Small double bed size guide
A small double is 120 by 190 centimetres. Shared between two people that is 60 centimetres each, which is the width of a cot.
The short answer
A small double is 120 by 190 centimetres, or 4'0" by 6'3". It is also called a three quarter bed. A standard UK double is 135 by 190.
| 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. |
60 centimetres each
This is the number that decides whether a small double suits you.
Split 120 centimetres between two adults and each person has 60 centimetres. A standard UK cot is 60 centimetres wide. A single bed is 90.
So two adults in a small double have two thirds of a single bed each, and 7.5 centimetres less each than an already-tight double. That is why couples notice the step between a small double and a double so sharply.
It is genuinely excellent for one adult, though. At 120 centimetres, one person gets a third more width than a single, with room to spread out, and it fits rooms a double will not.
Who it actually suits
One adult in a small room. The best use of the size and the one it was designed for.
Teenagers. More room than a single without a double's footprint.
Guest rooms that occasionally sleep two. Acceptable for a night or two, tight for a week.
Couples, only where a double will not fit. It is a genuine compromise rather than a smaller version of the same thing.
If two people will share it regularly, pocket springs are not optional. At 60 centimetres apart you are close enough that motion transfer is felt directly, and an open coil unit moves as one sheet.
The bedding problem
Check before you buy the bed
Small double bedding is stocked far less widely than double. Fitted sheets in the right depth are the hardest part, and mattress toppers and protectors are worse.
Confirm a fitted sheet exists in your size and your mattress depth before committing to the frame.
The common workarounds and why they mostly fail:
A double sheet on a small double leaves 7.5 centimetres of slack each side, which will not sit flat and bunches under you.
A double topper overhanging will not lie flat under a sheet and shifts nightly. A single topper on one side is the better improvisation if only one of you wants the change.
Duvets are more forgiving: a double duvet on a small double is fine and arguably better, because it hangs over properly.
190 centimetres, same as a double
The length is identical to a single and a double at 190 centimetres, ten short of a king and super king.
The usual guidance is a mattress at least 10 to 15 centimetres longer than the tallest person using it, which caps a small double at roughly 5'11".
If height is the issue rather than width, a small double does not solve it, and the answer is a king if the room takes it.
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.
Small doubles are more likely than other sizes to be in older or non-standard frames, so measuring the frame rather than assuming the name is worth the two minutes.
Related reading
Mattresses in this size
How this site works
Nothing here is paid for by a brand. No manufacturer has copy approval, a preview, or the ability to change a score, and where a link earns a commission that never changes a ranking.
Where a brand does not publish a specification, that is stated rather than estimated, because an absent number is itself information. The corrections log and the products I will not recommend page are both public.
Questions people ask
What size is a small double bed?
A hundred and twenty by 190 centimetres, or 4'0" by 6'3", also called a three quarter bed. A standard UK double is 135 by 190.
Is a small double big enough for two people?
Each person gets 60 centimetres, which is the width of a standard UK cot and two thirds of a single bed. It works for occasional use and is tight for two people sharing regularly.
Can I use double bedding on a small double?
A double duvet is fine and arguably better. A double fitted sheet leaves 7.5 centimetres of slack each side, which will not sit flat, and a double topper overhanging will shift nightly.
Is small double bedding hard to find?
Yes, considerably harder than double, particularly fitted sheets in the right depth, toppers and protectors. Confirm a sheet exists in your size and depth before buying the bed.