A bed is a good thing to own and owning the right size of bed is even better. A good bed is one that’s big enough for you to spread out your arms and legs or roll over comfortably. At the same time, it should be small enough to make it easy for you to get around the room. So, besides choosing the right bed for yourself, you’ll also need to think about optimizing the space it takes up.
If this is the first time you’ve had to buy a bed, you might be a little confused about how to choose the best mattress and right size of bed. When you walk into a mattress store and see the many choices available, you’ll quickly realize that you’ll need to think about these things.
Let’s look at a few things you need to consider before buying a bed.
Establish Your Budget
The better a piece of furniture, the more expensive it will be. This is particularly true for mattresses because leading manufacturers invest in mattress ergonomics to differentiate the quality of their mattress from the competition.
So before buying a mattress, research the best one for your needs. Then, start saving for it. By establishing a budget, you’ll be able to afford the perfect mattress. But if you’re in a hurry, the next best thing to do is to buy a low-end mattress until you can save up enough for one that guarantees a deep night’s rest.
Measure How Much Bedroom Space is Available
Now that you’ve figured out your ideal mattress, the next thing to figure out is the right size. The smart thing to do is to measure your bedroom to see how much space is available for a bed.
Briefly, beds come in the following sizes:
- A full-size bed, called a double, is 53″ (1.35 m) wide and 75″ (1.9 m) long. If you’re a tall person, you might find this too short.
- A Queen-size bed is 60″ (1.52 m) wide and 80″ (2.03 m) long. It’s long enough for a tall adult and wide enough for a couple.
- A King-size bed is 76″ (1.93 m) wide and 80″ (2.03 m) long. This is the largest space for a couple in the market for a single bed. Incidentally, there is also the California King size beds, which is available on the west coast. It’s 4″ (10.2 cm) narrower than a King size but it’s also 4″ (10.2 cm) longer.
When trying to figure out how much space you have available in your bedroom, don’t forget to consider how much space your other bedroom furniture is taking up.
When measuring your room, use a tape measure to get the exact length, width, and height available for a bed rather than making a guess. If your bed is too long for the available space, it will leave too little space to freely move around the room. If it’s too wide, it might not fit through the doorway. And if it’s too high, it might press up against some protruding feature in the room, like a window sill.
Match Bed Style with Bedroom Décor
Ideally, your bed should match your bedroom design, blending in with some of the room’s structural accents.
Color isn’t much of an issue, as you can always paint the bedroom to match the color of your bed frame, but the material makes a huge difference. It’s advisable to select a furniture style similar in construction. Everything from your dresser to your night table to your bed to work should match. For instance, if your current furniture is made from black walnut, then your bed needs to be made from black walnut, too.
When buying a bed, spend a little time thinking about your needs, do your research, and buy the best quality you can afford.
