gets more attention, but length is the reason many people move up to a king. Every UK size up to and including a standard double is 190cm long. King and super king are both 200cm. That 10cm is the only length increase available in the standard range, apart from a long single.

For anyone approaching 6ft 3in, a 190cm mattress means feet reach the end once bedding is tucked in. A 200cm mattress solves that, and it does so without needing the extra width of a super king. If height rather than shoulder room is your issue, a king is the size that fixes it.

Frame length in practice

How much length a frame adds depends on its construction. Metal frames add the least, often only 5cm in total. Wooden frames with solid end panels add more. Upholstered frames add padding at both ends, and a deep buttoned headboard alone can account for 10cm.

Footboards are the variable that catches people out. A frame with a tall panel at the foot of the bed can push overall length past 210cm, while a frame with an open foot end may be barely longer than the mattress. If your room is tight lengthways, choosing an open foot design can recover useful centimetres.

Always check the assembled dimensions rather than the size name. We list them for every bed in our king size beds UK sale range, so the comparison between two designs at the same nominal size is easy to make.

How much room length you need

Plan for the frame length plus walking space at the foot. Around 50cm at the foot of the bed is enough to walk past comfortably, and 75cm allows for a bench or blanket box. That means a king bed wants a room at least 2.6m long, and preferably closer to 3m if you want anything at the end of the bed.

Measure the wall at floor level and again at headboard height. In older UK homes the two rarely match, because skirting boards, picture rails and uneven plaster all interfere. A bed that fits at mattress height may not clear a deep skirting board at the base, leaving the headboard standing a few centimetres off the wall.

Watch for radiators along the wall the bed will run beside. A king bed occupies enough length that it commonly overlaps one, which restricts heat output and can dry out the mattress edge over time.

Sloping ceilings and loft rooms

Loft conversions are where length planning becomes essential. Under a sloping ceiling, the length available at mattress height is often less than the floor length, so the bed may only fit in one orientation. In many loft rooms that means running the bed lengthways along the slope with a low headboard or none at all.

Measure the height at the point where the head of the bed will sit, then again at the foot. If the slope cuts across the bed, check you can still sit up without your head touching the ceiling. A low profile frame gains valuable headroom in this situation, and pairing it with a shallower mattress helps further.

Long king and extra length options

Standard UK king length is 200cm and that is what almost all bedding is made for. Some ranges offer longer mattresses, but they sit outside the standard sizing, which means bedding becomes harder to source and replacements are less straightforward.

For most tall sleepers, 200cm is sufficient. If it is not, a super king is the same 200cm length, so moving up in width will not help. The practical alternative is to look at how the bedding is made up: a duvet that is too small forces you to tuck it under, which is often what makes a bed feel short in the first place.

Choosing a king frame for the space you have

In a room where length is generous but width is limited, a slim frame is the priority. Metal designs take up the least visual and physical space, and they keep the floor visible underneath, which helps a narrow room read as larger.

Where length is the constraint, look for open footboards and low headboards. Upholstered frames in our modern king size fabric beds UK range include low profile designs suited to rooms where a tall headboard would be awkward. If you want the frame to feel more substantial and the room can take it, timber options in our king size wooden beds UK sale collection give a heavier, grounded look.

Mattress depth and how the bed reads in the room

Depth does not change the 200cm length, but it changes how long the bed looks. A deep mattress on a low frame makes the bed appear more substantial and can make a modest room feel fuller. A slimmer mattress lowers the whole profile, which is useful in loft rooms and under windows.

Aim for a finished mattress top of around 55cm to 65cm from the floor for comfortable sitting and getting up. Depth is listed alongside length and width in our mattresses UK sale range, which makes it easy to plan the finished height before ordering rather than after.

Bedding for a 200cm long mattress

A UK king duvet is around 225cm by 220cm, giving good overhang on a 150cm wide mattress. Fitted sheets are cut for 150cm by 200cm, and mattresses deeper than about 27cm need a deeper skirt so the corners stay put.

Take care with imported sizes. A European king mattress is 160cm by 200cm, so it shares the length but is wider. An American king is roughly 193cm by 203cm, wider and slightly longer. Bedding made for either will not sit correctly on a UK king, so compare the centimetre figures rather than the name.

Getting a king bed into the room

Length is also a delivery consideration. A 200cm mattress is not easy to turn on a tight landing, and a rigid divan base at king size is harder still. Flat packed frames avoid the problem, since the longest component is a side rail.

Measure the narrowest point on the route and the tightest turn before ordering. Rolled mattresses pass almost any staircase but cannot be re rolled once opened, so unpack them in the room where they will be used. You can browse the full bedroom collection alongside our other home ranges at Furniture in Fashion, and we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Getting a 200cm frame into the room

Length is also the reason a king frame can be awkward to deliver. Side rails close to 200cm long cannot be carried flat around a stair turn, so what matters is the diagonal clearance at the tightest point rather than the width of the doorway. Measure the landing, the stair turn and any hallway corner before ordering.

Ottoman bases are the exception worth flagging, because the base often arrives as one piece that cannot be reduced further. If access is tight, a frame that ships as separate rails, slats and headboard is far easier to manage. Assemble the bed in its final position rather than building it elsewhere and carrying it through, since moving an assembled king frame twists the corner joints in a direction they were not designed for.

Furniture that works alongside a 200cm bed

A longer bed changes what fits beside it. Bedside cabinets look best when their top surface sits close to mattress height, and at king size a wider two drawer cabinet is better proportioned than a narrow single drawer table. Allow the cabinet width in your wall measurement rather than assuming the alcove will absorb it.

At the foot of the bed, a blanket box or bench needs its own depth on top of the 210cm frame, so allow around 45cm more before checking the walkway. Where the room cannot spare that, an ottoman base gives you the same storage inside the bed’s existing footprint. If the bed sits with one side against a wall, choose a base that lifts from the foot rather than the side so the mechanism remains usable.

Frequently asked questions

Is a king size bed longer than a double?

Yes. A king mattress is 200cm long against 190cm for a double, so it gives an extra 10cm of length as well as 15cm more width.