Added value

The bed size guide

Two numbers decide a bed: the mattress you own and the wall the headboard stands against. Everything below is counted from what we publish on each frame.

Start with the mattress you already own. A twin needs a twin frame, a full needs a full frame, and a California king needs a California king frame. The frame should match without overhang or gaps. We build the bed around that first.

Then look at the wall. A low headboard suits a room with a window or a short wall. A tall one anchors a high ceiling and gives you a place to lean. We publish headboard height on every frame where it matters, so you can measure before you commit. If the wall is low, a tall wingback will fight the room.

Two details change the footprint. A wingback headboard is wider than the mattress size suggests, because the wings flare out to the sides. A footboard adds length at the foot, and you will walk around it every day. If your space is tight, keep the frame simple. If the room can carry it, a wingback or a footboard can make the bed feel like a room of its own.

Widths and lengths are the median of what we publish for each size, frame edge to frame edge, not the mattress.
Mattress sizeFrames we makeTypical frame widthTypical frame lengthFrom
Twin1642.1″79.1″$149.99
Full2858″79.1″$179.98
Queen6464.6″84.6″$179.99
King6180″84.3″$199.99
California King1576.8″87″$269.99

A frame is wider than its mattress by the thickness of two side rails and, on a wingback, by the wings. A queen mattress is 60 by 80 inches, the median queen frame we publish is in the table above, and the difference is the margin you need at the sides. Length works the same way: a footboard adds inches you will walk around every night.

Headboard height is measured from the floor, not from the mattress. A 65″ headboard on a wall with an 8 ft ceiling leaves a hand's width above it. A window sill at 30 inches sits behind any headboard we make.

A wingback frame: the wings add width the mattress size does not show.
A wingback frame: the wings add width the mattress size does not show.
Counted across the 75 frames whose headboard height we publish.
Headboard heightWhat it coversFramesFabrics in the band
40″ to 52″Below the window sill36Velvet, Corduroy
52″ to 60″Shoulder of a standing adult16Velvet
60″ to 70″Eye level and above23Velvet, Faux fur

The six numbers to write down

The order we would take them in.
#MeasureWhy it decides
1Mattress size and thicknessA thin mattress feels the slats, a thick one hides a low headboard
2Wall width where the headboard standsWings and side tables need their own inches
3Ceiling heightOur tallest headboard stands 65
4Walking space at the foot and sidesA footboard adds to the length you walk around
5The door and the stairsHeadboards arrive in one piece and have to turn the corner
6Where the outlet is43 frames bring their own charging, on a cord

The long read on choosing a frame