Bed sizes and the room around them.
A bed needs more floor than its mattress: room to get in on each side and to walk past the foot. Here is how much, and what that means for the room.
The short answer
Leave about 30 in (76 cm) on each side you get in from and at the foot of the bed: that is the minimum Dimensions.com gives around a king bed, and close to the 75 cm Simba calls comfortable. 60 cm (24 in) is the tight minimum; 36 in (91 cm) is generous. Then add the headboard and the furniture you want. The table below does the first step for every US size.
US mattress sizes, and the room they need
Room size here is the mattress plus 30 in on both sides and at the foot. It does not include the headboard, the frame or any furniture.
| Size | Mattress | Room with 30 in clearance |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38 × 75 in 97 × 191 cm | 8 ft 2 in × 8 ft 9 in 2.49 × 2.67 m · 6.6 m² |
| Twin XL | 38 × 80 in 97 × 203 cm | 8 ft 2 in × 9 ft 2 in 2.49 × 2.79 m · 6.9 m² |
| Full | 54 × 75 in 137 × 191 cm | 9 ft 6 in × 8 ft 9 in 2.90 × 2.67 m · 7.7 m² |
| Queen | 60 × 80 in 152 × 203 cm | 10 ft × 9 ft 2 in 3.05 × 2.79 m · 8.5 m² |
| King | 76 × 80 in 193 × 203 cm | 11 ft 4 in × 9 ft 2 in 3.45 × 2.79 m · 9.6 m² |
| California King | 72 × 84 in 183 × 213 cm | 11 ft × 9 ft 6 in 3.35 × 2.90 m · 9.7 m² |
UK and European sizes
UK and European mattresses are measured in centimetres and are not the same as US sizes. European beds are usually 200 cm long; most UK beds are 190 or 200 cm.
| Size | Mattress (cm) | About (in) |
|---|---|---|
| UK single | 90 × 190 | 35 × 75 |
| UK small double | 120 × 190 | 47 × 75 |
| UK double | 135 × 190 | 53 × 75 |
| UK king | 150 × 200 | 59 × 79 |
| UK super king | 180 × 200 | 71 × 79 |
| European single | 90 × 200 | 35 × 79 |
| European double | 140 × 200 | 55 × 79 |
| European king | 160 × 200 | 63 × 79 |
Names for the widest beds differ between retailers (“super king”, “grand king”, “emperor”); check the listed size, not the name.
Clearances around the bed
- 50 cm · 20 inNever less than this on a side someone uses every night (Simba).
- 60 cm · 24 inThe usual minimum on each side you get in from (Simba).
- 70–76 cm · 28–30 inAt the foot where people walk past (Simba, about 70 cm); 30 in is the minimum all round a king bed (Dimensions.com).
- 75–91 cm · 30–36 inComfortable on the sides: 75 cm (Simba); 36 in all round a king bed (Dimensions.com).
The smallest bedroom
Where the International Residential Code applies (section R304), a habitable room must be at least 70 sq ft (6.5 m²) and at least 7 ft (2.13 m) across in every direction. Seattle’s building department explains how it is measured: only the parts of the room where a 7 × 7 ft square fits count toward the 70 sq ft, so a 7 ft wide room must be 10 ft long. Local codes differ and add rules for windows and ceiling height.
A room that meets the code can still be too small for the bed you want: a queen with 30 in around it needs about 10 × 9 ft, and Dimensions.com puts a bedroom for a king bed at around 119 sq ft (11 m²) for the bed and its clearances alone, or 141–147 sq ft (13.1–13.7 m²) with closets.
Check it at real size
In Floor Plan to Home the bed stands in your recreated bedroom at its real size, with the door swing and the wardrobe where they really are, so you see the clearance before you buy. See also the furniture clearances guide.
Bed size, answered.
Will a queen bed fit in a 10 × 10 ft bedroom?
Just. A queen is 60 × 80 in; with 30 in on both sides and at the foot it needs 120 × 110 in, which is 10 ft × 9 ft 2 in. In a 10 × 10 ft room that leaves 10 in at the foot for a headboard and nothing else, so expect a tight room with one small nightstand.
How much space should be around a bed?
About 60 cm (24 in) on each side you get in from as a minimum and 75 cm (30 in) to be comfortable; never less than 50 cm (20 in) on a side used every night. Around a king bed, Dimensions.com gives 30 in (76 cm) as the minimum and 36 in (91 cm) as comfortable.
What is the smallest legal bedroom?
Where the International Residential Code applies, a habitable room must be at least 70 sq ft (6.5 m²) and at least 7 ft (2.13 m) in every direction; parts narrower than 7 ft do not count. Local codes vary and add rules for windows and ceiling height, so check yours.
Are UK and US king beds the same size?
No. A UK king is 150 × 200 cm (about 59 × 79 in), close to a US queen. A US king is 76 × 80 in (193 × 203 cm), close to a UK super king (180 × 200 cm).
- Mattress sizes and dimensions (Nectar) — US mattress sizes
- Bed & mattress size guide (Silentnight) — UK and European sizes
- How much space do you need around a bed? (Simba) — space beside and at the foot of a bed
- King Bedroom Layouts (Dimensions.com) — clearances and room area for a king bed
- SRC R304.1 & R304.2 Habitable Room Size (Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections) — how the 70 sq ft / 7 ft rule is measured
Checked 2026-10-31. Guidelines change and local building codes always come first; measure your own room and furniture before you buy.