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 our 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. We have a range of hand made (in the UK) pocket sprung mattresses in our mattresses section which can be ordered in any size at all. We can also order some mattresses from Italy, who tend to make lighter, orthopedic mattresses. 

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 (190cm), but 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.

Small single beds for children range in size from 75cm to 80cm wide & in length from 190cm to 200cm, with 80cm x 200cm being the most readily available - in our Nidi & Cinquanta collections only though. We have a range of mattresses to fit these or they can be bought online.

Double Beds

None of the beds we supply are available in the UK double size, as these are not made in Europe. A European double bed is another 5 cm wider (2 inches) & 10cm longer (3.9 inches) so you will need the correct size of mattress & bedding. We can supply several different types of mattrresses to fit, & there are many options available online (This was a standard Ikea & Heals size for some time in the UK). 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 & ends of the bed.

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 - though some are made in the 200cm European length only. 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

Not all 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), & we supply pocket sprung hand made mattresses too. 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, which we will list as a King size, as there is so little difference. If you are getting a new mattress anyway it might be good to make it slightly bigger to fit, buit its not essential. There is no problem with bed linen of course.

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

Many of our manufacturers make beds for the US market, & so although this size is not usually given as a standard option we can provide US sizes in most of our collections. 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, but we can provide mattresses to fit perfectly.

Emperor Beds

The largest, & most luxurious bed size is an Emperor - a huge 200cm x 200cm. Although we havent put this option online (delivery can be tricky so many customers avoid them) we do actually have a large number of designs available in this size. Both mattresses & bed linen are available in the UK but not widely - though of course we can provide a hand made mattress to fit. This size is not usually available with a storage base.

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).

We are finding it increasingly difficult to get split slats on storage beds though, so please contact us if you are unsure about access.