Twin bed dimensions and mattress size
A Twin mattress is 75 in long (190.5 cm, 6 ft 3 in) and, depending on the source, 39 in or 38 in wide: 99.1 or 96.5 cm (3 ft 3 in or 3 ft 2 in). Target publishes 39 × 75 in; Sleep Foundation publishes 38 × 75 in. In the US a Twin is also called a Single. A Twin XL is the same width and 5 inches longer, at 80 in.
What we found
The two IKEA Twin frames we checked are designed for mattresses near 38 inches wide
Two current US references disagree on the width, and we keep both. The frames we checked lean towards the narrower figure: IKEA says its MALM Twin frame takes a 38 × 74½ in mattress and its TARVA Twin frame takes a 38¼ × 74⅜ in mattress. A mattress made to Target's 39 × 75 in would be about an inch wider than the mattress width specified for either frame. Measure the inside of the frame before buying a Twin mattress for it.
Frame figures read from IKEA US on 24 September 2026.
Counted across the 16 published pages that print a US Twin (read on 30 September 2026), 13 give 38 in wide and 2 give 39 in; every page is listed on Mattress size disagreements.
Twin bed dimensions in inches, cm and feet
| Unit | Width | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inches | 39 in | 75 in | Target |
| Inches, second source | 38 in | 75 in | Sleep Foundation |
| Centimetres | 99.1 cm | 190.5 cm | Our conversion |
| Feet and inches | 3 ft 3 in | 6 ft 3 in | Our conversion |
| Metres | 0.991 m | 1.905 m | Our conversion |
First row: Target mattress size chart; second row: Sleep Foundation twin guide, both checked 2026-09-24. The other rows convert Target's figure, rounded as shown; with the 38 in figure, the width is 96.5 cm, 3 ft 2 in or 0.965 m.
Room for one Twin, or two in a shared room
A Twin usually goes along a wall. That way, with a 30-inch walkway at the open side and the foot, the mattress needs floor space of 5 ft 9 in × 8 ft 9 in; with walkways on both sides, 8 ft 3 in × 8 ft 9 in.
For two Twins in one room, each pushed against a side wall with a 30-inch walkway between them, the wall behind the headboards needs 108 in (9 ft) on Target's 39 in width or 106 in (8 ft 10 in) on the 38 in figure, and the room needs 105 in (8 ft 9 in) the other way. Those sums are mattress only; a frame adds its own margin, shown for one bed in the second column below.
| Layout | Mattress only (39 × 75 in) | On the IKEA MALM bed frame (44⅛ × 78⅜ in) |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway on both sides and at the foot30 in (76 cm) on both long sides and at the foot | 8 ft 3 in × 8 ft 9 in2.52 m × 2.67 m, 6.71 m² (72.2 sq ft) | 8 ft 8⅛ in × 9 ft ⅜ in2.65 m × 2.75 m, 7.28 m² (78.4 sq ft) |
| One long side against a wall30 in (76 cm) on one long side and at the foot | 5 ft 9 in × 8 ft 9 in1.75 m × 2.67 m, 4.67 m² (50.3 sq ft) | 6 ft 2⅛ in × 9 ft ⅜ in1.88 m × 2.75 m, 5.18 m² (55.8 sq ft) |
Walkway: 30 in, from Which? (2ft 6in) and the 2010 ADA Standards (305.3 and 806.2.3). For this Twin with both sides open, that is 39 + 30 + 30 = 99 in wide and 75 + 30 = 105 in long, or 8 ft 3 in × 8 ft 9 in.
Twin sheets, comforters and frames
| Item | Size | What it means for this bed |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted sheet | 39 × 75 in | Sold under the same size name as the mattress. Check the mattress's stated size and the pocket depth. See fitted sheet pocket depth. |
| Comforter | 66 to 68 × 86 to 90 in | Hangs 13.5 to 14.5 in over each side of a 39 in mattress (14 to 15 in on a 38 in one). A side is covered only if the overhang is at least the mattress depth. |
Comforter range: Sleep Foundation comforter sizes, read on 2026-09-25; the overhang is our arithmetic. Parachute sells one Twin/Twin XL duvet cover for both sizes. Twin fitted sheets are 5 in too short for a Twin XL.
| Frame | Floor footprint | Mattress it states | Beyond a 39 × 75 in mattress |
|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA MALM bed frame, high, whitechecked 2026-09-24 | 44⅛ × 78⅜ in | 38 × 74½ in | +5.1 in wide, +3.4 in long |
| IKEA TARVA bed frame, pinechecked 2026-09-24 | 41⅜ × 78⅜ in | 38¼ × 74⅜ in | +2.4 in wide, +3.4 in long |
When a Twin is too short: Twin XL dimensions
The National Bed Federation advises a bed 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) longer than its tallest sleeper. On a 75 in Twin that means sleepers up to about 5 ft 9 in to 5 ft 11 in; above that, the extra length of a Twin XL matters more than width.
A Twin XL is 39 × 80 in on Target's chart and 38 × 80 in on Sleep Foundation's: 99.1 × 203.2 cm or 96.5 × 203.2 cm (3 ft 3 in × 6 ft 8 in or 3 ft 2 in × 6 ft 8 in). It combines a Queen's length with a Twin's width, which raises the NBF limit to about 6 ft 2 in to 6 ft 4 in (188 to 193 cm). Sleep Foundation lists the Twin XL comforter as 68 in wide and 86 to 90 in long. Drawn to scale against the Twin: Twin vs Twin XL. Every unit, room size and dorm size: Twin XL dimensions.
| Measure | Twin | Twin XL | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 39 in99.1 cm | 39 in99.1 cm | ±0 in±0.0 cm |
| Length | 75 in190.5 cm | 80 in203.2 cm | +5 in+12.7 cm |
| Area | 2,925 sq in20.3 sq ft | 3,120 sq in21.7 sq ft | +195 sq in+6.7% |
| Area (m²) | 1.89 m² | 2.01 m² | +0.12 m² |
Is a Twin the same as a Single?
In the US, yes: Sleep Foundation says Single and Twin mean the same thing. A UK Single is a different bed: 90 × 190 cm, 9.1 cm narrower than Target's Twin (6.5 cm narrower than Sleep Foundation's) and 0.5 cm shorter. A UK Single fitted sheet, listed by Which? at 90 × 190 cm, is cut for the narrower bed.
| Measure | UK Single | US Twin | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 35.4 in90.0 cm | 39 in99.1 cm | +3.6 in+9.1 cm |
| Length | 74.8 in190.0 cm | 75 in190.5 cm | +0.2 in+0.5 cm |
| Area | 2,651 sq in18.4 sq ft | 2,925 sq in20.3 sq ft | +274 sq in+10.4% |
| Area (m²) | 1.71 m² | 1.89 m² | +0.18 m² |
UK Single: Which? and the NBF; US Twin: Target. Both checked 2026-09-24. See UK Single bed size; for the next US size up, see Full size bed dimensions.
| Market and name | Size | Compared with the Twin |
|---|---|---|
| French Single 90 × 190 | 90 × 190 cm35.4 × 74.8 in | 9.1 cm (3.6 in) narrower, 0.5 cm (0.2 in) shorter |
| UK Single | 90 × 190 cm35.4 × 74.8 in | 9.1 cm (3.6 in) narrower, 0.5 cm (0.2 in) shorter |
| French Single 90 × 200 | 90 × 200 cm35.4 × 78.7 in | 9.1 cm (3.6 in) narrower, 9.5 cm (3.7 in) longer |
Common questions
How big is a Twin bed in feet and metres?
3 ft 3 in × 6 ft 3 in (0.991 × 1.905 m) on Target's 39 in width; 3 ft 2 in wide on the 38 in figure.
How does a Twin compare with a Full?
Same 75 in length; a Full is 54 in wide, 15 or 16 in wider. See Full size bed dimensions.
Can two Twin beds make a King?
Two Twins are 75 in long, 5 in shorter than a King. Two Twin XLs make 76 × 80 in only at 38 in each; see King size bed dimensions.
Sources
- Target mattress size chart
- Sleep Foundation twin size guide
- Sleep Foundation single vs twin
- Sleep Foundation comforter sizes
- Parachute percale duvet cover (size options)
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (305.3, 806.2.3)
- Which? bed, sheet and duvet sizes table
- National Bed Federation buyer's guide: "Size matters"
- Which? UK mattress size guide
- National Bed Federation bed buyer's guide
- IKEA France size guide
Sources are grouped by the market they are written for. Each figure was checked against its source on the date shown.