Mattress shopping can be a little too complex for common people. You need to watch out for many important factors to ensure that you buy the best fit because a bad mattress means a sub-optimal sleep, an unrested body, and loss of productivity and efficiency in your daily life.

While the basic physical properties like fabric, feel, and make are all important, there is one more crucial aspect that guides your choice of mattress - size and dimensions. A right-sized mattress ensures that you sleep well without worrying about the space on your bed. Add the perfect height to the mattress mix and you get a mattress that also provides the best support and comfort.

When it comes to mattresses, there is literally “no one size fits all”. With varied choices in size and the not-so-significant differences in dimensions of various mattresses, you are bound to get confused while picking the best fit for yourself. But mattress buying doesn’t have to be too confusing. To make the mattress choosing easier and seamless, you must equip yourself with the basic knowledge about mattress sizes and dimensions. This mattress size guide provides all the relevant information about mattress sizes that will be immensely helpful to you while picking your new mattress.


Which Mattress Size Should You Choose?
Everybody sleeps differently. Some people feel comfortable sleeping in compact postures while others prefer a more relaxed posture. Apart from the personal preferences, there are other considerations like the size of your bedroom, who you share your bed with, and your budget, that together determine the right size of the mattress for you.
The tradeoff has to be immensely balanced while choosing the size of the bed and mattress. Too big a mattress for a small room, or too small a mattress for the number of sleepers will end up impacting your sleep. Therefore, measure your room if you have to, re-evaluate your budget and know your sleep pattern before venturing out to select the right size mattress for yourself.

Who Will Sleep in the Bed?
Do you sleep alone or you share the bed with a partner? Do you also need room for children or pets in your bed? These are some of the questions to answer to lock in the right size of mattress for yourself.
If you sleep alone, a smaller size mattress is best for you. Even in the smaller size mattresses, you can choose between a compact Single size mattress or a slightly wider Twin size mattress. If you share your bed with a partner, you can pick amongst the wider Queen and King size mattresses.

The choice of mattress will also depend on how close you sleep with the other person.

Mattress Size and Dimensions Guide

Standard Sizes and Dimensions (inches)

Single - 72 x 36
Twin - 72 x 42
Queen - 72 x 60
Queen XL - 72 x 66
King - 72 x 72
King XL - 72 x 78


Single-size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches (L) by 36 inches (W)
The Single-size mattress is ideal for a room measuring at least 10 feet by 7 feet. The compact mattress is most suitable for teens and children and is one of the most common selling mattresses on the market. However, Single-size mattresses are generally not a good choice for full-grown adults. Also, If you need more room to stretch while sleeping, Single-size mattresses may not be the best choice because of their limited width.

Twin-size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches by 42 inches
Twin-size mattress is a wider cousin of Single-size mattress. Ideal for single adults and small spaces, Twin-size mattress can also fit in well in a room measuring at least 10.5 feet by 8.5 feet. Twin-size mattress gives you extra width to stretch yourself while sleeping and allows you to be a little more carefree with the space on your bed.
The Twin-size mattress is also a good fit for students and work-from-home professionals who love the comfort of their bed while studying or working. The extra space on the mattress also makes it convenient to accommodate pets. For smaller spaces and compact guest rooms, Twin-size mattresses can be a great fit.

Queen-size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches by 60 inches
Queen-size mattress is one of the most popular mattress sizes amongst couples. The mattress fits well in a minimum room size of 10 feet by 10 feet and is also a good fit for a master bedroom. A Queen-sized mattress can accommodate couples, however, if both the sleepers need a lot of space to sprawl, the mattress may fall short.
A Queen-size mattress is also a great choice for single adults who need a big bed to themselves. The mattress provides a bigger space to stretch and lie down with your pets than the space in a Twin-size mattress. A queen-size mattress is the optimum fit for your guest room as it’s big enough to accommodate a couple of sleepers at a time.

Queen XL Size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches by 66 inches
Queen XL size mattress is a bigger cousin of queen size mattress, ideal for couples who need more space to sleep comfortably. Though the mattress can fit in a room measuring at least 10 feet by 10 feet, a bigger room size is desirable. However, when the room size is 10 feet by 10 feet and a bigger sleep space is required for sleepers, you can still go with Queen XL to sleep comfortably. Queen XL is also an ideal fit for master bedrooms and studio apartments.

King-size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches by 72 inches
A notch wider than Queen XL, King-size mattresses have large space for couples to sprawl themselves out while sleeping. The mattress can also accommodate a child if the parents don’t require too much space to sleep.

King-size mattress is the best choice for a master bedroom measuring at least 11 feet by 11 feet. The wider sleeping space ensures minimal disturbances when your sleeping partner changes sleeping postures frequently or takes intermittent breaks during a single sleep episode. You can also get a split option in King-size mattress, in which two mattresses measuring 72” by 36” are placed side by side. Splitting would help couples when they have different mattress preferences for sleep comfort and body support. With enough space, each partner can have his/her own mattress to sleep properly, while being on the same bed.

King XL Size Mattress Dimensions - 72 inches by 78 inches
Sleeping on a King XL sized mattress is akin to sleeping in luxury. King XL is the widest standard-sized mattress available that can accommodate parents and a kid comfortably, making it an excellent choice for families. The mattress is also a good fit for tall sleepers. Though the mattress is a decent fit in a minimum of 11 feet by 11 feet room, it helps when the room is bigger, which provides more space for other furniture and abundant space to move around. Like King-size mattresses, King XL sized mattresses can also be split for the comfort of each of the partners.

Custom Size Mattresses
All the above sizes are standard sizes, which may not suitable for the needs of some people. In case, the standard size is small and the next available size is too big, you need a custom-sized mattress more suited to your room size.

Then there are height issues. Taller people would need mattresses of bigger length to not have their legs slipping out of the edge. For these and a number of other requirements, you can get a made-to-order mattress, which will be a perfect fit for your room and your sleeping preferences.

What’s the Perfect Mattress Height for You?
The height of the mattress is less space-dependent and more comfort-dependent. Based on your individual sleeping requirements including comfort and support, the height of the mattress would vary. Generally, thicker mattresses are more comfortable and supportive for your body.

The height also depends on the kind of mattress you need - memory foam, spring, etc. - or any specific supportive function like back support or neck support that you need from your mattress. Increased thickness increases the cost of the mattress as the thicker the mattress, the more material it consumes. However, the increased cost is mostly worth the spend, because of the added comfort and support it brings in.

Mattress size and dimensions FAQs

How are Twin-size and Single-size mattresses different?
The twin-size mattress is 6 inches wider than the Single-size mattress and is good for grown-up adults as it offers a better space to maneuver the body while sleeping. A single-size mattress is generally good for teenagers and for grown adults, who do not move much while they sleep. The extra space in Twin-size mattresses generally helps sleepers who change their sleeping positions continuously in a single sleep episode.

Is a Queen-size mattress suitable for two people
Generally yes, if you sleep close enough and don’t move much while sleeping, a Queen-size mattress can be more suitable to you. However, when you need space to move and sleep comfortably, you would need Queen Xl or a King-size mattress.

Do two Single-size mattress equal a double bed mattress
Yes, two Single-size mattresses side-by-side make a 72” by 72” double bed mattress. However, if you don’t need separate mattresses for sleepers on the same bed, it is better to take one King-size mattress for a double bed.

Do two Twin-size mattresses side-by-side make a King XL size mattress
Two Twin-size mattresses side-by-side make a 72” long and 84” wide mattress, that is not the same as King XL size mattress, which measures 72” by 78”. Though the length of the combined mattress is the same as King XL (72”), it’s 6” wider than the King XL size mattress.

What’s the best mattress size for couples in India?
King size mattress is best for couples in India. The mattress has enough space to fit most couples and also fits into an average-sized Indian room. The mattress’ large size can also accommodate toddlers along with the parents.

Conclusion
Just as all other crucial decisions of life, mattress buying should also be given a wise thought before zeroing in on any mattress. That’s because the mattress buying decision will determine how you sleep for a considerable period of time, mostly a decade. Therefore, apart from the regular factors like mattress type, comfort, and support, one must also give due consideration to the mattress size and dimensions. It’s on you to maintain the fine balance between your room size, your budget, your body type, and your preferences to choose the best mattress size for yourself.

It is generally okay to spend a little more on your mattress if the one that’s suits you the best is out of your budget. A lot in life depends on how you sleep every day, and if shelling a little extra money gives you good night’s sleeps for decades, it’s totally worth the money.

Analyze your and your partner’s sleep patterns before you venture out to buy a mattress for yourself. If you move a lot, buying a small-sized mattress can be detrimental to your sleep because you will be too cautious all the time of being on the edge and falling. If your partner moves a lot and ends up taking a large part of the bed, you might get pushed to the edge of the bed if it’s too small. That increases the risk of falling and also impacts your sleep quality.

Lastly, you must also ensure that your bed doesn’t occupy a large part of your room. If you do not have enough space for other furniture and to move around in the room, your room and the bed may become too clumsy. Settle for a smaller sized mattress if it does not impact your sleep quality and fits well in your room. Buying a big mattress just for the extra bed space may not be your smartest move.