Historically speaking, many things are different in the United States and any other European country. We all know that French fries in the US are chips in the UK. Or how we use different units of measurement in the UK than in the US. Even in the world of sleeping, mattresses are found in different sizes and go by other names in the two countries. These are the common ones found in the UK and across the world in many European countries.
UK Bed and Mattress Sizes:
UK beds usually come in the following sizes:
● Small Single
● Single (equivalent to the US Twin sized mattress)
● Small Double (equivalent to the US Queen sized mattress)
● Double
● King Size
● Super King Size
Like the names suggest, singles are for one person and doubles are more commonly used for 2 people. However, it has typically been a better experience with 2 smaller children or individuals for sharing a small double. The small double would make a good fit for a smaller but heavier individual.
Mattress Dimensions
There are so many reasons to get the best fitting bed for you and/or you and your sleep partner. In the UK, bed and mattress sizes are interchangeable as the bed sizes are measured according to the sized mattress that they are able to hold.
The dimensions of UK mattresses are typically listed in centimeters but they do interchangeably sell them listed with the imperial dimensions as well.
Mattress Size Metric Imperial Small single 75 x 190 cm 2’6″ x 6’3″ Single 90 x 190 cm 3′ x 6’3″ Small Double 120 x 190 cm 4′ × 6’3″ Double 135 x 190 cm 4’6″ x 6’3″ King 150 x 200 cm 5′ x 6’6″ Super King 180 x 200 cm 6′ x 6″
Bed Descriptions:
1. Small Single
Small singles are ideal for young children or more petite kids with a slimmer frame. These mattresses and bed sizes are able to fit nicely in a small setting where there may not be as
much space available. If the individual is moving into their first bed from a cot style bed, this mattress is great for transitioning into the next stage of sleep.
2. Single
The single is basically the wider version of its smaller friend, the small single. Small singles are the obvious choice for older children and teenagers as they are the equivalent size to the Twin size mattress in the United States.
3. Small Double
Small doubles are the US equivalent to a Queen mattress. There is a ton of room available for one to two individuals to rest together comfortably without being on top of each other. A guest bedroom would typically have a small double mattress in it with the size of it being small enough to fit in a tiny room.
4. Double
The double is the standard size for most partners who just want to sleep in comfort without having an enormous bed taking up the entire room. The double is a whole added 6 inches to the small double which may not seem like a whole lot, but that added width really makes sleeping alongside someone else that much better.
The double sized mattress is the most common and widely used bed available of all the different sizes in the UK. It fits 2 people nicely and doesn’t take up the entire bedroom space either.
5. King
In the United States, this is the King size we all have known and heard of. For a grandeur master sized bedroom, this is the perfect mattress size to fill up that massive space. King beds are more than enough to support a pair of two. If there’s any problem with tossing and turning, this is the perfect mattress.
When trying it out for bed size, a good way to test and see if there’s enough room, like next to your partner and clasp your hands behind your head with your elbows sticking straight out. If the two of you don’t have any touching elbows, there should be enough space to sleep in peace.
6. Super King
Essentially if you’re looking for a trampoline instead of a mattress, this is the best option. The super king size mattress has more than enough space for two sleeping adults plus kids or pets. If you and your family like squeezing together on a Sunday morning, the super king is an ideal choice.
How Do I Choose the Right Bed?
It’s all about length, especially for those taller individuals. You want a bed that is going to be supportive and restful for anyone, no matter their size. No one enjoys having to curl themselves up in a ball or have their feet having off the end of the bed.
If it’s not just you on the bed, people tend to focus more on the width of their sleeping surface. Even if you don’t really need a huge bed, a larger mattress is nice to have anyways as there are many proven benefits to having a larger mattress.
Ergonomic studies have recently discovered that couples sleep better when lying on a larger mattress. Maybe it’s just knowing that they have that much-needed space to spread out that puts people’s minds at rest. Even then, after the experiments were over, over half of the people who had slept in both larger and smaller beds together said that they would spend a little extra for that next size up.
If you’re going to spend a third of your life asleep, you might as well go the extra mile and purchase the larger bed. Who knows, you might even have to get a nice flat screen for the bedroom too.
Mattress v Bed Frame Size
Mattresses, as they are the ones going on the bed frame, often differ slightly than their bed frame counterparts. Of course, your bed size should always correspond with the mattress of your choosing. Singles should always go with singles, super kings with a super king designed bed frame.
However, bed frames can vary in greater sizes than their matching mattresses as there are different styles of bed frames to choose from too.
Beds without a headboard are called divan beds and will have the same dimensions as your mattress. The mattress simply perches itself atop the bed frame.
Wooden bed frames often have a little extra room left on the base. The mattress more so sits in a wooden bed frame than on it.
Always remember to check your bed’s dimensions before purchasing in order to make sure there’s more room than the bed in the bedroom.