What Is the Width of a Queen Size Bed?

A queen size bed is around 150cm wide in the UK, which is 5ft. Internationally the figure is sometimes quoted as 152cm, or 60in, but British retailers listing a queen almost always mean a 150cm wide mattress, matching the UK king size. That gives each of two sleepers 75cm of personal width.

Width is the measurement that governs comfort for couples. Length only matters if someone is tall, but width is felt every single night by anyone sharing a bed, which is why it deserves careful attention when choosing a size.

The 150cm Figure Explained

UK bed widths run in a clear sequence: 90cm single, 120cm small double, 135cm double, 150cm king size, 180cm super king. Queen is not part of that native sequence, so when it appears in British listings it slots in at the 150cm mark.

The reason for the near miss with the international 152cm figure is that the two systems developed separately from imperial and metric roots. Two centimetres rarely matters for comfort but can matter for bedding. A fitted sheet cut for 150cm will be tight on a 152cm mattress, and the corners may lift.

The safest approach is to note the mattress width in centimetres from the product specification and buy bedding to match that number rather than to the word queen.

What 75cm Each Actually Feels Like

Divide 150cm between two people and each has 75cm. For comparison, a standard UK single bed is 90cm wide, so each person in a queen has slightly less space than they would in a single. That framing surprises people, but it also explains why some couples find a double genuinely cramped: at 135cm, each sleeper has only 67.5cm.

The extra 7.5cm per person that a queen offers over a double is enough to stop shoulders and elbows meeting during the night. For couples where one person moves frequently, it is often the single most effective improvement to sleep quality short of separate beds.

If both sleepers are broad shouldered, or if a child or dog joins the bed regularly, 75cm each still fills up quickly. In that case a super king at 180cm, giving 90cm each, is the logical step where the room allows.

Room Width You Need for a 150cm Bed

The bed is only part of the calculation. Add the frame, which typically brings a 150cm mattress out to between 155cm and 168cm externally depending on style, then add walkways.

For a bed accessible from both sides, allow 60cm minimum each side, ideally 70cm. That means a comfortable minimum room width of around 2.9m, and 3.1m if you want the walkways to feel generous. Below 2.8m, a queen becomes a squeeze and a standard double is usually the better decision.

Wardrobes complicate this further. A hinged door needs roughly 60cm of swing clearance that cannot overlap the bed. If the wardrobe sits on a side wall beside the bed, that swing space and the walkway can share the same floor, but if it sits opposite the foot of the bed you need to account for both.

Sliding fronts remove the problem entirely, which is why they appear so often in rooms fitted with larger beds. The modern sliding wardrobes UK sale range exists largely to solve this exact clash between bed width and door swing.

Frame Styles and Their Real Footprint

Two beds with identical 150cm mattresses can differ by more than 10cm in external width. Slim metal or wooden platform frames add only the thickness of the side rails. Deeply upholstered frames with padded side panels add considerably more, and a winged headboard projects further into the room as well.

If the room measurement is marginal, look for frames described as low profile or platform, where the mattress sits within a shallow surround rather than inside a thick padded box. Comparing across the modern king size fabric beds UK range shows how much variation exists at the same mattress size.

Storage frames are worth their footprint. An ottoman base under a 150cm mattress holds a large volume, often enough to replace a separate storage unit and reclaim floor space elsewhere in the room. Check whether the base lifts from the side or the end, and make sure the opening direction is not blocked.

Bedding for a 150cm Wide Bed

UK king size fitted sheets are made for 150cm by 200cm mattresses, so they suit a British queen listing. Depth is the second variable: mattresses over about 25cm need deep fitted sheets to stay put.

Duvet width follows separately. A king size duvet is 225cm wide, which gives roughly 37cm of overhang each side of a 150cm bed. Some couples prefer a super king duvet at 260cm wide on a king or queen bed, purely to stop one person pulling the cover off the other. It is an inexpensive change that solves a common complaint.

Mattress protectors and valances should match the same 150cm by 200cm dimensions. Buying them alongside the mattress avoids the frustration of discovering later that nothing in the airing cupboard fits.

Furnishing Around the Extra Width

A wider bed leaves less room either side, so bedside furniture needs to be slimmer. Cabinets between 35cm and 45cm wide keep the walkway usable, and wall mounted lights free the top surface entirely. Options from the modern wooden bedside cabinets UK sale range include narrow depths intended for tighter clearances.

Where floor space is limited, put storage capacity into height rather than width. A tall narrow chest holds as much as a wide low one while occupying less of the walkway, and mirrors on wardrobe doors make a room with a large bed feel less enclosed.

If you are working out whether a 150cm bed genuinely suits your room, measure first and shortlist frames second. We publish external frame dimensions at Furniture in Fashion so the comparison can be made properly before anything arrives.

Width in Context With Other Sizes

Ranking UK widths in order makes the 150cm figure easier to judge. A single is 90cm, a small double 120cm, a double 135cm, a queen or UK king 150cm and a super king 180cm.

The step from a double to a queen is 15cm, which sounds modest but is felt immediately because it is shared between two people at the shoulders, where space matters most. The step from queen to super king is a further 30cm, the largest single jump in the range.

Judged per sleeper, a queen gives 75cm each. That is 7.5cm more than a double and 15cm less than a super king. If you have ever slept on a single bed, 90cm is the reference point for what a super king offers each person, and 75cm sits comfortably between that and a double.

When 150cm Is the Right Amount of Width

A queen suits couples who want noticeably more space than a double without surrendering the whole floor of a standard bedroom. It works particularly well in rooms between 3m and 3.6m wide, where a super king would leave uncomfortably narrow walkways.

It also suits households where a pet sleeps on the bed, or where a young child occasionally joins in the early morning. Those situations quickly expose the limits of a 135cm mattress.

Sleeping style matters as much as room size. Two people who sleep on their backs and stay still may be perfectly comfortable in a double. Two side sleepers who change position often will notice the additional 15cm every night, and that is exactly the case where a queen justifies its footprint.

Getting the Room to Work Around It

A 150cm bed sets the proportions of the room, so everything else should be chosen to suit. Slim bedside cabinets of around 40cm keep the walkways usable while still giving a surface for a lamp and a glass of water.

Where floor space is tight, wall mounted lights and floating shelves remove the need for bedside furniture entirely. Sliding wardrobe doors are worth serious consideration too, because they need no clearance in front, unlike hinged doors that require 60cm or more.

Keep the palette consistent. A wide bed in a room with a tonal scheme of soft greys, warm whites and natural oak reads as generous. The same bed surrounded by strong contrasts and busy pattern reads as crowded, even though nothing about the measurements has changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a queen size bed 5ft wide?

Yes. A queen is approximately 150cm wide, which is 5ft. Some international standards quote 152cm, or 60in, so check the stated measurement.

Is a queen the same width as a UK king size?

Effectively yes. A UK king size is 150cm wide, and beds listed as queen in Britain are usually the same. King size bedding normally fits without issue.

How much room do I need either side of a queen bed?

Allow at least 60cm, and preferably 70cm, on any side you need to walk down. That means a room width of around 2.9m as a workable minimum.

How much wider is a queen than a double?

Fifteen centimetres. A double is 135cm wide and a queen is 150cm, so each sleeper gains 7.5cm of personal space.

Will a queen bed fit through a standard doorway?

The mattress will, because mattresses flex. Rigid parts such as a one piece headboard or an assembled base may not, so check the packaging dimensions and choose a flat packed frame if access is tight.