What size is a halls bed? UK student accommodation bed sizes explained
Every August the same question: what size sheets, duvet and topper do I buy for a halls bed I have not seen? The answer depends on the university and often on the block, so this guide gives you the sizes in use, how to find out which you have, and what to buy for each.
The three sizes in UK halls
| Size | Dimensions | Where you find it | Bedding to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard single (3ft) | 90 × 190 cm | Most university-owned halls, most older blocks | Single fitted sheets, single duvet |
| Small double (4ft) | 120 × 190 cm | Most purpose-built private student accommodation built since about 2010, many en-suite rooms and studios | Small double fitted sheets (a double fitted sheet will not fit; a double duvet is fine) |
| Small single (2ft 6) | 75 × 190 cm | Some older halls, some converted buildings, occasionally in shared rooms | Small single fitted sheets (a standard single will be loose but usable) |
A very few halls have full doubles (135 × 190 cm) in studios or postgraduate flats; if the room is marketed as a studio with a "double bed", check whether that means 4ft or 4ft 6.
How to find out
- The accommodation listing. Universities and private providers usually state the bed size on the room page or the inventory. "Three-quarter bed" means 4ft small double. "Standard single" means 3ft.
- The accommodation office, by email, with the room type or block name. They answer this every summer.
- Last year's residents, in the university's halls Facebook group or subreddit. Ask for the block, not the university.
- On arrival, a tape measure across the mattress, before unpacking the bedding.
If you cannot find out, buy for a 3ft single: a single fitted sheet stretches onto a small double badly but usably for a night, and a small double sheet on a single bags.
Mattress depth
Halls mattresses are shallow, typically 15 to 18 cm, and often in a waterproof cover. Fitted sheets are all deep enough for this; it is the topper that changes things: a 5 cm topper on an 18 cm mattress needs a sheet with a 25 cm pocket, which most standard sheets have.
What to buy for each
- Two fitted sheets in the right size (one on, one in the wash).
- A protector, cotton or Tencel, which goes over the topper if you have one, because the halls cover is plastic.
- A topper, 5 cm memory foam or latex, if the mattress is firm but sound; see which topper for a halls bed.
- A duvet one size up if you like it wide: a double duvet on a single bed is a known student move.
- Pillows. Halls pillows are thin.
If the halls bed is not a standard size at all
Some converted buildings have odd lengths (180 or 200 cm) or widths. A stretch fitted sheet copes with a few centimetres either way. For anything stranger, a made-to-measure sheet is cheaper than it sounds.
After halls
Second-year houses have whatever the landlord bought, usually a 3ft single or a 4ft small double, sometimes a double, and usually older than the halls mattress. The bedding you bought for halls carries on if the size matches. If the second-year mattress is the problem, that is when a proper mattress becomes worth it; see the student mattress guide.
How we fit in
The Uni Student is sold in exactly the two halls sizes, 3ft single and 4ft small double, and delivered flat to halls the working day before move-in if you tell us the date.
The short version
- 3ft single in most halls; 4ft small double in newer private blocks; 2ft 6 in a few older ones.
- Check the listing, then the accommodation office, then a tape measure.
- Buy protector, sheets and a topper for the size; a double duvet on a single is fine.
First flat: the bed and mattress checklist, in the order to buy things
Moving into a first flat means buying a bed with no idea what matters. What to spend and what to skip, frame or divan, the mattress that lasts into the next flat, and the things to sort before the van arrives.
Which mattress topper for a halls bed: the one purchase that fixes most of it
A halls mattress is firm, warm and wipe-clean. For most students a topper is the right fix, not a mattress. Which kind, what to spend, the protector everyone forgets, and when a topper is not enough.
The student mattress guide: halls, first flats, and what is actually worth spending
Halls beds are built to survive, not to sleep on. Whether to buy a topper or a mattress, what size halls beds really are, what a decent single costs, and how to get it delivered on move-in day.