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Pick your bed for the exact mattress dimensions, the duvet that fits, and how the size compares in the EU and US.
Opens a bedding search — we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you.
Mattress dimensions for every UK bed size, plus the duvet that fits. Bed frames run a touch larger than the mattress, so measure the frame if space is tight.
| Bed | Imperial | Size (cm) | Size (inches) | Duvet to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small single | 2'6" | 75 × 190 | 30 × 75 | Single |
| Single | 3'0" | 90 × 190 | 36 × 75 | Single |
| Small double | 4'0" | 120 × 190 | 48 × 75 | Double |
| Double | 4'6" | 135 × 190 | 54 × 75 | Double |
| King | 5'0" | 150 × 200 | 60 × 78 | King |
| Super king | 6'0" | 180 × 200 | 72 × 78 | Super King |
The ones people get caught out by.
A standard UK double mattress is 135 × 190 cm — known as 4'6". That's roughly 54 × 75 inches. The frame sits a little larger than the mattress, so allow a few extra centimetres around it.
No, and it catches people out. A UK king (150 × 200 cm) is closest to a US queen. A US king is much wider, about 193 cm, and lines up nearer a UK super king. When buying from abroad, go by the centimetres, not the name on the label.
A king bed (150 × 200 cm) takes a king duvet, which is 225 × 220 cm. Our duvet size tool shows the right duvet for every bed, and sizing up one for extra drape is a fair option.
A double is 135 cm wide; a king is 150 cm wide and 10 cm longer. That works out at about 7.5 cm more width each — the main reason couples trade up, especially if one of you is tall.
The upgrade people feel most is double to king. A double gives two sleepers about 68 cm of width each — narrower than a single bed per person. A king adds 15 cm of width and 10 cm of length, so you get roughly 75 cm each plus more legroom, which is why taller people and couples who don't like being nudged tend to move up.
A super king (180 cm wide) is another clear step, but measure first — the room, the doorways and the stairs. Getting a super-king mattress up a tight staircase is a real-world problem worth checking before you order.
As a rough guide, leave about 60–75 cm of clear floor on each side and at the foot — enough to get in, make the bed and open a drawer. That puts a double (135 cm) comfortably in a room from around 2.5 × 3 m, a king (150 cm) in about 3 × 3.4 m, and a super king (180 cm) happiest in 3.3 × 3.5 m or more.
You can squeeze a bigger bed into a smaller room if you don't mind a snug fit — but measure the doorways and the stairs too. A super-king mattress is a single piece and won't bend round a tight corner.
Between the standard sizes sit two handy "compact" options. A small single (2'6", 75 cm) suits a young child's room or a narrow box room. A small double — confusingly also called a "queen" in the UK — is 4'0" (120 cm).
That small double is a useful halfway house: room for one sleeper to spread out, or a cosy fit for two where a full double won't go. Bedding-wise they keep it simple — a small single takes single bedding, a small double takes double.