Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
Single mattresses
A UK single mattress is 90 x 190 cm (3ft x 6ft3), the size most children's beds, bunk beds and guest beds take. Choose memory foam or pocket sprung, with firmness shown from 1 to 10 on every mattress page.
Read our buying guide
90 x 190 cm drawn to scale
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Made in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
- Fits bunk bedsMade in Britain
What size is a single mattress?
A UK single mattress is 90 cm wide and 190 cm long, or 3ft x 6ft3. It's what most people mean by a 3ft bed, and the size most UK bunk beds are built for.
| Size | Centimetres | Feet |
|---|---|---|
| Small single | 75 x 190 cm | 2ft6 x 6ft3 |
| Single | 90 x 190 cm | 3ft x 6ft3 |
| Short single (some brands) | 90 x 175 cm | 3ft x 5ft9 |
| European single | 90 x 200 cm | 3ft x 6ft6 |
| Large single (rare) | 107 x 190 cm | 3ft6 x 6ft3 |
A single won't go into a 2ft6 frame, and in a 3ft6 large single frame it leaves a 17 cm gap down the side. If your bed is 75 cm wide, you need one of our small single mattresses instead.
UK single or European single: what's the difference?
A UK single is 90 x 190 cm and a European single is 90 x 200 cm, so they're the same width but the European single is 10 cm longer. Which one you need depends on the bed frame.
Many beds from IKEA and other European brands take a 90 x 200 cm mattress, though not all of them, so measure before you order. A UK single leaves a 10 cm gap at the foot of a European frame, and a European single won't fit a UK one. If your frame does take 200 cm, the extra length helps anyone over about 175 to 180 cm tall. See European single mattresses.
How deep should a single mattress be?
A single mattress on an ordinary bed frame or divan is usually about 18 to 25 cm deep, but on a bunk bed, cabin bed or high sleeper it must sit at or below the maximum mattress line marked on the bed.
| Where the single is going | Depth to look for |
|---|---|
| Standard frame or divan | About 18 to 25 cm |
| Bunk bed, cabin bed or high sleeper | At or below the line, often up to 15 to 16 cm |
| Trundle drawer | Whatever fits and still closes, often 10 to 15 cm |
| Heavier adult on a standard frame | Often deep, 25 cm and over |
That line is there for safety. Under BS EN 747 it keeps the guard rail at least 16 cm above the top of the mattress, and a topper counts towards the depth. Our bunk bed mattresses page explains where to find the line.
How do I choose a single mattress for a child or an adult?
For a child, choose a supportive medium to medium-firm single, 5 to 8 on our 1 to 10 scale; for an adult, choose firmness by sleep position and build.
- For a child: foam is light enough to lift when you change the sheets on a high sleeper, and it usually arrives rolled. Pocket springs let air move through, which helps children and teenagers who sleep warm. Very firm mattresses often feel hard to a light body, and a removable washable cover or a waterproof protector makes accidents easier to deal with. See kids single mattresses.
- For an adult: go softer if you sleep on your side and firmer if you sleep on your front. Heavier adults usually need firmer support and a deeper mattress.
Compare single memory foam mattresses, which mould to the body and stay quiet, with single pocket sprung mattresses, which are springier and more breathable.
Is a single mattress big enough for an adult?
A single mattress is big enough for one adult up to about 175 to 180 cm tall. At 90 cm wide, it gives the same width each person gets on a super king, and more than either person gets when two share a double (67.5 cm each).
Taller adults are better on a European single, 10 cm longer, if the frame takes one. Two UK singles pushed together make 180 x 190 cm, 10 cm shorter than a super king, which works in a guest room but won't take super king sheets neatly.
Not sure whether your bed takes a UK or a European single? The length of the frame tells you: 190 cm or 200 cm. If it's something else, send us the measurements and we'll let you know what we have that fits.
Single mattresses: your questions answered
Can't see your question? Ask us and we'll get back to you.
What size is a single mattress in inches?
A UK single mattress is 3ft x 6ft3, which is 36 x 75 inches. Mattresses are made to centimetre sizes, though, and 90 x 190 cm is just under 36 x 75 inches. If you're comparing with a bed or bedding sold in inches, check the centimetre measurements before you order.
Will a single mattress fit a bunk bed?
Most UK bunk beds take a single mattress (90 x 190 cm), though bunks from European brands often take a 90 x 200 cm European single instead. On the top bunk, check the maximum mattress line too: a standard single, usually 18 to 25 cm deep, often sits too high, so choose a slimmer mattress.
Is a single the same as a twin mattress?
Not quite. In the UK, twin usually describes a room with two single beds rather than a mattress size. An American twin mattress is about 97 x 191 cm, roughly 7 cm wider than a UK single (90 x 190 cm), so American twin bedding will be loose on a UK single bed.
What sheets and duvet fit a single bed?
A UK single bed takes single fitted sheets (90 x 190 cm) with a pocket deeper than the mattress, and a single duvet, which is 135 x 200 cm. A European single needs fitted sheets made for 90 x 200 cm, because UK single sheets are 10 cm too short to fit it properly.
How long does a single mattress last?
A single mattress used by an adult typically lasts around 7 to 10 years. Replace a single sooner if it sags, has lumps or you can feel the springs. Rotating a new single head to toe every few weeks for the first three months, then every three months, helps it wear evenly.
Is a single mattress big enough for a teenager?
A single mattress suits a teenager up to about 175 to 180 cm tall, because it's 190 cm long. Taller teenagers are better on a 90 x 200 cm European single if the frame allows, and teenagers who want more width can move up to a small double (120 x 190 cm).
Will a single mattress fit a 3ft bed?
Yes. A 3ft bed is a UK single, so it takes a 90 x 190 cm mattress. Some 3ft beds from European brands are 200 cm long, and some compact children's beds are 175 cm long, so measure the length of the frame as well as the width before you order.
How is a single mattress delivered?
A single mattress arrives either rolled, compressed in a box, or flat and fully wrapped, and each mattress page says which. A rolled single is easy to carry up to a child's bedroom and reaches full shape within 24 to 72 hours. Next working day delivery is available on most of our mattresses.
Not sure which mattress?
Tell us about your bed and how you sleep, and we'll suggest a few that fit.