Guide
Single Bed Size
A UK single bed is 90 cm wide and 190 cm long (3ft x 6ft 3in, 35 x 75 inches). The frame around that mattress measures about 96 cm by 198 cm on the outside, and that is the figure your room has to take.
Single bed size chart (UK)
| Size | cm | feet and inches | inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small single | 75 x 190 | 2ft 6in x 6ft 3in | 30 x 75 |
| Single | 90 x 190 | 3ft x 6ft 3in | 35 x 75 |
| Small double | 120 x 190 | 4ft x 6ft 3in | 47 x 75 |
| Double | 135 x 190 | 4ft 6in x 6ft 3in | 53 x 75 |
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Worth knowing: 90 cm is exactly the width each sleeper gets on a king size bed. A single is not a narrow bed for one person. What catches people out is the length, 190 cm, which is short for anyone over about 1.85 m.
Single bed frame dimensions (outside)
The mattress is 90 x 190 cm. The frame is bigger, because of the side rails and the headboard. On the single frames sold here the outside measurement is about 96 cm wide by 198 cm long, and the headboard stands roughly 90 to 110 cm from the floor. Every product page publishes the exact assembled size, so you can check it against your room before you order rather than after.
How big a room do you need for a single bed?
The minimum is about 220 x 300 cm: the bed against one wall, with a single walkway of 60 cm on the open side. Below 60 cm you can pass, but you cannot make the bed properly or open a drawer without shuffling.
Two more numbers decide the layout. A wardrobe in front of the bed needs 90 cm of clear floor for its doors to open. A single ottoman frame needs 40 cm clear at the foot, or along one side, to lift.
Single vs small double: which one?
A small double is 120 x 190 cm, so 30 cm wider for the same length. If your wall is 250 cm or more, the small double fits and you gain a third of a bed. Below that, the single is the size that works.
For a child's room, a guest room or a student let, the single is usually the right answer anyway: it leaves floor space for a desk, and single bedding is the cheapest of any size.
Mattress and bedding for a single bed
A UK single mattress is 90 x 190 cm. Careful with imports: the European single is 90 x 200 cm, ten centimetres longer, and it will not sit inside a UK 3ft frame. The US twin is 99 x 191 cm, wider than ours. A UK single duvet is 135 x 200 cm.
See all single bed frames, compare with small double bed frames, or go back to the UK bed size guide.
Questions
Single bed questions, answered
What size is a single bed in the UK?
How wide is a single bed?
Is a single bed big enough for an adult?
Will a European single mattress fit a UK single bed?
What size room do you need for a single bed?
What is the difference between a single and a small double?
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