Queen bed size

Queen bed size chart

A standard US queen mattress is 60 in wide and 80 in long. Sealy, Saatva and the Sleep Foundation all list it at exactly that size (Sealy size guide, Sleep Foundation). Here is how it compares with every other standard size.

Sizes: Sealy, Sleep Foundation, Saatva. Smallest room: Casper size guide. Width each is the mattress width split in two. Metric is converted from inches and rounded. Casper and some Sealy lines make the full 53 in wide.

The queen sits in the middle of the range. It has the same 80 in length as a king and a twin XL, so it fits most adults lengthwise. The difference is width: 6 in more than a full, 16 in less than a king.

What size is a queen bed?

A queen bed is 60 × 80 in. In feet that is 5 ft wide by 6 ft 8 in long, and in metric about 152 × 203 cm. The sleeping surface is 4,800 sq in, or about 33 sq ft (Sleep Foundation queen vs king).

Two people on a queen each get 30 in of width. A twin mattress is 38 in wide, so each partner on a queen has 8 in less room than a single sleeper on a twin. That is why couples who sprawl often move up to a king.

For length, the Sleep Foundation suggests at least 80 in for anyone over 6 ft tall, and a queen meets that (Sleep Foundation). Very tall sleepers, over about 6 ft 4 in, may want the 84 in of a California king (Sleep Foundation).

The 60 × 80 in figure is a nominal size. Sealy's own spec sheet lists several queen models at 60 × 79½ in or 60 × 79 in (Sealy help center), and Casper says its mattress sizes can vary by up to 1 in (Casper). Measure the real mattress before you fit it into a tight frame or a built-in.

Queen bed frame size

The frame, not the mattress, sets the footprint in your room. The Sleep Foundation puts a typical queen frame at 62 to 65 in wide and 82 to 85 in long, and says a headboard and footboard can add another 3 to 5 in (Sleep Foundation queen frame guide). Nectar gives the same 62 to 65 × 82 to 85 in range (Nectar).

Real frames show how wide that spread is:

Sources: Zinus Mia product page, IKEA MALM queen, Sleep Foundation. The MALM footboard stands 15 in high.

Queen vs full, king and California king

Queen vs full

A full, also called a double, is 54 × 75 in (Sealy). The queen is 6 in wider and 5 in longer. For two sleepers that is 30 in each on a queen against 27 in on a full. Casper names the same smallest room for both, 10 × 10 ft (Casper), so in most bedrooms the queen costs you little floor.

Queen vs king

A king is 76 × 80 in: the same length as a queen and 16 in wider (Sleep Foundation). Each of two sleepers gets 38 in, the width of a twin. The cost is floor space. Casper suggests a room of at least 12 × 12 ft for a king, against 10 × 10 ft for a queen. A split king is two twin XL mattresses, 38 × 80 in each, that together make the 76 × 80 in king (Sealy, Casper).

Queen vs California king

A California king is 72 × 84 in, so it is 12 in wider and 4 in longer than a queen. Against a standard king it trades 4 in of width for 4 in of length. Pick it for height, not width: it is the only standard size longer than 80 in.

Olympic queen, California queen and split queen

These sizes are real, but they are uncommon. Check that frames and sheets exist in the size before you buy the mattress.

Sources: Sleep Foundation, Casper, Amerisleep, Saatva. Nectar lists the California queen at 60 × 85 in (Nectar), so confirm the length with the maker.

Olympic queen. Amerisleep says very few makers offer it. King sheets fit the length, but they are 10 in too wide and can sag, so you may need sheet straps (Amerisleep).

Split queen. Each half is 30 × 80 in (Saatva, Leva Sleep). It is mostly used on a split adjustable base, so each partner can raise the head or foot of their own side. Tempur-Pedic even sells a 30 × 80 in split queen foundation that you order in pairs (P.C. Richard listing).

Mattress thickness and sheets

Queen mattresses run from about 8 in to more than 14 in thick (Sleep Foundation). Casper gives the same 8 to 14 in range (Casper). Thickness doesn't change the 60 × 80 in footprint, but it decides which fitted sheet you need and how tall the bed stands.

A queen fitted sheet is 60 × 80 in plus a pocket, and a queen flat sheet is typically 96 × 114 in (244 × 290 cm) (Saatva). Choose the pocket by mattress thickness:

Source: Saatva bed sheet size guide.

Saatva suggests a pocket 1 to 2 in deeper than the mattress. Measure with your topper on, since the fitted sheet goes over it too (Zoma).

Total bed height matters for getting in and out. Casper and Amerisleep both put the average bed at about 25 in from the floor to the top of the mattress. Casper's example: a 14 to 15 in frame plus an 11 in mattress reaches 25 in (Casper, Amerisleep).

How much room a queen bed needs

Leave at least 24 in (61 cm) of clear floor on both sides and at the foot of the bed. That is the Sleep Foundation's rule (Sleep Foundation). Nectar gives the same 24 in, plus 36 in or more where you open doors or drawers (Nectar).

With the head against a wall, that rule gives a minimum floor area of 108 × 104 in (9 ft × 8 ft 8 in): 60 in of mattress plus 24 in a side, and 80 in plus 24 in at the foot. Add a few inches for the frame. That is why makers name 10 × 10 ft (305 × 305 cm) as the smallest comfortable room. Casper says a queen fits best in a room at least 10 × 10 ft (Casper), Nectar recommends the same minimum, and Sealy gives 10 × 10 to 10 × 14 ft (Sealy).

A king is a different story. At 76 in wide it needs 124 in (10 ft 4 in) of wall to keep 24 in on each side, so a 10 ft wide room leaves only 22 in a side. Casper puts the king at 12 × 12 ft.

A bedroom also needs an emergency escape window and a door you can carry the mattress through. See egress window size and interior door sizes.

How to measure a mattress

1. Strip the bed to the bare mattress. Sheets, pads and toppers add size (Zoma).
2. Measure the width side to side across the middle. The middle is the widest point of most mattresses.
3. Measure the length head to foot, again down the middle.
4. Measure the height from the bottom edge to the highest point of the top. For sheets, measure with the topper on.
5. Match it to the chart. Within about 1 in of 60 × 80 in is a queen; 54 × 75 in is a full, 76 × 80 in a king and 72 × 84 in a California king. Real mattresses often run up to 1 in under their nominal size (Casper, Sealy).
6. For room planning, measure the outside of the frame, headboard and footboard included, then add 24 in on each open side for the walkway.

Questions people ask