Small Double bed size (UK)
A UK Small Double mattress is 120 × 190 cm (1200 × 1900 mm), sold as a 4ft bed: 4ft × 6ft 3in. It is the same length as a Double and 15 cm narrower. Which? also calls it a queen-size or three-quarter mattress, though it is much smaller than a US Queen. Shared by two, it gives each person 60 cm.
What we found
Sixty centimetres each is narrower than a Small Single
Two people on a Small Double get 60 cm each, 15 cm less than the width of a Small Single (75 cm) and 30 cm less than a Single. Which? puts it plainly: two adults will find it "pretty snug", but it suits a small bedroom, or one sleeper who likes room to stretch out.
The word "queen" means different sizes in the UK and the US. Which? uses "queen-size" for the 120 × 190 cm Small Double; a US Queen is 152.4 × 203.2 cm, 32.4 cm wider and 13.2 cm longer. Frame lengths also vary: IKEA UK says its 120 × 190 cm mattress suits both its Small Double frame and a 120 × 200 cm frame, although that frame is designed for a mattress 10 cm longer.
Which? and IKEA UK were read on 25 September 2026.
Small Double size in cm, mm, metres, feet and inches
| Unit | Width | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centimetres (label) | 120 cm | 190 cm | Which?, NBF, IKEA UK |
| Millimetres | 1200 mm | 1900 mm | Our conversion |
| Metres | 1.2 m | 1.9 m | Our conversion |
| Imperial size name | 4 ft | 6 ft 3 in | Which? ("approximately") |
| Imperial name, converted exactly | 121.9 cm | 190.5 cm | Our conversion |
| Inches (exact, from the cm label) | 47.2 in | 74.8 in | Our conversion |
| Inches as IKEA UK prints them | 47 in | 75 in | IKEA UK |
Metric size and imperial name: Which? and the NBF buyer's guide, checked 2026-09-24; IKEA UK read on 2026-09-25. In feet and inches, 120 × 190 cm is 3 ft 11¼ in × 6 ft 2¾ in. The surface is 2.28 m² (24.5 sq ft).
The Small Double among the other UK sizes, to scale
Room size for a Small Double
| Layout | Mattress only (120 × 190 cm) |
|---|---|
| Both sides and the foot750 mm each; Approved Document M 2.25b asks this in a home's principal bedroom | 2.70 m × 2.65 m7.16 m²; 8 ft 10¼ in × 8 ft 8⅜ in |
| One side and the foot750 mm each; Approved Document M 2.25c asks this in other double bedrooms | 1.95 m × 2.65 m5.17 m²; 6 ft 4¾ in × 8 ft 8⅜ in |
Walkway zones: Approved Document M, Volume 1, paragraph 2.25 (the optional M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard for new homes in England), read on 2026-09-25. Which? gives a similar consumer figure: at least 2ft 6in (76 cm) at the sides and foot. We work out each room size by adding 750 mm to the bed width for each open side and 750 mm to its length for the zone at the foot.
For comparison, the government's nationally described space standard sets the smallest double (two-person) bedroom in a new home at 11.5 m², at least 2.75 m wide (2.55 m for any further double bedroom). The Small Double and its walkway zones account for 7.16 m² of that, leaving about 4.3 m² in area terms; whether a wardrobe, drawers and the door swing fit depends on the room's shape.
Who a Small Double fits
- Length. The National Bed Federation says a bed should be 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) longer than the tallest person in it. At 190 cm (6 ft 2¾ in), that puts the tallest comfortable sleeper at about 175 to 180 cm (5 ft 9 in to 5 ft 11 in).
- Width for two. Split down the middle, each of two sleepers gets 60 cm (23.6 in).
For one sleeper, a Small Double gives 30 cm more width than a Single in the same 190 cm length. For two sleepers, a Double adds 7.5 cm per person; a King adds 15 cm per person and 10 cm of length.
Sheets and duvet for a Small Double
Which? lists bedding for Single, Double, King and Super King beds, but not for the Small Double. A fitted sheet has to be made for 120 × 190 cm: a Double fitted sheet is 15 cm too wide. For the duvet, here is how the two nearest sizes Which? lists sit on a 120 cm mattress:
| Duvet | Size | Overhang each side (120 cm bed) |
|---|---|---|
| Single duvet | 135 × 200 cm | 7.5 cm |
| Double duvet | 200 × 200 cm | 40 cm |
Duvet sizes: Which? bed, sheet and duvet sizes, read on 2026-09-25. The overhang is our arithmetic. Pocket depth: fitted sheet pocket depth.
Small Double vs Double
| Measure | Small Double | Double | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 47.2 in120.0 cm | 53.1 in135.0 cm | +5.9 in+15.0 cm |
| Length | 74.8 in190.0 cm | 74.8 in190.0 cm | ±0 in±0.0 cm |
| Area | 3,534 sq in24.5 sq ft | 3,976 sq in27.6 sq ft | +442 sq in+12.5% |
| Area (m²) | 2.28 m² | 2.57 m² | +0.29 m² |
| Per person, two sharing | 23.6 in | 26.6 in | +3 in |
Both sizes: Which? and the NBF, checked 2026-09-24. See UK Double bed size and, one size down, UK Single bed size.
The Small Double in other countries
None of the US or French sizes in our sources matches it. The nearest US size is the Full, 17.2 cm wider; the US Queen, whose name Which? also uses for the Small Double, is 152.4 × 203.2 cm. See Queen bed dimensions.
| Market and name | Size | Compared with the Small Double |
|---|---|---|
| US Full | 137.2 × 190.5 cm54 × 75 in | 17.2 cm (6.8 in) wider, 0.5 cm (0.2 in) longer |
| French Double 140 × 190 | 140 × 190 cm55.1 × 74.8 in | 20 cm (7.9 in) wider, same length |
| US Twin | 99.1 × 190.5 cm39 × 75 in | 20.9 cm (8.2 in) narrower, 0.5 cm (0.2 in) longer |
Common questions
Is 120 × 190 cm a Small Double?
Yes. Which?, the NBF and IKEA UK all give the Small Double as 120 × 190 cm.
Is a Small Double big enough for two adults?
Each gets 60 cm. Which? calls it "pretty snug" for two adults.
What is a 4ft bed called? And a 4ft 6in bed?
A 4ft bed is a Small Double. A 4ft 6in bed is a Double, 135 × 190 cm; see UK Double bed size.
Sources
- Target mattress size chart
- Which? UK mattress size guide
- National Bed Federation bed buyer's guide
- IKEA UK mattress size guide
- Which? bed, sheet and duvet sizes table
- National Bed Federation buyer's guide: "Size matters"
- Approved Document M, Volume 1 (2015, 2016 amendments), paragraph 2.25
- Technical housing standards: nationally described space standard (2015)
- 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.