Best Queen Mattresses

A standard queen mattress measures 60 inches wide by 80 inches long. That is the same length as a king but 16 inches narrower, and 6 inches wider but 5 inches longer than a full. Queen is the size most bed frames, headboards and sheet sets default to, which is part of why it remains the most common bedroom mattress size in this catalog and in most US households.

It can be, though it is tighter than a king. The commonly cited convention gives each sleeper on a queen about 30 inches of width, compared with 38 inches each on a king. Many couples sleep comfortably on a queen, especially in smaller bedrooms where a king would not fit, but couples who move around a lot at night may notice the difference more than solo sleepers would.

A queen mattress itself is 60 by 80 inches, but the room needs to be larger than that to leave walking space around the bed and room for a frame and nightstands. A commonly cited minimum is roughly 10 by 10 feet, though more room makes movement easier. Checking the Room Size and Clearance Calculator against your actual room dimensions is more reliable than a rule of thumb alone.

At 80 inches long, a queen suits sleepers up to roughly 6 foot tall by the common convention that a mattress should run 4 to 6 inches longer than its tallest user. Someone taller than about 6'3" to 6'4" may find their feet near the edge of the mattress. A twin XL or king, both also 80 inches long, offer the same length in a narrower or wider footprint.

That depends on the frame and the mattress. A box spring adds height and some give, which suits an older-style frame built for one, while a low-profile bunkie board gives firm, flat support under a mattress-in-a-box on a platform frame without raising the bed height much. Check what the frame was designed for before choosing, since the wrong foundation can void a mattress warranty on some brands.