Bed Sizes: European, US and Chinese Standards

A bed is one of the rare furniture items where a size mix-up turns into a purely practical problem, not just an aesthetic one: ready-made bedding won’t fit the mattress, the bed can’t clear a stairwell during delivery, or “King” on a factory listing turns out to mean a completely different size than expected. Europe, the UK, the US and China each run their own sizing system, and the same label means different centimeters in each. Here’s what bed sizes exist by region, how a frame relates to its mattress, and what to lock into the spec when ordering from China.

Why you can’t order a bed “by size name”

Single, Double, Queen, King — these are trade labels, not one international standard. A UK King (150×200 cm) is nearly 30 cm narrower than a US King (193×203 cm), and a factory selling into China’s domestic market may mean 180×220 cm by the same word. Ordering “a King bed, like in the photo” without centimeters is a common reason ready-made bedding or a mattress from a different supplier doesn’t fit on arrival. A contract and a drawing need only the dimension in centimeters with a tolerance (usually ±1–2 cm) — the size label is at best a rough reference.

Size chart: Europe, UK, US, China

These figures are mattress (sleeping surface) dimensions, not the frame’s outer footprint. The gap between the US and European “double” size runs up to 8 cm in width at nearly the same length — sourcing bedding or a mattress separately from the frame across borders turns that gap into a real defect at receiving.

China’s domestic market vs. export sizing

By default, Chinese factories cut frames and mattresses to their own domestic market — most often 150×200 or 180×200 cm, with 180×220 cm at the more premium end. None of that lines up with the European, US or UK size grids, and without an explicit spec the factory will ship the “home market” standard by default — the same issue applies to mattresses, which get cut for the local market absent an export spec too.

For a rental property project (Thailand, Bali, UAE), what matters is not factory convenience but what bedding local linen suppliers at the property’s location actually sell. If the local market runs on European/UK-style sizing (160×200, 180×200 cm) but the beds were ordered to China’s domestic standard (180×220 cm), ready-made linen sets simply won’t fit the mattress — bedding has to be custom-sewn instead, which breaks the economics of outfitting a villa or hotel.

Frame size, headboard, and overall height

A mattress size and a frame’s internal sleeping area aren’t the same measurement:

• A simple leg frame. Internal footprint equals the mattress size plus a 1–2 cm tolerance for easy fitting.
• An upholstered frame with a raised rail. Outer footprint runs 10–20 cm larger than the mattress depending on padding thickness — factor this in when checking the bed will clear doors, elevators and stairwells on-site.
• A frame with a lift mechanism (ottoman base). Adds height for the storage box under the mattress and needs clearance to open the lid fully — at least 60–70 cm above the bed.
• Headboard. Standard height from the floor is 100–120 cm; hotel-style, more imposing headboards run 140–150 cm. Headboard height is specified separately from the sleeping surface size.

Mattress thickness and firmness class

Mattress thickness directly shapes the finished bed height — combined with frame and leg height, it can vary by 10–15 cm between a budget and a premium model at the same sleeping-surface size:

For a full breakdown of constructions, fill density and firmness, see “How to Choose a Mattress”; mattress and frame dimensions should be locked into one spec to avoid a gap or a tight fit at receiving.

Mattress packaging: roll-pack vs. rigid

Factories can vacuum-compress foam and some hybrid mattresses into a compact roll (roll-pack) right at production — it takes up 2–3 times less container volume than rigid packaging and cuts freight cost per shipment. Mattresses with a classic Bonnell spring block or a thick latex layer can’t be rolled — they ship flat in a rigid box, never stacked on edge. For a bulk order for a hotel or residential project, confirm the packaging type at the model-selection stage: it directly affects FCL container volume and the resulting logistics, covered in more detail in ordering furniture from China.

What to lock into the spec when ordering a bed from China

• Sleeping surface size in centimeters with a ±1–2 cm tolerance — never the label (Queen, King) alone.
• The frame’s internal sleeping area as a separate figure from the mattress size, especially for upholstered models with a raised rail.
• Headboard height from the floor and the overall assembled bed height (frame + mattress + legs).
• Compatibility with local bedding — check the size against what linen suppliers actually sell in the property’s country before the drawing goes to production.
• Mattress packaging type (roll-pack or rigid) — needed to calculate container volume for a bulk order.

For contract properties — hotels, rental apartments, HoReCa — size requirements are joined by upholstery durability and certification requirements, covered in contract furniture for HoReCa.

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Ordering beds for an apartment, villa or hotel and not sure which size matches local bedding? Send us the floor plan or room list — we’ll lock frame and mattress dimensions into the spec, source a factory in Foshan, and quote delivery. Dream View’s fixed commission is 10% of order value. More on the China sourcing agent services page.