By Robert Schielmann

Before you begin to shop for a new mattress you may have to do some measuring to find out exactly what kind of space you are working with. Mattress measurements are an important factor when buying a bed. Sure, everyone might love to have a king sized bed but that certainly does not mean it will fit in your room. Sometimes a king sized bed will fit, if you put all of your other furniture in the closet but you normally would not want to do that. Mattress measurements are fairly standard with very little variation.

Standard twins are usually 39×75, twin XL which is extra long is normally 39×80, and full size beds are just about 54×75. Notice the patter, unless you get a special XL mattress it is likely that your mattress will measure 75 inches in length, which is standard. Extra length might not be required if you are 6 foot tall or under, however if you are over 6 feet, plan on your feet hanging off of the bed unless you advance to the XL size.

Queen size beds are 60×80 so you do get an extra 5 inches there which means that you are comfortably safe if you are under 6 ½ feet tall. The majority of people are so there is a bit more safety in that measure. Now for the king size beds, a standard king is 78×80 but a California King is 72×84. Now that is a bed! Minus the frame, headboard, or foot board you will have to use a 6 foot by 7 foot area just to fit the bed. That’s a pretty large area, especially if you factor in a nightstand, dresser, and a chest of drawers.

You will have to have correct measurements for your mattress so when you decide to buy the linens for it; you can select the right size. Standard king size sheets will not fit on a California king nor will standard twin sheets fit on a twin XL. You have to measure the thickness of the mattress as well as the length and width. If you do not then when you buy comforters and other accessories, they cover the mattress and hang down low enough. Many times the mattress measurements are converted into metrics which can be a bit intimidating but really are not that difficult. 1 inch = 2.54centimeters, 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters, and 1 meter = 39.37 inches. There is a little something for you to work with when you are measuring your mattresses.