UK bed widths run from 75cm for a small single up to 180cm for a super king. The five standard sizes are single at 90cm, small double at 120cm, double at 135cm, king at 150cm and super king at 180cm. All of these refer to mattress width, with bed frames adding roughly 5cm to 15cm in total.
Length is more consistent than width. Singles, small doubles and doubles are 190cm long. Kings and super kings are 200cm. That is the other half of the sizing picture and often the more important one for taller sleepers.
Also called a cot bed size or narrow single. Used in very small box rooms, cabin beds and some children’s furniture. Bedding availability is limited.
The standard single. Suits children from around three years, guest rooms and box rooms. Bunk beds and most children’s beds use this size, which is why our modern childrens beds UK sale range is built around 90cm.
Sometimes called a three quarter bed. A good answer for a room too narrow for a full double, and comfortable for one adult who likes space. Tight for two adults long term.
The most common UK size. Gives two sleepers 67.5cm each. Fits most second bedrooms and many master bedrooms in flats and terraces.
75cm per sleeper plus 10cm more length. The usual choice for a master bedroom of reasonable size.
90cm per sleeper, the same as a full single each. Needs a large room.
200cm and above. Specialist sizes with restricted bedding and frame availability. Only worth considering with a very large bedroom and the willingness to source bedding to order.
Dividing the width in half gives the clearest sense of what you are buying. On a double, each person has 67.5cm. On a king, 75cm. On a super king, 90cm.
To put that in context, an average adult’s shoulder width is around 40cm to 46cm. On a double, that leaves each sleeper roughly 20cm to 25cm of spare width, which is enough to lie still but not much for movement, particularly with a pillow in play.
This is why the double to king step is the one most couples notice, and why single sleepers who upgrade from a single to a small double often report the biggest improvement of all, since they gain 30cm entirely for themselves.
Every planning mistake in bedroom layout traces back to this distinction.
Divan bases are closest to mattress width, usually within 2cm total. Metal frames add 4cm to 8cm total. Wooden frames with visible rails add 8cm to 16cm total. Upholstered frames with padded side rails add the most, sometimes 20cm or more overall because the padding sits outside the mattress footprint.
Headboards add depth at the head end rather than width, typically 10cm to 15cm, which matters when measuring the room’s length rather than its width.
Always plan from stated external frame dimensions. Every listing in our modern beds UK sale range gives both figures for this reason.
A useful approach is to work backwards from the room. Measure the wall you want the headboard against, at skirting height, then subtract the space you need for access and furniture.
For a room 2.4m wide: a single at 90cm leaves plenty of space for storage. A small double at 120cm is workable. A double is possible with one side against a wall.
For a room 2.7m to 3m wide: a double works with access on both sides. A king fits but with narrow walkways and limited bedside space.
For a room 3.2m to 3.5m wide: a king works comfortably with bedside cabinets on both sides.
For a room over 3.7m wide: a super king becomes a realistic option.
Bedside furniture needs 40cm to 50cm of width each. If the wall length does not allow for that alongside the frame, consider wall mounted lighting and floating shelves instead of freestanding units, or choose narrower pieces from the bedside cabinets UK sale range.
Each width has its own bedding size, and mixing them causes problems.
Single at 90cm takes a 135cm by 200cm duvet. Small double at 120cm usually takes a double duvet at 200cm by 200cm, since 120cm duvets are hard to find. Double at 135cm takes 200cm by 200cm. King at 150cm takes 225cm by 220cm. Super king at 180cm takes 260cm by 220cm.
Fitted sheets match the mattress width exactly and vary by pocket depth. A 30cm deep mattress needs a deep fitted sheet regardless of the width. Pillowcases are standard across all UK sizes.
Small double is the size where bedding requires most thought, as availability of true 120cm fitted sheets is narrower than for other sizes, though it has improved considerably.
Wider is harder to get into the room. Singles and small doubles pass through UK doorways and up stairs with little difficulty. Doubles are usually manageable. Kings and super kings often are not, particularly in Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a quarter turn staircase.
The solutions are the same across sizes: divan bases in two halves for king and super king, flat packed frames assembled in the room, and rolled mattresses that arrive compressed. If you are buying a traditional sprung mattress at king or super king, measure your full access route first, including the diagonal at any stair turn.
Master bedrooms in most UK houses suit a king. In flats and smaller terraces, a double is often the better fit once wardrobes are accounted for.
Second bedrooms typically take a double, sometimes a small double if the room is under 2.7m wide.
Box rooms and studies that occasionally host guests suit a single, or a folding bed stored in a cupboard.
Children’s rooms use singles almost universally, allowing the same bed to serve from toddler years into the teens. Where two children share, a bunk bed at single width uses one bed’s footprint for two sleeping spaces.
Loft conversions are governed by headroom rather than width. Position the bed under the tallest part of the ceiling and choose the width that fits the remaining floor.
You can browse every width and construction, along with matching storage and modern bedroom furniture UK sale, at Furniture in Fashion. Free delivery applies to most UK mainland postcodes.
Standard widths only tell you what is available. The useful question is which width suits the sleeper, and the answer changes with age, height, sleeping style and whether the bed is shared.
Side sleepers need more width than back sleepers, because a bent knee and a forward arm both travel outwards. Anyone who changes position frequently in the night needs more again. Height matters less for width than people assume, but broad shoulders do, and two adults with broad shoulders on a 135cm double will each be aware of the other.
A 90cm single suits a young child comfortably and will still serve a teenager, though many families move to a 120cm small double around secondary school age because it doubles as a place to sit, work and host a friend staying over. If the room can take 120cm without blocking the wardrobe, it is usually the better long term buy.
Guest rooms are where width decisions get complicated, because the room has to work for a single visitor, a couple, and often as a study in between. A 135cm double is the pragmatic answer in most UK box rooms. Where the room is used more as an office, a folding or storage based solution keeps the floor clear and only claims width when it is needed.
For two adults sleeping together nightly, 150cm is the width most couples settle on, and 180cm is what they choose when the room allows and one partner is a restless sleeper. The step from 135cm to 150cm gives each person 7.5cm more, which is enough to stop shoulders touching in most cases. The step to 180cm gives each person the width of a full single, and that is a different experience rather than an incremental improvement.
Whatever width you choose, check the bedding availability before you commit, because 120cm and specialist widths above 180cm have far fewer options on the shelf than 90cm, 135cm, 150cm and 180cm.
Single 90cm, small double 120cm, double 135cm, king 150cm, super king 180cm. Small single at 75cm also exists.
135cm, or 4ft 6in, giving each of two sleepers 67.5cm.
At 120cm it gives 60cm each, which is workable occasionally but tight for regular shared use.
No. Quoted widths are mattress dimensions. Frames add roughly 5cm to 20cm in total depending on the design.
No. European sizes differ by country, commonly 140cm, 160cm and 180cm, and bedding is not interchangeable with UK sizes.
In rooms under 2.7m wide, a single or small double usually works best. A double is possible with one side against a wall.
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