The Difference between Bed Sizes on the Market Today – Part II

Older sized Full beds still have their place in the bedroom.

In Part 1 we discussed Twin, Twin Extra Long, and Custom sizes. Click here to read.

If you’re thinking about a Double, a Full or a Queen size bed in your bedroom, it’s important to know the differences between them.
A Double and a Full bed are the same thing. A Double or Full bed is 16” wider than a Twin bed. Full or Double beds are fine for guest bedrooms or for an occasional night’s sleep even larger kids rooms. But many couples find a Double or Full bed too narrow long-term. This is because each person only has 27” of personal space. This is less space than a person has sleeping alone on a Twin mattress  and about the same as a baby’s crib mattress..

Move over full there is a new Queen in town

Flat out more space and better comfort this is why many couples turn to Queen size bed for more room without taking up too much floor space. Queen size mattresses are 6” wider than a Double or a Full size bed. This allows more sleeping room for each person though it’s still 8” less room than a person has sleeping alone in a Twin bed.

Full or Double beds were the most common beds in married couples’ bedrooms in the 1960s. But Double beds are only 75” long which makes them too short for many taller adults. Double or Full mattresses are 54” wide by 75” long. They provide 27” of sleeping space per person. They’re ideal for smaller bedrooms or for the single sleeper who is 5’5” tall or shorter. Plus, sheets for a Double or Full size bed are less expensive than sheet sets for Queen or king size beds. Unfortunately, many adults and couples/partners today find Double or Full size mattresses too narrow and too short to accommodate a comfortable night’s sleep.

Fortunately, Queen size beds offer more sleeping space. Queen size mattresses are 6” wider and 5” longer than a Double or Full size bed. But this extra width and length makes all the difference in the world when it comes to getting a comfortable and restful night of sleep. Queen beds will still fit in modest size bedrooms and guest bedrooms. They’ll even fit in small master bedrooms. And during a St. Louis winter, a Queen bed is a great choice for couples who want to snuggle. Queen size mattresses are 60” wide and 80” long. Each person has 30” of personal sleeping space.

Queen size mattresses provide more sleeping space than a Double or Full bed. Queen size beds accommodate taller adults and because they are the most popular size sheets and blankets are easy to find as well and are often more affordable than king size bedding. If you plan to purchase a Queen size mattress, pay particular attention to bedding/sheets that are labeled “Full/Queen.” In many cases these sheets are too big for a Double or Full mattress and too small for a Queen mattress. Knowing your mattresses exact dimensions will save you a lot of aggravation and trips back and forth to the store.

Olympic Queen has some hurdles

If you’ve inherited what’s known as an “Olympic Queen” size bed, finding sheets may be more challenging. An Olympic Queen mattress is 6″ larger than a Queen size bed. In some cases, Olympic Queen mattress owners have cut down king-size bed sheets in order to make them fit their bed because sheets, pads and blankets are so hard to find. Also trying to find a replacement mattress or boxspring is nearly impossible since Simmons the originator of this unique size has stopped production.

In “The Differences between Bed Sizes on the Market Today – Part III,” we’ll discuss the difference between Queen size and king size mattresses.