Mattress Size Converter

Mattress sizes vary significantly between the US, UK, and EU. A “Queen” in the US is not the same as a “King” in the UK, even though they are similar sizes.

US mattress sizes:

UK mattress sizes:

EU (IKEA/Continental) mattress sizes:

Key differences between systems:

• EU mattresses are typically 200 cm (79 inches) long, which is slightly shorter than US mattresses at 203 cm (80 inches).
• A US Queen (60 x 80 in) is very close to a UK King (60 x 78 in) but 2 inches longer.
• A US King (76 x 80 in) is wider than a UK Super King (72 x 78 in) but the UK version is shorter.
• EU sizes use round centimeter numbers (90, 140, 160, 180 cm widths), making them easy to remember.

Practical tips when shopping across regions:

• Sheets and bedding are sized to match each region’s standards, so always check dimensions rather than relying on size names.
• If you buy a mattress from a different region, you may need custom-sized sheets.
• Always measure your bed frame before ordering a mattress from another country.
• IKEA uses EU sizing worldwide, even in their US and UK stores, so their mattresses may differ slightly from local standards.

The number nobody puts on the label: width per person. A US or UK Double is 54 inches across, which is 27 inches each once two people are in it. A single bed is 36 inches. So a couple sharing a double has nine inches less shoulder room each than either of them had as a child, which is the real reason “we need a bigger bed” arrives about a year into living together. A Queen gives 30 inches each and a US King gives 38, more than a single apiece.

Length is the constraint tall sleepers hit first. Most standard mattresses are 75 inches (190 cm) or 80 inches (203 cm) long, and the rule of thumb is that a mattress should be about 4 to 6 inches longer than the sleeper. That puts the ceiling at roughly 6 ft 1 in for a 75-inch bed and 6 ft 6 in for an 80-inch one. Anyone taller wants a Twin XL, a Queen, a California King, or in Europe a 210 cm or 220 cm special order.

Depth is a separate measurement and it is the one that ruins sheets. Size names cover width and length only. Mattress thickness runs from about 6 inches on a basic foam slab to 16 inches or more on a pillow-top, and fitted sheets are sold by pocket depth rather than by size. A Queen sheet that fits a 10-inch mattress will pop off a 14-inch one all night. Measure the depth before buying bedding, not the size name.

A word on the sizes that sound bigger than they are. The California King is narrower than a standard US King, not wider: it trades four inches of width for four inches of length, so it suits a tall sleeper and not a wide bed. And the UK King at 60 by 78 inches is the same width as a US Queen, which is why the names cause so much trouble in exactly the market where people compare the two.