Updated : November 28, 2025
Published : June 21, 2016
Guides

Big furniture purchases don’t happen regularly, so we’ve put together this handy guide to help you measure up the space for a new bed.

You’ll need to think about where your new bed will live, followed by how you’re going to manoeuvre it up the stairs and through tight corridors and doorways to get it there.

In this blog post, you will learn how to measure the space for your new bed and how to work out whether you’ve got enough room to access your bedroom.

Will my bed fit in my room?

We spend almost a third of our lives in bed, so it’s no surprise that people want the biggest bed they can fit into their space. Before you commit to that king-sized bed you’ve had your eye on, measure the space in your bedroom.

Be mindful that when you look at a big bed in a showroom with high ceilings, it can look deceptively small. Before you visit our showroom, write down the dimensions from our website and measure out this space in your bedroom.

Top tip: mark out the size of the bed on your floor using masking tape to visualise the space.

Ideally, you should have at least 50cm on either side of the bed. However, if the space is tight, you could reduce this to 30cm on one side (or both if you have to!).

Top tip: ensure you can still open and close any doors without them bumping into the bed.

Don’t panic if your space isn’t built yet! Send through a floor plan, and one of our team will look at it for you.

Our storage beds are available in standard British and Continental sizes. We make the frames as small as possible and as close to the mattress size as we can.

Bed measurement guide (UK)

In the table below, you’ll find the dimension for every size bed we sell at Furl. Everything is made to order, so if none of the sizes works for you, contact us. We may be able to make a bespoke frame and mattress to suit.

It’s worth noting that adding a headboard will increase the length of your bed. There are two types of headboards – integrated and non-integrated.

Non-integrated will add nothing more to the size of your bed, but if you decide to go for an integrated headboard, you can expect it to add at least 6cm to the length.

Top tip: if you are trying to save space, or your space is limited, choose a non-integrated headboard or no headboard at all.

Read more on alternatives to headboards in this blog post from the bed experts at Furl.

Measuring access to your room

Once you’ve chosen your new bed, consider whether you have enough access to your bedroom. To simplify things, our storage beds are delivered in sections and assembled on-site by our delivery team.

Nevertheless, measuring all of the access points to the room is still essential, especially if you think your space is tricky to navigate.

Stairwells – How much height do you have? Do you think there will be enough space to manoeuvre the parts around this space?
Doorways – Is the height of your door smaller than the length of your bed? If it is, then make sure you can manoeuvre the item differently.
Other considerations – It is essential to consider any additional factors that may eat into your space, such as light fittings and radiators and any pictures that may need to be taken off the walls during delivery.

Top tip: the largest part of the bed will be half of the mechanism (so half the mattress size) unless you have ordered a headboard, which will be the biggest part. The mechanism is only 4cm deep, and the headboard is usually only 6cm deep.

You may have a spiral staircase or a very low ceiling with a narrow door to enter through. Please feel free to get in touch for reassurance; we have yet to be beaten.

Our delivery team will bring your storage bed into the room, assemble it, and remove all the packaging.

FAQs on bed measurements

How much room do you need on each side of a bed?

You should leave at least 50cm of space on either side of your double bed. If space is at a premium, you can reduce this to 30cm on either one or both sides of your bed.

What size is a single storage bed?

The frame on Furl’s single storage bed is 94cm (width) x 194cm (length). This fits a standard single mattress at 90cm wide x 190cm long.

What size is a double bed?

A standard UK double bed frame from Furl is 135cm x 190cm (W x L). A double continental bed frame is slightly bigger at 144cm x 204cm.

Will a king-size bed fit in my room?

Before you invest in a king-size bed, ensure you’ve got enough room by marking out the space on the floor with masking tape. A king-size bed is 154cm wide x 204cm long.

Consider how much room you’ll have by the sides of the bed and whether you can comfortably open and close doors without them bumping into the bed.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post, you might also like our piece on how to dispose of your old mattress safely and effectively.