Guest bed: single, small double or double? Choosing the size for a spare room
The spare room has to do three jobs: take a bed, leave room to get to the wardrobe, and still work as an office or a box room the rest of the year. The bed size decides who can stay. Here is how to choose it.
The sizes
| Size | Dimensions | Sleeps | Room needed (with a wardrobe and space to walk) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single (3ft) | 90 × 190 cm | One adult, or a child | About 2.3 m wide |
| Small double (4ft) | 120 × 190 cm | One adult comfortably, a couple for a night or two | About 2.6 m wide |
| Double (4ft 6) | 135 × 190 cm | A couple for a week | About 2.8 m wide |
| King (5ft) | 150 × 200 cm | A couple who will stay | About 3.1 m wide |
The widths assume a bed against one wall, a wardrobe or chest on the other, and a walkway. Bedside tables add 40 to 50 cm each.
Who is staying
- Mostly one person (a parent, a friend, a grown-up child home for the weekend): a single is enough, but a small double is kinder and only 30 cm wider.
- Couples for a night or two (family at Christmas, friends after a party): a small double works; a double is better.
- Couples for a week (visiting parents, in-laws from abroad): a double, or a king if the room takes it. Two adults for seven nights on a 120 cm bed is a strain on the friendship.
- Grandchildren: a small double takes two small children top-to-tail; a single takes one.
- A lodger or a returning adult child: a double. It is their room for a while.
The underrated answer: small double
A 4ft small double is the spare-room size most people have never considered. It sleeps one adult in comfort with room to turn, sleeps a couple for a short stay, fits rooms that a double will not, leaves space for a desk, and costs less in bedding than people expect once you know to search for "small double" sheets rather than "double". It is also the size most sofa beds, day beds and guest beds actually are, whatever the label says.
The room that is also an office
If the spare room has a desk in it most of the year, the size that fits with the desk in place wins. A single or small double against the wall with a desk under the window keeps the room usable. A double fills it. Ottoman guest beds and day beds are worth a look: a day bed with a small double mattress is a sofa by day.
Measure before you decide
Measure the room, mark the bed size on the floor with tape, and walk round it. Then check the door and stairs: a double mattress goes up almost any staircase; a king may not.
The mattress
Whatever the size, a spare-room mattress has to suit everyone: medium-firm, pocket springs, a firm edge, a breathable cover. See how much to spend on a spare room mattress.
How we fit in
The Empty Nester comes in single, small double, double and king, so the size follows the room rather than the range. It is 22 cm, medium-firm, and built to suit whoever turns up.
The short version
- One guest: single or, better, small double. Short-stay couples: small double or double. Week-long couples: double or king.
- Small double is the spare-room size nobody considers and most should.
- Tape the size on the floor; check the stairs.
- Medium-firm, pocket springs, firm edge, whatever the size.
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