How to Choose the Right Bed Size for Your Bedroom

The right mattress size for you depends on a number of factors: how many people will sleep on it, how often it will be used, and the size of your bedroom.

We’ve discussed many of the factors related to your sleep comfort, but room size is often overlooked. So, how do you know which mattress size your bedroom will comfortably allow?

Personal preference remains a crucial consideration—how much living space you want or need in your bedroom largely depends on your idea of a comfortable room. However, there are physical constraints at play in this situation. So here are a few important considerations when deciding which mattress size is right for your bedroom.

1. Get the actual dimensions of your bedroom.

If you don’t know the dimensions of your bedroom, it’s time to break out a tape measure and get the length, width, and doorframe measurements. It’s also helpful to include dimensions of potential bed space. For example, define the length of the wall you’ll set your bed against. Take into account windows, doorframes, and built-ins that you can’t block, and don’t forget to note the clearance required for doors that swing into the room.

Many websites and apps will create a graphical model of your room if you input the dimensions. From there, you can add furniture, play around with layout and visualize space constraints. Our mattress size chart will give you all the measurements you need for twin, twin XL, full, queen, king and California king size mattresses.

2. Envision different bed sizes in your room.

Our mattress size chart gives you the exact dimensions of each mattress, from a twin to a California king. If you can, block off that space in your room (use whatever you have handy; painter’s tape is great, but four water bottles will do the trick).

Imagine what it’s like to get dressed, open your closet and perform any other activities that typically take place in your bedroom— like stretching, reading or getting ready for the day. Walk around. Do you feel cramped? Does it feel like the bed is swallowed in the space of the room? Getting perspective on the planned furniture in your actual bedroom will help you make a better mattress-size decision.

3. Consider the furniture you have now and purchases you’re planning in the near future.

If you’ve decided that a reading chair, a television console or a bigger dresser is a necessary addition to your bedroom, make sure to identify that space as well. If you’re planning a room in a new home, add your furniture dimensions to your room renderings.

If you’re working with a small space, you might be able to fit a king bed and a dresser against adjacent walls. But will you be able to stand in front of your dresser, open the drawers and put on a pair of pants? A few inches added to the width of a chest of drawers might require that you change you room layout. Keep future purchases in mind as you consider different mattress options.

4. Decide which is more important: a bigger bed or more living space.

If you really want a large bed, but tight living quarters take a king size mattress out of the equation, consider a California king. It’s typically four inches longer than a king but also four inches narrower.

Another way to reclaim living space in preparation for a larger mattress is to make the most of your closet and organize your storage space more efficiently. For example, you can put a chest of drawers inside a walk-in closet or better utilize under-the-bed space. People often go so far as to design a room around the bed size they want. Modern, minimalist furniture will create more living space and allow you to buy a bigger mattress.