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A few inches isn’t the only difference between a King and a Queen size mattress. Apart from the size, there are also components such as mattress weight, mattress price, and the size of your room (which mattress size is better for your space). Let’s delve into all the details and get you completely informed before making any decisions.
Queen vs King-Size Mattress Differences
Queen and King Bed Dimensions
- Queen – 60″ x 80″
- King – 76″ x 80″
Queen beds are as long as King beds but are narrower by an entire 16 inches. This makes a considerably bigger area for a King mattress – 6,080 square inches as compared to 4,800 square inches for a Queen-size bed.
A Queen is enough for a couple to sleep comfortably or for an individual who likes to take up a lot of space or sleeps with one or more pets.
However, standard King-size beds are the way to go for families because they can host a couple with a small kid or two and a pet. King could also be a choice of a couple where each person likes to sprawl out and who need more space than normal.
Room Size
You can place either a Queen or a King bed in a master bedroom or in any room 10 ft by 12 ft or larger. But the ideal minimum room size for each would be – a 10 x 10 feet room for a Queen bed and a 12 x 12 feet room for a King bed.
A Queen might be a good choice for a guest room if you want to be able to host couples, but a King might be too big for this.
Bed placement
Since both of these sizes are made for couples, it would be ideal to leave at least two feet of space on each between the bed and walls. The idea is to allow enough room for each sleeper to be able to comfortably get up.
Price Comparison – Queen vs King Mattress
When a product is bigger and heavier, it’s more expensive. That’s why Queen mattresses are cheaper than King mattresses – and this isn’t hard to figure out, but how much of a difference are we talking about?
Take a look at this price comparison – we listed affordable mattress brands under $1000 as well as the expensive ones so you can compare how prices between King and Queen mattresses differ.
- Sweet Night Breeze (12″ memory foam with cooling gel): Queen $515, King $599
- The DreamCloud Hybrid: Queen $999, King $1299
- Puffy Mattress (memory foam): Queen $1049, King $1249
- Amerisleep AS3 (all foam): Queen $1,099, King $1399
- Bear Hybrid Mattress: Queen $1,299, King $1599
We can argue that this list, although small, is a good representation of the price difference between these two sizes and that is – King is more expensive by anywhere between $85 and $300.
Here we used memory foam, foam, and hybrid mattresses as an example, but the difference goes for other mattress types as well. However, the price difference between different brands can be much greater than the price difference between the King vs. Queen bed of the same brand.
With this in mind, if you’re on a budget but you know that you need a King mattress, it might be a better choice to look at slightly more affordable brands than to size down just to save a few bucks.
A king is the biggest standard-sized mattress available. If you want to see how a queen stacks up to the smallest mattress size, check out our Twin vs. Queen comparison.
Pros and Cons of King and Queen Mattresses
Queen Mattress Pros
- Less expensive than King-sized beds
- Perfect for couples, guests, and single sleepers
- Fits well in a master bedroom as well as in a guest room
- Works well for the vast majority of sleepers
- Doesn’t take up too much space in a room
Queen Mattress Cons
- It may be too small for couples with kids
- Not large enough for two big individuals
King Mattress Pros
- Excellent for couples and families with kids
- Better motion isolation due to size
- Works great in master bedrooms
- Excellent for sleepers who need more space
- Good choice for couples who like to stretch out
King Mattress Cons
- More expensive than a Queen bed
- Heavier than a Queen and difficult to move
- Too big for guest rooms
- Sheets are more expensive
King vs. Queen: How to Choose?
When choosing the right mattress, the most important thing is to know exactly what you need. To start off, ask yourself these questions.
- How big is your room? Smaller room size works better with a Queen whereas larger rooms can host a King bed without a problem.
- How many sleepers will share the bed? If you’re alone, why would you need a King? But then again, if you have a partner and a large dog, a Queen might be too small for you.
- How strong are you? King beds are huge and heavy. Even Queen beds can be hard to move if you’re petite, let alone changing sheets on a King or even rotating the mattress.
King Mattress and Queen Mattress: Side by Side Comparison
Queen Mattresses
- Dimensions: 60″ width x 80″ height
- Surface area: 4,800 square inches
- Area per person: 30″ x 80″
- Best for: couples who don’t need too much space, individuals who like to sprawl, small bedrooms
- Popularity: Almost a half of all mattresses sold are Queen-size mattresses
King Mattresses
- Dimensions: 76″ width x 80″ height
- Surface area: 6,080 square inches
- Area per person: 38″ x 80″
- Best for: couples who need plenty of space, couples with kids or pets, larger bedrooms
- Popularity: Less than 30% of shoppers buy a King-size mattress
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there is. A California Queen mattress is 84″ long, which is four inches longer than the standard Queen-size mattress (60″ x 80″). They are both 60″ wide.
California King size mattress is 84″ long and 72″ wide. It’s slightly narrower than a standard King bed and four inches longer, making it great for taller sleepers.
California King is a bit longer, but also narrower than a regular King-size bed. However, there are sizes with both dimensions larger than those of a standard King and they are definitely uncommon and may be hard to find sheets for.
– Wyoming King – 84″ x 84″
– Texas King – 80″ x 98″
– Alaskan King – 108″ x 108″
A Split-King mattress is of the exactly same dimensions as a standard King mattress, the only difference being that it consists of two narrow mattresses. In fact, two Twin XL-size mattresses make a Split King.
This is great when two sleepers need different firmness or support levels, or if they want unmatched motion transfer. Some couples choose a Split King because one person wants to use a cooling system, and the other doesn’t.
You can do that and it will fit well in the head and leg area, but there will be a 16″ gap (or 8″ on the left and 8″ right side if you place it in the middle of the King frame). This will require you to resort to mattress extenders or gap fillers.
There are also other things you can try to keep your mattress from sliding, such as rubber mats, exercise pads, or just rolled-up blankets and pillows.
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