According to Market Watch, the global mattress market was worth over $28 billion last year. By 2024, it’s expected to be worth over $43 billion!
Getting the right mattress is much more important than many people realize.
Because we don’t remember the majority of the time we spend on our mattresses, we underestimate what a big part they play in our lives.
If you think about it, your mattress is the number one thing you spend the most time on.
You’re on a mattress around 8 hours a day, every day, for your entire life! If you get your mattress wrong, then you’ll spend close to a third of your life in an uncomfortable place.
Part of getting the right bed for you is finding the right type of mattress and making sure your bedding is as suitable as possible.
Another big part is making sure your mattress is the right size.
A nice, large mattress you can spread out on is a joy that will pay off, over and over again, day after day.
And you’re probably thinking, what’s bigger than a california king mattress, because I want that!
But consider this:
A mattress that takes up too much space in your room can be an inconvenience you pay for every day.
If there’s one thing you might want to splurge some extra money on, it’s your mattress.
Once you realize that you use it more than almost anything, it’s important to give it the attention it deserves.
We have a full guide on bed sizes in order from smallest to largest. Or you can read on to learn some basics about mattress sizes, from crib to king bed and beyond!
Crib
Crib mattresses, naturally, are for infants and toddlers. They measure 27 inches wide and 52 inches long. That means they can work for children all the way up until they’re close to four feet tall.
Crib mattresses are notable for more than just their size.
Infants don’t have the muscular development and awareness to make sure that they can always breathe. If they press their faces into a soft mattress, they might not be able to get enough air.
For this reason, crib mattresses are designed to be firmer than other mattress sizes.
Crib mattresses sometimes have other unique features, top, like surfaces that are easier to clean. They are also sometimes made of lighter material than other mattresses.
Twin
Twin mattresses are a big step up in size from crib mattresses. They measure 39 inches wide and 75 inches long, making them longer than 6 feet.
Despite their name, they are usually used for one person to sleep on, usually a child or adolescent.
Since they are over 6 feet long, a twin mattress can be suitable even for many adults.
Twin mattresses are thinner than most other mattresses. In fact, it is from their thinness that they get their name.
Twin mattresses can easily be placed side by side as a pair so that siblings can share a room.
Twin XL
A twin XL mattress is only slightly bigger than a twin. It’s a great choice for adolescents that grow fairly tall and need a bed longer than 75 inches.
Twin XL mattresses measure 39 inches wide, like the twin mattress, but 80 inches long, 5 inches longer than the twin.
These beds are also the usual size for college dorm rooms.
Their compact widths allow them to fit easily into dorm rooms, while their longer lengths can accommodate almost any fully grown adult.
Full
There’s a reason that smaller mattresses are used from childhood through college.
If you’re going to be switching to a different mattress or a different place to live in just a few years, it might not be worth investing as much in your bed.
Once you’re ready to settle down, though, it’s time to make sure that your bed is as comfortable as possible. You want a mattress that can make every night of your life just that little much better.
A full mattress is the standard size for an adult who sleeps alone. It measures 54 inches wide, allowing you to really spread out.
It is 75 inches long, which is actually shorter than the twin XL. If you’re unusually tall, you might need another option.
At 54 inches wide, a full mattress can potentially fit couples as well. For full comfort, though, a larger size will be better.
Queen
A queen sized mattress is one of the two standard choices for couples. It measures 60 inches wide and 80 inches long.
While in theory, the bigger the mattress the better for couples, you also have to make sure your mattress doesn’t take up too much space in your room.
A queen size mattress is a great compromise between being big enough for a couple and small enough to leave space in the rest of the room.
California King
Some people think of California king, or cal king mattress as the largest mattress available.
The cal king’s bed dimensions measure 72 inches wide and 84 inches long. It is the ideal choice if one or both members of a couple are unusually tall.
However, the cal king is actually slightly smaller than the king size mattress!
King Bed
Ok, here you go – what’s bigger than a california king? Here’s your answer…
A king bedroom set mattress measures 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. That makes it a little bit shorter and a little bit wider than the cal king.
If you take the total area of the mattresses, then the king mattress provides slightly more total resting space. Especially if neither partner is six and a half feet tall, the king size mattress can be the ideal choice as the king bed width provides the absolute maximum of horizontal space.
Depending on the exact dimensions of your room, the squarer king bed frame can fit better than the longer cal king bed set.
Now that you know the features of the king vs california king bedroom sets, you can make the choice that’s best for your room. Measure your room’s dimensions and decide if a longer or a wider bed will fit better.
Find the Right Mattress for You
We hope you learned something helpful about king beds and other sizes of mattresses in this piece.
To learn more about all kinds of home decor that can improve your life, check out our other pages.