Mattress Sizes and Dimensions

Mattresses come in a wide variety of standard sizes and dimensions—not to mention all the nonstandard and oversized ones! That means bed buying can become pretty confusing pretty fast. Getting the right size mattress requires a little patience and knowledge of your room measurements, sleep style, and your present and future needs. (Mattresses are meant to last a long time, after all.) But thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone.

Below, we’ll outline some of the most important aspects about sizes and dimensions to keep in mind as you mattress shop. We’ll take a look at the most common mattress sizes and talk about which one could work as the best mattress for you.

Twin

The smallest of the standard mattress sizes for adults, the twin size mattress or single bed comes in at 38 inches wide by 75 inches long, making it the ideal choice for anyone wanting to save as much space as possible.

Twin Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy to move—making it a good option for college students who relocate often
• Cheapest of all mattress sizes
• Good choice for small spaces
• Great for kids’ rooms with bunk beds or multiple floor beds

Cons

• Won’t work for couples
• Not long enough for sleepers over 6 feet
• Not wide enough for combination sleepers or people who like to spread out
• Won’t fill out bigger rooms

Twin Mattress Room Dimensions

The general rule is that you need about 2 feet of clearance around 3 sides of the bed, meaning you’ll need at least a 7 by 8-foot room for a twin. However, the real size of the room you need depends on what other furniture you’re going to put in it. Generally, if you want to add a dresser, vanity, additional seating, etc., you’ll need to have 4 to 5 feet of space at the foot of the bed.

Twin Mattress Price

The twin bed is usually the cheapest of all the options out there. It’s pretty easy to find a quality twin for $600 to $800, though high-end twins can run over $1,500.

Twin XL

If you’re on the taller side, but need to save on space, the twin XL mattress could be for you. It’s just as narrow as the 38-inch wide twin, but it boasts the same 80-inch length as the king and queen, making it perfect for those over 6 feet tall. Since twin and twin XL mattresses are so similar, it can be tricky to decide which is right for you; but typically, the twin XL is for taller sleepers and the twin is for shorter sleepers.

Twin XL Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• Better for taller sleepers
• Still great for people with limited space
• Easier to move than wider sizes
• Almost as budget-friendly as the twin

Cons

• Not suitable for couples
• Not comfortable for combo or active sleepers
• Not as easy to move—longer profile is harder to maneuver around corners and stairs

Twin XL Mattress Room Dimensions

A twin XL can still fit in a room as narrow as 7 feet, but since it has 5 inches of extra length, you’ll need a room at least 9 feet long to accommodate the 80-inch twin XL mattress.

Twin XL Mattress Price

It’s quite easy to get a quality twin XL at a reasonable price. You might pay $50 to $200 more for a twin XL than a twin in the same mattress type.

Full

The full size or double bed is perfect for solo sleepers who like a lot of space, though it’s so small that it’s not a very comfortable option for most co-sleepers. At 54 by 75 inches, it gives 2 adult sleepers the same amount of width they’d get out of a 27-inch crib mattress—not much sleeping space for most people. However, it can be the perfect size for sleepers looking to upgrade without sucking up all the space in their bedrooms or breaking the bank.

Full Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• Big enough for active/combo single sleepers
• Great for sleepers looking for a wider bed on a budget
• Highly mobile compared to queen and king

Cons

• Not suitable for most couples
• Won’t fill out the average-sized master bedroom
• Taller sleepers won’t find it comfortable

Full Mattress Room Dimensions

Since the full bed is wider than the twin and shorter than the twin XL, you can put it in a squarer room. 8.5 by 8 feet is adequate if you don’t want much more furniture in the room than a night table. If you want storage or extra seating, you’ll need a room of at least 8.5 by 10 feet.

Full Mattress Price

Full size beds are still pretty budget-safe, allowing you to size up from a twin without overspending. You can easily find a well-made full size mattress for under $1,000. Keep in mind, if you’re spending less than $500 or $600 for a full, you’re probably buying a lower-quality product. Like with twins, luxury fulls can run pretty expensive, sometimes coming in at over $2,000.

Queen

The queen size mattress is really the first mattress size suitable for couples to use on a nightly basis. At 60 by 80 inches, it offers 30 inches of space to 2 sleepers and an extra 5 inches of length over the full, giving sufficient legroom to sleepers over 6 feet.

To learn more about how the full size mattress stacks up to the queen, check out our Queen vs. Full comparison guide.

Queen Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• Suitable for most couples
• Affordable in comparison to the king
• Mobile in comparison to the king
• Great for guest rooms and smaller masters

Cons

• Some couples might still find them too small
• More expensive than full
• Will leave large masters looking unfurnished

Queen Mattress Room Dimensions

The great thing about queen beds is they’re pretty versatile when it comes to room sizes. They fit in most sized rooms while leaving enough clearance for mobility, but they also do a good job of filling out all but the largest bedrooms. To avoid a cramped feeling in your bedroom, put a queen in at least a 9 by 9 foot room if you’re not going to add additional furniture. If you do want additional furniture, the room will need to be at least 9 by 11 feet.

Queen Mattress Price

Queen mattresses are the most popular mattress size for a reason: they’re a decent size for an affordable price. While they’re not as dirt-cheap as twins, they’re still a lot more budget-friendly than kings. Queen prices can range from a few hundred dollars to well over $3,000, but if you want a quality queen without all the bells and whistles, expect to pay between $700 and $1500.

King

The regular or eastern king size mattress is the largest of all the standard beds, boasting a cool 6,080 inches of overall surface area and dimensions of 76 by 80 inches. A bed this big offers plenty of space for almost every couple.

King Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• Roomiest option for couples
• Fills out large rooms
• Offers extra space for additional sleepers like small children
• Comes with split king option for couples with different personal preferences

Cons

• Difficult to move
• Expensive
• Won’t fit in smaller rooms

King Mattress Room Dimensions

Since they’re over 6 feet in both length and width, kings really need a decent-sized room to avoid a cramped look. 10 by 9 feet is the absolute smallest room size you can put a king in, though 10 by 12 feet or larger is better for additional furniture and movement.

King Mattress Price

There’s no way around it: kings are pricey. $1,000 is the bottom price you should be paying for a king—anything less means you’re not getting a quality product. However, if you want a durable and comfortable king size mattress, you’ll probably wind up paying closer to $2,000. Luxury models can cost more than $5,000. Couples often have difficulties picking between a queen and king mattress.

California King

The longest of all the standard bed sizes, the 72 by 84-inch California king bed is great for the tallest among us for whom an 80-inch mattress just won’t cut it. And most couples won’t notice the 4 fewer inches of width.

California King Mattress Pros and Cons

Pros

• A great choice for taller individuals
• Good for narrower master bedrooms
• Still offers plenty of room for couples

Cons

• Pricey
• Won’t fit in small rooms
• Possibly the hardest bed to move because of its length

California King Mattress Room Dimensions

California kings are a narrower bed, so they look best in a longer, narrower room. 10 by 12 feet or more is best for a California king, though you could get away with stuffing it in a 10 by 10 or even a 10 by 9-foot room if you don’t want much extra furniture.

California King Mattress Price

All kings are pricey, and California kings are no exception. Sometimes they even beat out their eastern king counterparts, though most of the time they won’t be all that much more costly than a standard king. Most manufacturers won’t charge a lot more than an extra $100 for their California king models over their king models.

FAQs

Should I use a mattress protector?

Yes! Not only will a protector keep your mattress cooler and defend it against stains, bed bugs, dust, and odors, it can also save your warranty. Most of the time, damage voids the warranty, so your manufacturer won’t refund or replace a stained or torn mattress even if there’s a defect in it. Protectors will prevent most stains and can even ward off picking and light tearing.

What’s the difference between a mattress trial period and a mattress warranty?

The main differences between a trial period and a warranty are their length and their purpose. Trial periods are meant to give you the opportunity to take your bed for a test drive. They usually last between 60 and 100 days (the standard adjustment period for a new bed), and you can normally return them for a refund for just about any reason.

On the other hand, warranties last much longer, but the reasons you can call them in are much more limited. Normally, warranties only cover manufacturer errors like defects and premature sagging.

Do I need box springs or a foundation?

As a rule, a mattress foundation is almost always better than a box spring. Box springs are typically only compatible with innerspring mattresses, so if you’ve got a heavier memory foam or latex mattress, box springs are automatically out. Box springs also wear out a lot faster than mattress foundations and platform beds. Since box springs are much less firm than these other bed base options, they also allow your mattress to sag further.

What is the best mattress material?

There really is no “best” mattress material. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Memory foam offers great support and pressure-point cushioning, but it is heavy and retains a lot of heat. Innerspring mattresses are lighter and provide more air circulation, but they’re not nearly as supportive and transfer a lot of motion. Hybrids offer the best of both worlds, combining memory foam with pocketed coils—but they come at a steep cost, sometimes hundreds more than comparable memory foam or innerspring beds.

Understanding your sleep style will help you get the best mattress for you.

Why are hybrids so expensive?

Since hybrids bring the advantages of both innerspring and memory foam mattresses, they also bring the manufacturing costs of both mattress types. Pocketed coils are more expensive than regular innerspring coils, and many hybrid mattresses include a poly-foam transition layer between the memory foam comfort layer and the coil support layer—further upping the cost of manufacture.

Bottom Line

As we’ve seen, your mattress needs depend on a lot of different factors, from the size of your bedroom to your height to your sleep style to your relationship status and even how often you move. The good news is if you know your sleep position, take a few quick room measurements, and keep a mental inventory of your other bedroom furnishings, you can shop for a new mattress with confidence that you will make the right decision.