Bed sizes and dimensions: every mattress size, measured

Bed size chart

Mattress sizes in width × length. The last column is the floor a bed needs for about 24 in on both sides and past its foot, on a typical frame (the mattress plus about 4 in each way, as in our planner).

“Walls it needs” = the headboard wall (frame width plus 24 in each side) × the distance to the opposite wall (1 in behind the headboard, the frame, and 24 in past the foot). Sizes are the nominal sizes most brands use; centimeters are conversions. A crib needs the nursery layout page’s rules instead.

Which bed fits your room

Enter your room’s two walls and pick a bed. The check centers the bed on the headboard wall and looks for 24 in on both sides and past the foot, the planner’s standard setting.

That leaves out the door, the window, a dresser and a desk. For those, the bedroom layout planner draws every layout that fits, and these pages work it out room by room: room size for a queen bed, room size for a king bed and average bedroom size.

Bigger and less common sizes

Oversized beds are mostly sold by specialist makers and need custom frames and bedding. Split beds are two mattresses on one frame, so each side can have its own firmness or an adjustable base.

Most publishers agree on these numbers. The one real split is the Texas king: seven sources say 80 × 98 in, Purple says 80 × 96 in. Measure before you buy frames or sheets for any oversized bed.

RV and camper mattresses

RV beds come in their own sizes: an RV short queen is 60 × 75 in (some brands make it 60 × 74 in), an RV king 72 × 80 in and an RV short king 72 × 75 in. Measure the platform in your RV, since makers trim them to fit.

Mattress size vs bed frame size

A bed frame is usually bigger than its mattress. Sleep Foundation puts a typical queen frame at 62 to 65 in wide and 82 to 85 in long, 2 to 5 in more than the mattress, and 3 to 5 in more with a headboard and footboard. Real frames show the range:

Outside sizes from each maker’s product page. A bare metal platform frame can be no bigger than the mattress.

So plan the room around the frame’s outside size, headboard included, not the mattress. Our planner starts every bed at the mattress plus about 4 in each way, and you can enter your own frame instead.

How thick is a mattress?

Most adult mattresses are 8 to 14 in thick, and 10 to 12 in is the most common height (Sleep Foundation). Pillow tops and luxury models run 14 to 18 in; a box spring or foundation adds more. Deep mattresses need deep-pocket fitted sheets, and the total height changes the nightstand that suits the bed.

Crib and toddler beds

A full-size crib mattress must be at least 27¼ × 51⅝ in under the federal crib mattress rule (16 CFR 1241), and the CPSC says it must be no thicker than 6 in. Most crib mattresses are sold as 28 × 52 in. Toddler beds take the same mattress, so a crib mattress moves to the toddler bed when your child does.

Nominal size vs the mattress you get

The sizes above are nominal: the name of the size. Real mattresses often measure a little less. Serta lists its queen at 60 × 79½ in and IKEA its queen at 59⅞ × 79½ in; some brands make a full 53 in wide instead of 54 in. Check the product’s listed size before you order a frame or sheets.

How to choose a bed size

• One child: a twin; a twin XL for a teen who is still growing.
• One adult: a full, or a queen if the room takes it.
• A couple: a queen gives each person 30 in of width; a king gives 38 in, the same as a twin.
• Tall sleepers: a twin XL, a queen or a king at 80 in, or a California king at 84 in.
• Different firmness on each side: a split king or split California king.
• A small room: check both walls first. A queen needs about 9 ft 4 in of headboard wall for 24 in on each side.

Every bed size page

• Full vs queen