King Size Mattress Dimensions: How Big Is a King Size Bed?
When it comes to luxury, king size beds are where it’s at. Unlike queen beds, standard king beds offer couples the exact same amount of width as a single bed. That’s plenty of space for both partners to spread out.
King size mattresses are also great for people who have larger master bedrooms. A queen or full bed can leave a larger room looking empty, while a king bed can take up the extra space and give your room a luxe look.
Standard King Dimensions
The standard or eastern king is the largest standard bed size by surface area. Though the California king is longer, it’s also narrower. That means the California king’s total area is slightly smaller than the eastern king’s. At 76 by 80 inches, the standard king mattress has a total surface area of 6080 inches. That’s the same size as two twin XL mattresses sitting side by side.
Room Dimensions
Kings need a fairly large room. You need around two feet of space on both sides of the bed and at its foot. King beds are six feet wide and almost seven feet long. That means they need a room that’s a bare minimum of ten by nine feet.
However, a king in a room this small will create a cramped look. Not only that but there also won’t be any room for furniture. Most people want more than a bed in their bedroom. That means you probably need a room of ten by twelve or twelve by twelve feet to accommodate a dresser or extra seating.
Price Range
It’s no secret that kings aren’t cheap. While split kings and California kings usually cost a bit more, standard kings are still more expensive than any of the smaller bed sizes. This is one of the reasons queens are so popular.
There’s usually a pretty steep price jump between a queen and a king mattress. This is not to mention the added expense of a king bed base or bed frame.
If you’re set on purchasing a king size bed, expect to pay anywhere from $1000 to $5000, depending on the material the bed is made of and any additional sleep technologies it features.
Best King Size Mattresses
- Best King Size Mattress for Side Sleepers: Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid
- Best King Size Mattress for the Money: Vaya Mattress
Warranty
20 Years
Sleep Trial
100 Nights
Shipping
Free
Warranty
10 Years
Sleep Trial
100 Nights
Shipping
Free
Purchase of the Vaya Mattress includes a 100-night sleep trial, a 10-year warranty, and a gift of a free Vaya Pillow.
How It Feels
The Vaya Mattress was engineered to have a feel suitable for all sleeping styles, and customer reviews have praised the bed for its near-universally soft feel. Its responsive feel helps the surface bounce back into place as you move, so while it feels plush it’s not a sinkhole that a sleeper will feel trapped in during the night or when they wake up in the morning.
Mattress Construction
The Vaya Mattress has the simplest possible construction, consisting of a comfort layer and a support layer. These two foam layers are encased in a soft cover fabric woven to maximize airflow.
The top layer is Vaya Comfort Foam, a material engineered to react more quickly to movement than traditional memory foam while also being far more lightweight. The adaptability allows the comfort foam to relieve pressure points across the body in just about any sleep position.
The bottom layer is the aptly named Vaya Base Foam, a material created to take on and evenly distribute body weight. In doing so, the base foam promotes a healthy spine alignment and prevents pressure from building up.
Both foam layers have met with the approval of CertiPUR-US®, a third-party organization dedicated to overseeing foam quality. A CertiPUR-US® also means the mattress contains low amounts of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, decreasing the chances of an unpleasant “new mattress” smell.
Who Should Sleep on a Standard King
Kings are typically intended for couples. Couples on the larger side or couples who toss and turn a lot may especially benefit from upgrading from a queen to a king. King size mattresses are also a good choice for parents whose young kids like to co-sleep.
King beds are also a good option for people who have large master bedrooms. If your bedroom is twelve by twelve feet or larger, it could benefit from a king size bed. Queens can leave bigger rooms looking unfurnished.
Pros
- Kings offer lots of wiggle room for couples, especially those who spread out or toss and turn all night.
- King size beds can even provide room for kids to co-sleep with parents.
- King beds help fill out larger bedrooms and offer a luxe look.
Cons
- Kings are expensive and will cost significantly more than a full or queen.
- Kings are also heavy and cumbersome, which can make flipping, rotating, or moving them difficult.
- King beds will not fit in small rooms.
King Size Variations
The eastern king bed isn’t the only king on the block. There are two king bed variations that come in the standard bed size range (split king and California king) and three oversize variations that are outside the normal size range (Wyoming, Texas, and Alaska kings). While you can get Californa and split king beds just about anywhere, you may have to special order the oversize ones.
Split King
The split king is the same dimensions as a standard king. However, a split king uses two twin XL mattresses instead of a single one. This has lots of advantages. It allows couples to select different materials and firmness levels for their beds. It also lets partners use different adjustable base settings. Two twin XL mattresses are also easier to move than one king.
California King
The California king bed is longer and narrower than the standard king. At 72 by 84 inches, this is an excellent option for couples with one or more extra-tall partners. The California king mattress may also be the best choice for people who have longer, narrower master bedrooms.
Wyoming King
Like the state for which it’s named, the Wyoming king is a big square. At 84 inches wide and 84 inches long, this bed is as wide as a California king is long.
Texas King
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the Texas king. This bed is 80 inches wide by a full 98 inches long. That’s over eight feet long.
Alaska King
The biggest king of all, the Alaskan king comes in at a whopping 9 by 9 feet or 108 by 108 inches. This is the same size as a small bedroom.
Other Standard Bed Sizes
If all these kings sound too big for you, there are plenty of smaller options. Standard mattress sizes besides the king variants include twin, twin XL, full, and queen size beds.
Twin
The smallest of all the bed sizes, the humble twin mattress is only 38 by 75 inches. Twin beds are a great choice for single sleepers under six feet tall. Twin size mattresses also work well in bunk beds, children’s rooms, college dorm rooms, and studio apartments.
Twin XL
The twin XL mattress offers a bit of extra length over the twin. The 38 by 80-inch twin XL bed is a better option than the twin size bed for taller individuals who find their feet dangling with a standard twin.
Full
The full size mattress is an ideal choice for single adults who want extra wiggle room. Active sleepers under six feet tall will especially appreciate the full size bed. The full or double bed offers 54 inches of width and 75 inches of length for combo sleepers and those who love to spread out.
Queen
The queen mattress is the most popular bed size. It’s also the first of the standard sizes that’s suitable for couples. The 60 by 80-inch queen size mattress offers couples 30 inches of sleeping space apiece. This is typically sufficient for most couples, though some may find it too restrictive.
Bottom Line
The king bed is one of the best options for couples because it offers enough space for each partner to sleep comfortably. If you and your partner feel restricted in a queen bed, or you’ve got little ones constantly trying to share your mattress, the standard king bed could be the right size for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your perfect size depends on a combination of your height, personal preferences, and room dimensions. The Cal king could be the best size for you if your room is longer and narrower or if you are well over six feet tall.
If your room is wider or you and your partner prefer width over legroom, then a standard king mattress may be for you. Eastern kings are wider than California kings, but they offer the same amount of length as a twin XL or standard queen.
A standard king mattress is 76 by 80 inches, while an Alaska king is 108 by 108 inches. That means the Alaska king is 32 inches wider and 28 inches longer than the standard king. At 81 square feet (11664 square inches), the Alaska king is 5584 square inches larger than the regular king.
The size of your bedroom is one of the most important factors in your decision to get a king. Smaller rooms look cramped when you stuff a king size bed in them. Plus, some rooms may be too small to accommodate a king at all.
To get the best fit, you need a room that’s no less than ten by twelve feet. That will give you plenty of clearance around the bed as well as sufficient space to use your other bedroom furnishings like dressers and additional seating.
No. Two twins don’t make any standard bed size. A split king is made by putting two twin XL size mattresses in a king size bed frame. Regular twins are not long enough to fit in a king frame. They’ll be wide enough but five inches too short. That means you’ll either need to buy two twin XL mattresses separately or a pair of split king mattresses, which are just two twin XLs sold as a set.
That depends on the kind of mattress you have. King size innerspring mattresses can have box springs underneath them just like any other size coil mattress. If you have a heavier mattress, however, like a memory foam or hybrid mattress, you’ll need a sturdier base.
Both platform beds and mattress foundations make better bed bases for heavy mattresses like latex and memory foam. Both these bases feature slats stretched across a bed frame at regular intervals. These slats offer more rigid support than box springs. That means you can lay heavy mattresses on them without worrying about them breaking. This is perfect, as king size mattresses are typically quite heavy.