What bed size to choose: 90, 140, 160, 180 cm, king size or queen size?

A bed size always refers to the dimensions of the mattress, width then length in centimetres. The frame, base and headboard add 5 to 25 cm in width and up to 30 cm in length: the table below gives, for each format, the actual footprint measured on the beds in The Cool Republic catalogue in September 2026.

Single bed dimensions: 90 x 190 and 90 x 200 cm

The standard single bed measures 90 x 190 cm; the 90 x 200 cm, now the majority among Scandinavian manufacturers, is suitable from 1.75 m onwards. The 80 x 200 cm exists for trundle beds and small bedrooms. Actual footprint: the Senza by Karup Design in 90 cm measures 200 x 90 cm on the floor, the Kona by Ferm Living 207 x 97 cm with its headboard.

Small double bed dimension: 120 x 200 cm

Called 'one and a half', the 120 x 190 or 120 x 200 cm offers 30 cm more than a single bed for one person or a teenager, without the footprint of a double bed. The Ziggy by Karup Design in 120 x 200 cm occupies 205 x 137 cm on the floor with its six storage compartments.

Double bed dimensions: 140, 160 and 180 cm

Three widths for two people. The 140 cm leaves 70 cm per sleeper, less than a single bed: it suits a couple who sleep close together or a guest bedroom. The 160 cm gives 80 cm per person and has become the comfort size. The 180 cm offers 90 cm per person, the equivalent of a single bed each. In length, 190 cm is suitable up to around 1.75 m, 200 cm beyond: allow 20 cm more than the sleeper's height (bedding industry guideline).

Double bed size: 140 x 190 or 160 x 200?

The 140 x 190 cm remains the historic format and the most common in France, practical in a 9 to 10 m² bedroom and for bed linen that's easy to find. The 160 x 200 cm requires an extra 20 cm of width in the bedroom but genuinely transforms sleeping for two; it's the format that couples are moving towards when replacing their bedding.

Standard double bed size: what manufacturers sell

Of the 339 double beds in the catalogue, the frames are almost all available in 140, 160 and 180 x 200 cm, rarely in 190 cm length. A 160 cm frame measures from 156 cm (Kanso base by Karup Design, without edging) to 187 cm wide (Fawn by Gazzda, with thick uprights), and from 200 to 226 cm long depending on the headboard. So check the footprint on the product sheet before measuring the bedroom. All formats are brought together in the beds collection and, for solid wood frames, in the wooden beds.

King size bed dimensions: 180 x 200 or 200 x 200 cm?

In France, king size refers in common retail usage to 180 x 200 cm; some manufacturers call the 200 x 200 cm king size, or king size XL. There is no standard: the term comes from the United States and has been adapted to European sizes. Always check the dimensions in centimetres before buying bed linen.

King size bed dimensions in the United States and United Kingdom

Anglo-Saxon sizes are measured in inches and do not match ours. In the United States, the king measures 76 x 80 inches, approximately 193 x 203 cm, and the California king 72 x 84 inches, or 183 x 213 cm. In the United Kingdom, the king is only 150 x 200 cm (5 feet) and the super king 180 x 200 cm (6 feet).

Queen size: 160 x 200 cm in France, 152 x 203 cm in the United States

The queen size refers in France to 160 x 200 cm. In the United States, the queen measures 60 x 80 inches, approximately 152 x 203 cm; in the United Kingdom, the equivalent is the king at 150 x 200 cm. Between French queen and king, there is a 20 cm difference in width: that's the difference between 80 and 90 cm per sleeper.

Finally, 220 x 240 cm or 240 x 220 cm are not bed sizes but duvet cover sizes for a 140 to 160 cm bed; 260 x 240 cm fits 180 and 200 cm beds. Larger sizes are found in Scandinavian beds.

Bed height: the 50 to 60 cm benchmark

Sleeping height is measured from the floor to the top of the mattress. The standard benchmark is that of a seat: between 50 and 60 cm, you sit on the edge of the bed with your knees at a right angle and get up effortlessly; this is the height recommended for elderly people or those with fragile backs, and the height used in hotels. It is achieved with a bed base or frame of 25 to 36 cm (Kanso by Karup Design 25 cm, Moebe 29 cm, Elton by Bolia 30 cm, Orbit by Karup Design 35 cm) and a mattress of 20 to 25 cm.

Low bed, Japanese bed, futon

A frame of 15 to 20 cm (Senza by Karup Design 15 cm, Japan bed bases 20 cm) with a mattress of 15 to 18 cm gives a sleeping height of 30 to 38 cm: this is the Japanese bed or futon, which visually lightens the room and suits low ceilings and children's bedrooms, at the cost of a slightly more athletic getting up. Low wooden frames are found in Karup Design beds.

A bed is chosen with the bedroom. Interior designers' working guidelines: 60 cm of clearance on each side of the bed for making the bed and moving around, 70 cm if opening a bedside table with a drawer, 90 cm in front of a wardrobe or cupboard to open the doors, and 60 to 100 cm at the foot of the bed depending on whether you walk past it or not.

Add it up: a 160 cm bed whose frame measures 185 cm, plus two 60 cm clearances, requires a 3.05 m wall. A 180 cm bed with a 200 cm frame requires 3.20 m, and 3.50 m with 40 cm bedside tables. Lengthwise, a 210 cm frame, plus 90 cm in front of a cupboard opposite, requires 3 m. The 9 m² bedroom (3 x 3 m) is therefore the limit for a 160; below that, stick to 140 or choose a frameless bed like the Kanso by Karup Design (156 cm for a 160 mattress). Bedside tables are positioned level with the mattress, give or take 5 cm: see the bedside tables.

The ottoman bed

The base lifts on gas struts and frees up the entire volume beneath the mattress: 0.6 to 0.8 m³ of storage for a 160 x 200 cm bed, the equivalent of a wardrobe. The Melu by noo.ma is available in 140, 160 and 180 x 200 cm, in fabric, with a total height of 95 cm including headboard. Allow 20 cm clearance at the foot of the bed for lifting. See the ottoman beds.

The bed with drawers and the storage base

Simpler than an ottoman: two or four castored drawers beneath a slatted base (Kanso by Karup Design, drawers 74 x 64 x 13 cm), or open compartments (Ziggy). You need 60 to 70 cm clearance at the side of the drawers. Moebe's extendable base, in steel, widens from 90 to 180 cm by adding slats: a bed that follows house moves. See the Moebe steel beds.

The solid wood bed

Pine, oak or walnut: the solid wood frame is the most durable and the easiest to repair. Pine (Karup Design) is light and economical, oak (Elton by Bolia, Fawn by Gazzda) denser and more stable, walnut (Streiko by noo.ma) darker. See the wooden beds.

The upholstered bed

Frame and headboard covered in fabric, with removable covers on the best models (Beds by Gervasoni, 160 x 200 cm, 120 cm high): the most comfortable for reading whilst sitting up, the bulkiest in width and the most delicate to maintain with children. See the Scandinavian beds.

A headboard is chosen by width relative to the mattress and by height relative to the desired backrest. In width, it either equals the mattress width (Cassiopée by Madura: 160 cm for a 160 bed) or exceeds it by 10 to 40 cm to encompass the bedside tables (Feng by Bolia: 200 cm for a 160 or 180 bed, Volutes by KOK: 161 cm). In height, the models in the catalogue range from 111 to 145 cm from the floor, i.e. 50 to 90 cm above a mattress positioned at 55 cm: 50 cm is enough to support a pillow, 70 cm and more for reading whilst sitting up.

What size headboard for a 160 bed

Exactly 160 cm for a clean finish and free bedside tables, 180 to 200 cm for a headboard that runs behind the bedside tables and unifies the wall. A reading light or wall light is positioned 20 cm above the mattress, i.e. around 75 to 80 cm from the floor, on the outer side of the pillow. See the headboards.

The mattress takes exactly the size of the bed, never more: a 160 x 200 cm mattress in a 160 x 200 cm frame. In thickness, 10 to 15 cm corresponds to a futon or occasional sleeping, 18 to 22 cm to a standard mattress (EMKO Comfort: 21 cm, pocket springs with 250 springs per m² and 7 zones; HAY mattress: 20 cm, foam with 19 mm memory foam top layer), 25 cm and above to a high-end mattress that raises the sleeping surface accordingly. On a 180 or 200 cm bed, two 90 or 100 cm mattresses allow each person their own firmness and are easier to handle; a mattress topper conceals the join. See the mattresses and the bed linen.

Karup Design (Denmark) is the most widely represented brand in the catalogue: solid pine frames, bed bases with drawers, futons and Japanese beds, in 90, 120, 140, 160 and 180 x 200 cm, with frame heights from 15 to 36 cm. See the Karup Design beds.

Moebe (Denmark) designs a powder-coated steel bed that extends from 90 to 180 cm, with or without slats and integrated bedside tables, with a 29 cm frame height. See the Moebe steel beds.

noo.ma (Lithuania) offers upholstered beds and ottoman beds in fabric, as well as the Streiko in walnut with headboard, in 140 to 180 x 200 cm. See the brand noo.ma.

Bolia (Denmark) produces bed bases and beds in oiled or stained oak from 90 to 180 cm and fabric headboards up to 200 cm wide. See the brand Bolia.

Gazzda (Bosnia) manufactures solid oak frames with thick posts and woven headboards, such as the Fawn in 180 x 200 cm. See the brand Gazzda.

Around them, Ferm Living, Gervasoni, EMKO, Madura and KOK complete the range.

A 9 m² bedroom for a couple

A 3 m wall and a wardrobe door opposite. A 160 × 200 cm fits only with a frame without a rim (Kanso by Karup Design, 156 cm wide) or a slim frame (Orbit, 164 cm), leaving 60 to 70 cm on each side; a 187 cm frame would leave only 56 cm.

A couple of tall builds in a 14 m² bedroom

A 180 × 200 cm with two 90 cm mattresses, different firmnesses, on an oak frame (Fawn by Gazzda, 224 × 187 cm footprint) or an Elton bed base by Bolia (200 × 180 cm). Target sleeping height: 55 to 60 cm, with a 22 to 25 cm mattress on a 30 to 35 cm frame.

A 10 m² teenage bedroom that also serves as a study

A 120 × 200 cm with storage (Ziggy by Karup Design, 205 × 137 cm footprint) frees up 40 cm compared to a double bed and stores spare bedding. Alternative: a low 90 × 200 cm (Senza, 15 cm frame) and a 120 cm desk at the foot of the bed.

A bed frame in solid wood or steel lasts twenty years; it's the mattress that needs changing every eight to ten years, and the slatted base every ten to fifteen years when the slats lose their camber. Tighten the frame's screws once a year: a squeaky bed is almost always a bed whose bolts have come loose. Turn the mattress head to toe with each change of season, and face to face if it's reversible, to distribute the sagging. Air the bedroom every morning, bed unmade, for ten minutes. A natural pine frame is dusted dry and takes a wood oil once a year; an oiled oak is re-oiled every two or three years; an upholstered bed is vacuumed with the brush attachment, and its cover is washed according to the label.

What The Cool Republic orders placed between January and September 2026 show in the Beds collection. Shares are counted by number of orders, not quantities, so that a large purchase does not weigh more than another.

What is ordered most in 2026

• Colours: beige (56%), brown (36%).

The most ordered models since January

• Raw wood bed base 160x200 Japan, Karup Design
• Lacquered pine wood bed base 160x200cm Dock, Karup Design
• Bed base with 2 drawers in natural pine 160x200cm Kanso, Karup Design

• Measure the bedroom against the mattress size: a 160 cm frame measures 156 to 187 cm wide and up to 226 cm long.
• Choose a 190 cm length for someone over 1.75 m tall: the 20 cm margin at the foot is missing.
• Push the bed against a wall to save space in a double bedroom: one sleeper clambers over the other every night.
• Buy an American or British king-size duvet cover for a French 180 cm bed: the dimensions differ by 10 to 15 cm.
• Forget the 20 cm clearance at the foot of an ottoman bed for lifting, and the 60 cm at the side of a bed with drawers.
• Place a 28 cm mattress on a 45 cm frame: a sleeping surface at 73 cm, too high to sit with feet on the floor.
• Confuse 220 x 240 cm, a duvet cover size, with a bed size.