To measure up for a small double TV bed, start from the mattress size of 120cm by 190cm, then find the external frame dimensions in the listing, which will be larger because of the side rails, headboard and footboard housing. Measure your room at floor level, mark the frame footprint with tape, and check you still have a comfortable walkway at the foot, room for the door to swing and space for the screen to rise. If those all work, the bed will fit and feel right.
Small doubles are popular in compact UK bedrooms for good reason. They give a single sleeper noticeably more room than a single bed, and they fit into box rooms and second bedrooms where a standard double would crowd the floor. Our modern TV beds UK collection includes small double designs made with those rooms in mind.
Small double is a standard UK size, sometimes called a three quarter bed. The mattress measures 120cm wide and 190cm long. For context, a single is 90cm by 190cm and a standard double is 135cm by 190cm. The small double sits between them, gaining width without adding length.
That shared length is important. A small double is no longer than a single, so if a single fits your room lengthways, a small double mattress will too. The question is whether the extra width, and the extra frame length a TV bed adds, still leave room to move.
The frame is always larger than the mattress. A TV bed adds most of its extra size at the foot, where the housing holds the lift and the screen. Check the overall external dimensions for each model you are considering, and plan with those figures alone. The same rule applies to every larger piece in our bedroom furniture UK collection, from wardrobes to chests.
Use a metal tape measure and work in centimetres. Measure the length and width of the room at floor level, skirting to skirting. In older properties, measure in two or three places along each wall and use the smallest figure, since walls are often slightly out of true.
Draw a rough plan and mark on it:
Write every distance on the plan. You will use it to test positions and check other furniture later.
In a small room, the headboard wall is usually the one with the fewest interruptions. Measure its usable width between obstacles. You need enough width for the frame plus a little space at least on one side to get in and out of bed comfortably.
If the bed will sit in a corner, which is common with small doubles in box rooms, you only need access on one side. That saves floor space, but it makes changing the bedding harder. Some people find it worth leaving a narrow gap on the wall side for tucking in sheets.
Measure the height available on the headboard wall too, especially beneath a window. A lower headboard can sit under the sill and keep the window usable.
The foot is where a TV bed differs most from a standard bed, and where small rooms are most often caught out.
Measure from the headboard wall to the opposite wall or obstacle. Subtract the external length of the bed. The remaining figure is your walkway. A commonly used guideline is to leave around 60cm of clear space around a bed. In a very small room you may accept a little less on one side, but keep the foot as clear as you can, because that is where the screen rises and where you will walk most.
Check the door. Open it fully and make sure it clears the corner of the footboard. In box rooms where the door opens into the room towards the bed, this single measurement often decides which wall the bed goes on.
Check the height above the foot. If there is a sloping ceiling, shelf or cupboard above where the footboard will sit, measure from the floor to the underside. Compare with the raised screen height in the listing.
Using the external frame dimensions, mark the outline of the bed on the floor with masking tape. Then live with it for an evening. Walk round it, open the door, open the wardrobe, pull out any drawers and stand at the foot as you would to make the bed.
This step tells you more than any calculation. A bed that technically fits can still feel cramped. A bed that seemed too large on paper may sit comfortably once you see it in context.
Most fitting problems with small double TV beds come from a handful of oversights. Measuring at waist height rather than floor level is the most common, because skirting boards and radiators reduce the usable width where the frame actually sits. Using the mattress size instead of the frame size is a close second.
Forgetting the radiator is another. A headboard pressed tightly against a radiator restricts heat in the room and can affect upholstery over time. Leave a small gap so warm air can circulate.
Finally, people sometimes measure the room but not the screen. Check that the television you plan to use is within the maximum size and weight for the lift, and that it will be comfortable to watch from the short distance between the headboard and the footboard. In a small double, that distance is roughly the length of the bed, so a modest screen size is usually more comfortable than a large one.
Upholstery choice influences how the bed feels in a compact room. Fabric frames, with their soft edges and textured finishes, tend to feel lighter and more relaxed. Our small double fabric beds UK range gives a useful sense of how upholstered small doubles look in a room.
Leather and faux leather frames have crisper lines and wipe clean easily, which suits busy rooms and guest bedrooms. Our modern small double leather beds UK sale selection shows a range of colours and headboard styles.
Comparing standard frames with TV designs in the same size also shows you exactly how much length the lift housing adds, which is helpful when the foot clearance is tight.
Once you know where the bed goes, measure for everything else. Compact pieces suit small double rooms best, but measure first so you choose with confidence.
Bedside storage. Measure the gap beside the bed and the height of the mattress top. In a small room, a narrow cabinet or a wall shelf is often better than a full size bedside table. Our guide to fitting a bedside cabinet in a small UK room explains the measurements to check.
Chest of drawers. Measure the space for the chest and the clearance in front of it so drawers can open fully. Our guide to standard chest of drawers dimensions in the UK covers typical widths, depths and heights.
Wardrobe. Hinged doors need their full width to open. Sliding doors need only a walkway in front. In small double rooms, sliding wardrobes often save valuable space at the foot of the bed.
The lift needs a mains socket. Find where the cable leaves the frame on your chosen model and check it reaches a socket without crossing a walkway. If you plan to plug in the television, a phone charger and a lamp, count how many sockets you will need in that area.
Measure the route into the room as well. Note the width of every door frame and the clearance at any turns on the stairs or landing. The footboard housing and headboard are usually the largest components.
With those figures in hand, you can browse small double TV beds at Furniture in Fashion knowing exactly what will work in your room. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
The mattress is 120cm by 190cm. The external frame is larger, mainly because of the footboard housing, so check the overall dimensions on each listing.
Often, yes, especially if the bed sits in a corner with access on one side. Measure carefully and tape out the footprint to be sure.
It is the same length as a standard single and double, at 190cm. Taller adults may prefer a king size for its extra length if the room allows.
Aim for around 60cm of clear walkway, and make sure the door clears the footboard and nothing above blocks the raised screen.
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