Choosing the Mattress Size for Your Bedroom

To avoid the disappointment of not being able to fit your mattress in your bedroom, it’s best to plan out it’s size before you purchase it. In fact, if you don’t take into account door openings, dresser space, and other issues, you may find that even though your mattress fits, it makes the bedroom very inefficient. Here are the steps you need to take to ensure that you get the right-sized mattress for your room, depending on its dimensions and what you need to use it for.

Step One: Measure the Bedroom 

Your first step, of course, is to pull out a measuring tape and see how large your bedroom is. Don’t just measure the walls, though. You need to also find out how much space the door takes up in the room, or the mattress you buy may prevent the door from opening. You should add measurements for your dresser and any other large objects you know you’ll be keeping in the bedroom. 

Create a drawing of your room, for reference. Label the walls, door, window, and other objects that might take up space the bed cannot occupy. While you may have a good idea of which spot you want the bed to occupy, it’s smart to remain a bit flexible, so that you have more options for size down the road. 

Remember, though, that an exceptionally large mattress makes a small room seem even smaller. This can impact how relaxing and comfortable the room feels, just as much as the mattress does.

Step Two: Assess Your Needs 

You shouldn’t just match the mattress to the room size. You should also consider what you need from a mattress. 

For example, couples may simply need a double bed (also called a full bed) or larger to both comfortably fit. In fact, most couples find that they need at least a Queen, because the width of a double leaves each person with about a crib’s worth of horizontal space. 

Height also matters. Those who are particularly tall should consider how the overall length of the bed matches up with their height. You want to be able to stretch out, so you need a few inches on top of your height to keep you comfortable. Those who are over six foot by any significant amount may want a King bed or even a California King. 

Pets and children may also add to the size requirements of your bed. Many who want to share their bed with a pet, or need room for when their child has nightmares, may want to upgrade. 

Of course, there are things other than size to consider when you’re assessing your needs for a mattress, such as support, comfort, longevity, and more.

Step Three: Consider Additional Uses for the Room 

Sure, the main purpose of a bedroom is for sleep. Still, it’ll be awkward if the mattress takes up too much space in the room. You need, at minimum, a comfortable amount of room to walk around the mattress to get to the closet, window, dresser, and other objects. 

You might also need to use the room for other things. If you practice yoga or do other exercise in the room, you’ll need to plan for space that allows you to do that. In children’s bedrooms, you may need to plan space for a play area, or for a nursing station or rocking chair. Whatever your needs are for the room, stand in it to try to figure out how much of the space you’ll need. 

Not sure how much room you’ll need? You can always experiment by laying out a tape outline of different mattress sizes in the room. That way you can estimate if the space you are left with is adequate. It can also help you double-check that you have enough clearance for doors. Try changing the tape to different mattress sizes to get a feel for how the room will change based on which you select.

Step Four: Match to Mattress Sizes 

Now that you know the dimensions of your room, you can match that to mattress sizes. The sizes are as follows: 

• Twin: 38 inches by 75 inches.
• Double/full: 53 inches by 75 inches.
• Queen: 60 inches by 80 inches.
• King: 76 inches by 80 inches.

Still not sure which mattress size is right for your bedroom? It can help to get a professional opinion. Reach out to us at Mattress Outlet with any mattress questions you have.