Contemporary Bed Sizes Explained

Contemporary beds come in a bewildering array of sizes, & if you are in the UK you may find that the sizes you are looking at won't fit your existing mattress or bed linen. We sell predominantly Italian beds & their sizes are different from UK sizes. In fact the UK, the US, Italy, Spain & France all have different bed sizes so it can get very confusing!

The Italian beds are all 200cm long (in the European sizes) & have an option to have 190cm long in some of opur children's beds from Battistella Nidi. Perfect for adults, but it can make finding bed linen difficult if you are buying a single bed. But one thing to bear in mind is the European sizes are becoming increasingly common, & mattresses are easy to get - even if they need to be made to order - which we can do (see our mattresses section). The bed will need to be made to order anyway, so the mattress can made at the same time, thus completely avoiding delays.

Sizes for contemporary beds available in the UK are as follows -

Single Beds

We are one of a very few suppliers in the UK of upmarket single beds from Italy which are suitable for both adults & children &most of our single beds are 200cm long. Some of the single beds available from Italy can be customised so the frame is a UK single, but upholstered beds, bunk beds, cabin beds can’t. European single mattresses are widely available online, or you can have a mattress made to order, or we can supply one with the bed. The difference between the 2 lengths is 10cm, which is just under 4 inches - so UK fitted single sheets will probably be too small, but other bed linen should be fine to use.

Double Beds

Double beds from Europe at the higher end of the market are not popular, but we have a collection from Spain available anyway, & these will take standard UK double mattresses. A European double bed is another 5 cm wider (2 inches) so may be ok to use a UK mattress on if you want to tuck your duvet, sheets etc under the mattress. We often see these being sold as double beds, with no mention of the fact that they are Euro double beds & if you don’t also have a Euro double mattress you will more than likely see the slats at the edges, unless the sides of the bed sit half way up the mattress.

Small double beds are a UK size (also known as 4 ft beds) & great for teenagers but again, not particularly popular with our customers although quite a few of our Italian manufacturers make them. Mattresses are easy to buy in the UK, but bed linen is a little more difficult to find, so you would use standard double bed linen (except fitted sheets). A small double bed is 6 inches more narrow than a standard UK double bed.

King Size Beds

Only two of our Italian suppliers make UK King size beds, the rest make Euro King size beds which are becoming more & more popular. Mattresses are very easy to find (although will need to be made to order from some shops) & Euro King bed linen can be found online - but not in most UK shops. We have sold an enormous amount of Euro King size beds & have never yet had a phone call from a customer telling us they are struggling to find a mattress or bed linen, & the extra 10cm (4 inches) can be most welcome. UK King size beds (also known as a 5ft bed) are a standard size so mattresses, bed linen etc are every easy to find.

Our Italian manufacturers also make the US Queen size which is just a few cms longer & wider than a UK King. If you like to have your duvet tucked in under the mattress then this may work well for you, but as with the Euro double you may see the edge of the slats unless the sides of the bed reach half way up the mattress.

Super King Size Beds

Also known as a 6 ft bed, Super King Size beds are standard across UK & Europe fortunately, so mattresses, sheets etc are available both within the UK & in France, Spain, Italy etc.

US King Size Beds

These are not common, only two of our manufacturers make beds in this size, Cierre (leather beds) & Bonaldo (upholstered beds), but if you are looking for a really big bed this could be just the thing. Both mattresses & bed linen are not widely available in the UK & the nearest size - UK Super King is 14cm smaller so not suitable at all.

Mattress Supports (Slats)

Mattress supports from Europe consist of a large metal frame, with sprung beech slats across, & a central divider. They are usually made in one piece & are the size of your mattress, but as they are not flexible getting the larger mattress supports into many home can be problematic. We can get split mattress supports made for an extra charge (which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer) but they take several weeks, so it is imperative you check access well before your new bed arrives, & if possible order two part slats at the time you order your bed - provided they are available (which they arent always).