In the UK a queen bed is not a standard size, which is the first thing to understand. British bed sizing runs single, small double, double, king and super king. When UK retailers refer to a queen size they almost always mean a bed roughly 150cm wide, which corresponds to the UK king size at 150cm by 200cm. The American queen size, by contrast, measures approximately 152cm wide by 203cm long.
So the short answer depends on where the bed comes from. A US queen is about 152cm wide. The closest UK equivalent is the king at 150cm wide. The 2cm difference sounds trivial, yet it is enough to affect how fitted sheets and mattress protectors sit, which is why imported bedding rarely fits British mattresses properly.
British sizes are consistent across the trade, which makes comparison straightforward. A single measures 90cm wide by 190cm long. A small double, often called a three quarter, is 120cm by 190cm. A standard double is 135cm by 190cm. A king is 150cm by 200cm and a super king is 180cm by 200cm.
Notice that the length increases at king size. A double is 190cm long while a king is 200cm, so moving up from a double gains you 15cm in width and 10cm in length. That extra length matters for anyone over roughly 6 feet tall, and it is often the more valuable gain of the two.
The word queen sits awkwardly in this system because it belongs to a different sizing convention. Some manufacturers use it loosely for anything between a double and a king, which is precisely why checking the centimetre measurement is more reliable than trusting the name.
Bed naming is regional. Australian, American, European and British conventions all differ, and online marketplaces list all of them side by side. An Australian queen measures 153cm by 203cm. A European size described as queen might be 160cm by 200cm. None of these matches a UK king exactly.
The consequence shows up in bedding rather than in the bed itself. A duvet sized for a US queen will look slightly mean on a UK king, and a UK king fitted sheet may be a fraction tight on a US queen mattress. If you own a mattress bought abroad, measure it and buy bedding to the measurement rather than the label.
When you are shopping in Britain, the practical approach is to ignore the queen terminology and work with UK sizes. Our modern king size beds UK sale listings state exact dimensions for every frame, which removes the guesswork.
Width is only half the calculation. You also need circulation space. As a working guide, allow at least 60cm to 70cm on each side you need to walk down, and around 60cm at the foot if there is a door or wardrobe to reach.
Take a 150cm wide bed with access down both sides. The minimum comfortable room width becomes roughly 150cm plus 140cm, so around 2.9 metres. Add the bed length of 200cm plus foot clearance and you are looking at a room of approximately 2.9 metres by 2.6 metres at minimum. Many second bedrooms in British houses fall short of that, which is why the double at 135cm remains the most common size in UK homes.
If the bed can sit with one side against a wall, the calculation changes and a narrower room can accommodate a wider bed. It is a reasonable compromise in a guest room, though less pleasant as a main bedroom where two people need independent access.
Measure the room at floor level and again at waist height, because skirting boards, radiators and chimney breasts all reduce usable width. Note the swing of the door and the opening depth of any wardrobe doors, since a bed that blocks either is a daily irritation.
Mark the bed footprint on the floor with masking tape before buying. Walk around it. Open the wardrobe. Pull out the chest of drawers. This five minute exercise reveals problems that measurements on paper hide.
Do not forget access. A 150cm mattress needs to get up the stairs and round the landing. Rolled foam mattresses solve this neatly, while a sprung mattress of that width can be awkward in a narrow Victorian stairwell. Zip and link mattresses, which arrive as two singles that fasten together, are a sensible answer to difficult access.
The step from 135cm to 150cm gives each person in a shared bed an extra 7.5cm of width. That sounds modest and yet it is noticeable, particularly for restless sleepers or anyone who shares with a pet.
Weigh it against what you lose. A wider bed leaves less room for bedside furniture, and in a small bedroom that can mean giving up a chest of drawers or squeezing bedside tables to an awkward width. Slim modern bedside cabinets UK sale around 40cm to 45cm wide are often the practical solution when the bed takes priority.
Storage is worth factoring in too. If a wider bed pushes out a chest of drawers, an ottoman base or a divan with drawers recovers some of that capacity beneath the mattress. It is a straightforward trade, and one that works well in rooms where floor space is genuinely limited.
UK king bedding is sized for a 150cm by 200cm mattress. A king duvet typically measures 225cm by 220cm, which gives good overhang on both sides. Fitted sheets are made to 150cm by 200cm with a stated pocket depth.
Pocket depth deserves attention because mattress depths have increased considerably. A deep pocket sprung mattress can measure 30cm or more, and a standard fitted sheet with a 25cm pocket will pull off the corners. Check the mattress depth and buy sheets rated to match, allowing for a topper if you use one.
Pillow arrangement changes at this width as well. Two standard UK pillows measuring 50cm by 75cm sit comfortably across a 150cm bed with a little space between them, whereas on a super king you may prefer three or a pair of larger continental pillows.
Frame widths differ slightly from mattress widths, since side rails and upholstery add to the external measurement. A 150cm mattress usually sits in a frame with an external width of around 155cm to 165cm depending on the design. Upholstered frames tend to be the widest because of the padding.
Check the external dimension against your room measurement rather than the mattress size, and check the headboard height against any window sill or dado behind the bed. A tall headboard in front of a low window looks unresolved and can block light.
Base type affects overall feel and height, as covered in more detail across our bedroom guides. Both slatted frames and divan bases work well at this size, though slat spacing matters for foam mattresses. At Furniture in Fashion we list slat spacing and external frame dimensions for each bed so you can check compatibility before ordering. Upholstered options in our modern king size fabric beds UK range give a softer profile if you want the headboard and frame to read as one piece.
They are close but not identical. A US queen is about 152cm by 203cm, while a UK king is 150cm by 200cm. The UK king is the nearest standard equivalent, though bedding sized for one will not fit the other perfectly.
British bed sizing developed its own conventions, running single, small double, double, king and super king. Queen belongs to American and Australian systems, so UK retailers using the term are usually describing a 150cm wide bed.
Allow roughly 2.9 metres by 2.6 metres for access down both sides and at the foot. A narrower room can work if one side sits against a wall, which is often acceptable in a guest bedroom.
No. Double bedding is made for a 135cm mattress and will not cover a 150cm one adequately. Buy UK king sized bedding and check the fitted sheet pocket depth against your mattress.
A king is 15cm wider and 10cm longer than a standard UK double, giving each person in a shared bed an extra 7.5cm of width along with useful additional length.
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