Double bed size guide
A UK double is 135 by 190 centimetres, which gives two adults 67.5 centimetres each.
The short answer
A UK double is 135 by 190 centimetres, or 4'6" by 6'3". It is the default UK bed size and it is smaller than most people assume.
| Name | Centimetres | Imperial | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small single | 75 × 190 | 2'6" × 6'3" | Children, box rooms, cabin beds |
| Single | 90 × 190 | 3'0" × 6'3" | One adult, children, guest rooms |
| Small double | 120 × 190 | 4'0" × 6'3" | One adult with space, two at a squeeze |
| Double | 135 × 190 | 4'6" × 6'3" | Two adults. The UK default. |
| King | 150 × 200 | 5'0" × 6'6" | Two adults with room, or anyone over 6ft |
| Super king | 180 × 200 | 6'0" × 6'6" | Two adults, a child, or a dog |
| Emperor | 200 × 200 and up | 6'6" × 6'6" | Not standardised. Sizes vary by maker. |
67.5 centimetres each
This is the most useful fact about a double and almost nobody points it out.
Split a 135 centimetre bed between two adults and each person has 67.5 centimetres. A standard UK cot is 60 centimetres wide. A single bed is 90.
So two adults in a double each have less width than they would have in a single bed, and only a little more than a cot. That is why couples who upgrade to a king describe the difference as dramatic rather than incremental: it is 7.5 extra centimetres each, which is a 11 per cent increase in personal width.
It is also why motion isolation matters so much in a double. At that spacing you are close enough that a partner turning over is felt directly, which makes pocket springs the floor rather than an upgrade. Open coil units, where the springs are wired together, move as one sheet.
190 centimetres is the other constraint
A double is 190 centimetres long, where a king and super king are 200. That ten centimetre difference is frequently more important than width.
The usual guidance is that a mattress should be at least 10 to 15 centimetres longer than the tallest person using it. At 190 centimetres, a double works up to roughly 5'11", and anyone at 6x or above is compromising.
On a frame with a footboard, such as a sleigh bed, there is no overhang available, so the length limit is absolute rather than approximate.
When to size up
Either of you is over about 5'11". The length, not the width, is the reason.
You are woken by each other. More width helps, and a higher pocket spring count helps more.
A child or a dog joins you regularly. A double does not absorb a third occupant.
You want different firmness. At double width, dual firmness has a narrow transition zone in the middle that you will both be close to. It works far better from king upward.
What to check before assuming you cannot: a king needs 150 centimetres of width plus room to walk, ideally 60 to 75 each side, and it has to get up the stairs. A zip and link king comes up as two singles, which solves the access problem entirely.
European and US sizes with the same names are different
This is where most sizing mistakes come from, and it catches people buying from IKEA and from imported ranges.
| Name | UK | Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 90 × 190cm | 90 × 200cm |
| Double | 135 × 190cm | 140 × 200cm |
| King | 150 × 200cm | 160 × 200cm |
Every row differs, and the length differs as well as the width on singles and doubles. A European double is ten centimetres longer than a UK one, which is the part people miss.
A US queen is roughly 152 by 203cm, closest to a UK king. There is no UK queen size, so a listing offering one is using an imported name.
Depth is the measurement nobody checks
Bed sizes describe length and width. Depth is not standardised at all, and it is what decides whether your sheets fit.
Standard UK fitted sheets are cut for about 25 centimetres. Modern hybrids run 28 to 35, and a topper adds 5 to 10 on top of that.
Add the mattress depth to the topper depth and buy a few centimetres over, because the fabric has to fold under rather than merely reach the edge.
Measure the base, not the old mattress
An old mattress has compressed and may have distorted, so measuring it gives you the wrong number.
Measure the internal dimensions of the bed frame, at the longest and widest points, and check the depth the frame will take.
Manufacturers vary by a centimetre or two even within standard sizes, which matters most on frames with a headboard and footboard where the mattress has to drop between them rather than sit proud.
For a double specifically, check the frame is not an imported 140 centimetre European double, because UK bedding will be loose on it and a UK mattress will leave a five centimetre gap.
Related reading
Mattresses in this size
Other sizes
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Questions people ask
What size is a UK double bed?
A hundred and thirty five by 190 centimetres, or 4'6" by 6'3". It is the default UK bed size.
How much room does each person get in a double?
Sixty seven and a half centimetres each. A standard UK cot is 60 centimetres wide and a single bed is 90, so two adults in a double each have less width than a single bed would give them.
Is a double bed long enough for a tall person?
At 190 centimetres it works up to roughly 5'11". A king and super king are 200 centimetres long, and the guidance is a mattress at least 10 to 15 centimetres longer than the tallest person.
Is a UK double the same as a European double?
No. A European double is 140 by 200 centimetres against a UK double at 135 by 190, so it differs in both width and length.