As the famous shoemaker John Wildsmith said, “You are either in your bed or in your shoes, so it pays to invest in both”. Finding the perfect bed and mattress is a vital element of ensuring that you can sleep comfortably. Having a good night’s sleep doesn’t just help you to be more active (and less grumpy!), but it also helps to protect against both physical and mental health conditions.
If you are in a couple, and you sleep in the same bed together, this can complicate things a little. There is no doubt that sharing your bed and mattress with someone else has the potential to disrupt your sleep, due to them moving around, snoring, stealing the duvet, or even just the increased body heat from their side. Because of this, many couples want to ensure that their king-size mattress is large enough to accommodate two people, with enough space to prevent disruption of sleep.
How big is a king-size bed?
King size mattresses have a standard size: 5 feet wide by 6 feet 6 inches long. They are both longer and wider than a double mattress and a queen-size bed. For comparison, a standard double bed is 4 feet 6 inches wide and 6 feet 3 inches long.
Things can get a little more complicated, however, when you start to get into Euro king size and super king size. These sizes can give you, even more, sleeping space to play with.
Super-king mattresses are 6 feet wide and 6 feet 6 inches long whereas Euro king size beds are 5 feet 2 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches long.
Both of these mattress sizes are wider than a standard UK king-size bed, which can give two adults sharing a bed much more room again.
Are king-size beds the best for two adults?
A king-size mattress is the most popular bed size for couples in the UK, and it’s with good reason. You will most often find a king-size bed in the master bedroom with a standard double-size bed for guest beds.
This is partly because of a difference in room size but also because sleeping on a double mattress every night just doesn’t work for many couples.
A king, Euro king, or super king-size bed gives adults enough wriggle room to be comfortable through the night, so they are generally the best size for couples. It used to be the case that double beds were the standard but the tides have recently turned in favour of king-size mattresses.
This may be partly because people have a better understanding of the importance of sleep quality and our health and partly because people have overall got larger over time, so there is a greater need for more space.
Things to consider when choosing a king bed
While a king mattress is often the best choice for a couple who want to share a bed, there are definitely some factors that need to be taken into consideration before jumping right in and buying a new bed. The evolution of bed marketing due to new technologies and materials makes the choice even harder.
Room size
A king-sized bed is bigger than a standard UK double bed. It has to incorporate the greater width and length of the mattress. Not all master bedrooms, however, are designed to fit bed sizes that work with a king mattress. This is especially the case in older houses where a double bed would have been the standard.
When sizing up your bedroom, remember that you don’t just need to fit the bed in there. You will also need to have clearance space around the bed frame for you to navigate the room, and you will also need space for your wardrobe, chest of drawers, and other bedroom furniture (and the room to open their doors and drawers).
For small bedrooms, there are some specialised king beds that can help with the space. These are known as short king-sized beds. They have the same width as a standard king (5 feet) but they can be between 5 feet 9 inches and 6 feet in length (compared to the standard king length of 6 feet 6 inches). A short king can help you gain a little extra space in the room but they are harder to find and they aren’t as suitable for a taller person.
Height
Height is an important consideration when choosing a mattress size. King-sized beds are longer as well as wider than a double bed (6 feet 6 inches versus 6 feet 3 inches in length). When deciding if those extra three inches are necessary, look at the tallest person in the couple because their height needs to be the deciding factor.
A bed that is too short can be a nightmare for a taller person, who may end up with their feet dangling awkwardly off the end. It can be a good idea to go to a mattress shop in person to test the mattress sizes out and see if the tallest person will be able to comfortably lie down.
Family members
Do you have kids or pets that like to jump into bed with you? If so, a king or even super king bed may be the best choice for you. That extra width is perfect for cuddles with your other family members who want to jump out of their own bed and into yours, and who doesn’t love those precious family moments?
So to summarise for you
It is generally accepted that a king-sized bed is the best choice for couples. It gives enough space for each member of the couple to have the room to move around in the night without disturbing the other member, so both people can have the best night’s sleep possible. You can go even further and opt for a huge bed like a super king, but even a standard king will give you a better sleep than a small double bed when you are sharing with somebody else.
