How to Measure Your Bedroom for a New Bed
By the Kinky Beds teamPublished 2 min read
Quick answer
- Measure the room wall to wall at floor level, then subtract obstacles like radiators and door swings.
- Allow 60–70 cm of walkway on each side you use and at the foot.
- Measure the delivery route too: doors, stairs, landings and turns.
- A flat-packed bed is much easier to get upstairs than a fully built one.
Ten minutes with a tape measure saves a lot of disappointment. Here's exactly what to measure, in order.
What you'll need
A tape measure (a long one helps), a pencil and paper or your phone, and ideally a second person to hold the other end.
Step 1: the room
- Measure the width of the wall where the headboard will go, wall to wall, at floor level.
- Measure the depth of the room from that wall to the opposite wall.
- Note anything that sticks out: radiators, chimney breasts, skirting heaters, built-in wardrobes.
- Mark where the door swings and where wardrobe doors and drawers open.
- Note window positions and sill heights.
Step 2: clearance
| Where | Comfortable | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Each side you get in and out | 70 cm | 45–60 cm |
| Foot of the bed | 70 cm | 60 cm |
| In front of wardrobes and drawers | 90 cm | 75 cm |
| Door swing | Fully clear | Fully clear |
Step 3: the bed's footprint
Use the manufacturer's overall frame dimensions, not just the mattress size: frames are bigger. For The Sovereign Bed we publish the mattress sizes it takes (Double 135 × 190 cm, King 150 × 200 cm); email support@kinkybeds.com for the overall frame dimensions. Our room-fit calculator can show the mattress footprint in your room to scale.
A useful trick: mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day.
Step 4: the delivery route
- Front door and internal doors: width and height of the opening.
- Hallways: width, and any tight turns.
- Stairs: width, headroom, and whether there's a turn or a half-landing.
- Landing: the space at the top where you'll need to turn.
The Sovereign Bed arrives flat-packed for home assembly, which makes tight stairs and doorways much easier. It's delivered free by a specialist two-person courier to UK addresses.
Step 5: the mattress
Measure your mattress depth if you're keeping it: The Sovereign Bed takes standard UK mattresses up to 30 cm deep. See the mattress depth guide.
Printable checklist
| Measurement | Yours |
|---|---|
| Headboard wall width | |
| Room depth | |
| Obstacles (radiator, chimney breast) | |
| Door swing clear? | |
| Narrowest doorway on route | |
| Stair width and headroom | |
| Mattress depth |
The Sovereign Bed
From £599.00 · Free UK delivery
- Restraint rings hidden behind interchangeable decorative panels that swap in under 60 seconds, no tools
- Solid hardwood frame with a 150kg load rating
- Double (4ft 6in) or King (5ft), for standard UK mattresses up to 30 cm deep
- Onyx Black or Alabaster White · plain, unmarked packaging · 14-day returns
Frequently asked questions
How much space do you need around a bed?
About 60–70 cm of walkway on each side you use and at the foot is comfortable; 45 cm is a practical minimum.
Should I measure the mattress or the bed frame?
The frame. Frames are larger than the mattress they hold, so use the manufacturer's overall frame dimensions when planning your room.
How do I know if a bed will fit up my stairs?
Measure stair width, headroom and any turns or landings, and check the size of the largest boxes. Flat-packed beds are much easier to get upstairs.