In the UK, a king bed has mattress dimensions of 150cm by 200cm, which converts to 5ft by 6ft 6in. Anywhere else in the world that figure changes, and it is worth knowing which king you are dealing with before you order anything. A king in the United States is 193cm by 203cm. A king in continental Europe is commonly 180cm by 200cm, which we would recognise as super king territory.
So the dimensions depend on where the bed was made and where the bedding was bought. If you are shopping with a UK retailer, 150cm by 200cm is the number that applies, and it is the number your duvet, sheets and mattress protector need to match.
The gap between a UK king and a US king is 43cm of width. That is not a rounding error, it is close to half a metre, and it explains why bedding ordered from an American site never sits right on a British bed. A US king fitted sheet on a UK king mattress will not grip, and a US king duvet will hang unevenly at the sides.
The reverse catches people out too. A US queen at 152cm by 203cm is almost the same width as a UK king, only 2cm wider, but 3cm longer. Those small differences mean bedding will technically go on and then pull loose over a few nights of use.
Furniture imported from Europe brings its own issue. A continental bed frame sized for a 180cm mattress will not hold a UK king properly. There will be 30cm of unsupported gap across the width, and the mattress will shift and dip at the edges. Always match the frame and the mattress to the same standard.
The 150cm by 200cm figure describes the mattress and nothing else. Every frame adds material around it, and the amount varies more than people expect.
A slim metal frame typically finishes at 155cm by 205cm. A wooden frame with substantial rails sits closer to 162cm by 208cm. An upholstered frame with a padded surround and a deep headboard can reach 175cm by 215cm. Between the lightest and heaviest builds there is 20cm of width difference on an identical mattress size.
Height varies as well. Low platform frames put the mattress surface around 45cm off the floor once a standard mattress is on. Divan style bases and frames with a drawer or storage system reach 65cm or higher. That vertical dimension affects how easy the bed is to get in and out of, and it decides what height of bedside cabinet works next to it.
The practical question is not whether a king fits, it is whether the room still works once it is in place. Draw the room to scale on paper, or mark the external frame dimensions on the floor with tape and live with it for a day before ordering.
Sensible clearances are 60cm minimum down each side you use, 70cm at the foot for walking, and 90cm at the foot if a wardrobe or a chest of drawers opens into that space. A room measuring 305cm by 335cm accommodates all of that comfortably. A room of 274cm by 305cm, or 9ft by 10ft, will take a king if the bed sits against one side wall and you accept access from a single side.
Storage is where the compromise usually lands. If a king takes the floor space that a chest of drawers would have used, the answer is to build upwards or to use the bed itself. A tall narrow chest holds the same volume as a wide low one in half the footprint, and the modern chest of drawers UK sale range includes narrow designs made for exactly this situation.
The other option is a storage base. A frame with drawers under the mattress or a lifting ottoman platform absorbs bedding, spare pillows and out of season clothes without adding a single centimetre to the footprint. Just remember an ottoman needs clearance to open, which is a dimension in its own right.
Duvet: 225cm by 220cm. Fitted sheet: 150cm by 200cm, with pocket depth chosen to suit your mattress. Flat sheet: around 275cm by 275cm. Pillows: 50cm by 75cm as standard, or 50cm by 90cm for king size pillows that span the mattress more neatly.
Mattress depth is the dimension most likely to cause a problem with sheets. A 20cm mattress and a 32cm mattress both fit the same frame, but they need different sheet pockets. Measure the depth of what you are buying, then buy sheets rated for at least that figure.
Throws are worth measuring too. A throw intended for a king should be at least 220cm across if you want it to fall evenly on both sides. Anything narrower is a foot of the bed accent rather than a full cover.
Delivery dimensions are the last set of numbers, and the easiest to overlook. King side rails run over 200cm, and that length has to travel up a staircase and round a landing. Measure the tightest turn on the route and check the diagonal, not the width, because a long flat box turns a corner on the diagonal.
Flat packed frames are far more forgiving than assembled ones. Upholstered frames that arrive as separate headboard, footboard and rail sections handle awkward stairs well. Solid wooden frames with heavy assembled sections are the hardest to manoeuvre. If the route is genuinely narrow, note it before ordering rather than on the day.
Once the frame is in, dimension planning continues with the pieces around it. Bedside cabinets, a bench at the foot, a mirror to open up the wall: each takes space that the bed has already claimed a share of. Working out the whole layout on paper first, using external dimensions rather than mattress dimensions, is what makes the difference between a room that feels generous and one that feels blocked. Our full range of modern bedroom furniture UK sale is organised by piece, which makes it straightforward to plan the whole room rather than the bed alone.
If your room measures over 350cm in the direction of the bed width and you still want more space, a super king at 180cm by 200cm adds 30cm across without adding any length. That is 15cm more per sleeper, and it is the upgrade most couples notice immediately.
The trade off is entirely in the room. A super king needs 30cm more wall width and reduces the side clearances by 15cm each unless the room can absorb it. Bedding is also a different size, so an upgrade means replacing duvets and sheets as well as the bed. Where the floor space genuinely allows it, the super king size fabric beds UK sale range is worth comparing against a king before you decide, and if the room says king, the king size fabric beds UK sale selection covers the same styles at 150cm.
We stock beds, mattresses and complete bedroom sets in every UK size, and you can browse the whole collection at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Two king beds with identical mattress dimensions can occupy noticeably different amounts of a room, and the frame material is the main variable.
Metal frames are the most economical with space. Thin tubular rails, an open base and a see through headboard mean the bed takes 155cm of width and very little visual weight. In a room where a king is already ambitious, this is the build that makes it work.
Wooden frames sit in the middle. Solid side rails add 6cm to 12cm of width, and a slatted or panelled headboard adds warmth without much projection. They also tend to be the most stable over time, which matters at king width where rails carry more load.
Upholstered frames are the most generous with dimensions in every direction. Padding, a deep headboard and often a matching footboard push the footprint towards 175cm by 215cm, and the soft surfaces make the bed read as larger still. In a spacious room that is exactly the point. In a mid sized room it is the build most likely to feel tight.
High gloss frames behave differently again. Their dimensions are similar to wooden frames, but the reflective surface bounces light and makes the bed appear to take less space than it does, which is useful in a room with only one window.
Before ordering, measure three things you already have rather than only the room. Your existing mattress depth, so the new frame suits it. Your bedside cabinets, so their height still works against a new frame. Your rug, if you intend to keep it, since a rug sized for a double will look undersized once a king sits on it.
Rug dimensions are the most commonly overlooked of the three. Under a king bed, a rug should extend at least 60cm past the frame on each side you walk down. With an external frame width of 165cm, that means a rug of roughly 285cm across, which is a considerably larger size than most people expect to need.
The same logic applies to a bench or ottoman at the foot of the bed. It should be shorter than the external frame width, ideally by 15cm to 20cm each side, so it reads as part of the bed rather than as a barrier across the room.
150cm by 200cm, or 5ft by 6ft 6in, measured across the mattress. The external frame usually measures between 155cm and 175cm wide and between 205cm and 215cm long.
No. A US king is 193cm by 203cm, which is 43cm wider and 3cm longer than a UK king. Bedding is not interchangeable between the two standards.
A room of around 305cm by 335cm gives comfortable clearance on both sides and at the foot. A smaller room can hold a king with access from one side only.
No. A super king frame is sized for a 180cm mattress and would leave 30cm unsupported. Frame and mattress must share the same size standard.
30cm of additional width, so 15cm more per sleeper, with no change to the 200cm length. It requires 30cm more wall width in the room and a different set of bedding.
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