The one thing you need to know before buying an IKEA mattress – as someone who learned the hard way

If you’re looking for somewhere to buy an affordable mattress, IKEA may be one of the first stores that springs to mind. But, as Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, one of the questions I frequently get asked is ‘Are IKEA mattresses standard size’?

The Swedish retailer is renowned for its fairly priced furniture and homeware – IKEA’s mattresses start from an incredibly reasonable £99 for a double – so if you’re searching for the best mattress on a budget, IKEA could be your first port of call.

As such, I asked IKEA’s bedroom experts to clear up the confusion over the brand’s mattress sizing once and for all. After all, when it comes to choosing the right mattress size, ensuring it fits your bed frame is rule number one.

Based on my personal experience – I still own the IKEA Malm bed that I bought when I was furnishing my first home, over fifteen years ago – I think many of us, (perhaps I should say many of us of a certain age), have made the mistake of assuming IKEA bed frames and mattresses are standard UK sizes.

In my case, I soon discovered the double-sized Malm bed I thought I had bought was actually a European double. This hasn’t ever been an issue, but it does mean there’s a little space around the edge of my standard UK double mattress and the edge of the bed frame. For reference, a standard UK double measures 135 x 190cm, and a European double measures 140 x 200cm.

I actually quite like the bed frame being a little bigger. I find it's easier to flip and rotate the mattress when I change the bed. However, no doubt many other people have had a similar experience to mine, so I can see why many of us are confused about whether IKEA mattresses are standard UK size.

But, that purchase was made fifteen years ago, and times have changed. These days, IKEA mattresses are standard UK sizes, with just a few exceptions.

‘Our primary mattress and bed frame range in the UK is now sold only as standard UK sizing’ says Benjamin Davies, core area specialist for bedrooms at IKEA. ‘However, in addition to this, we offer a selection of European-sized mattresses to fit ‘non-traditional’ frames, such as day beds, junior beds, bunk beds and select sofa beds’.

IKEA’s Mattress Size Guide details the brand’s full mattress selection, but Benjamin also provided this list of IKEA’s mattress dimensions.

The sizes that differ slightly from standard UK sizing are the small single mattress (80 x 200cm) which the brand says is sold specifically for day beds and extendable children's beds, the European single mattress (90 x 200cm) which is sold specifically for some junior beds, bunks, and loft beds, and the European double mattress (140x200cm) that is designed to fit select IKEA sofa beds.

If you’re shopping for a standard UK mattress size to fit a standard UK bed frame, (or vice versa) you won’t have any trouble finding one at Ikea today. However, just like when purchasing any item of furniture, it’s well worth double-checking your measurements before you buy.

Once you measure up, you might even find that you have space to opt for a larger bed frame (and therefore mattress) in your bedroom than you thought, and, if you share a bed, more space can be a key factor in getting a better night’s sleep.