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King Beds

Most couples who move from a double to a king say the same thing afterwards: they wish they'd done it sooner. The numbers don't sound dramatic. A U...
Most couples who move from a double to a king say the same thing afterwards: they wish they'd done it sooner. The numbers don't sound dramatic. A UK king bed is 150cm wide, a double is 135cm, and 15cm doesn't feel like much on paper. In practice, that extra width gives each person 75cm rather than 67.5cm, which is more than a single bed gives one person sleeping alone. Over a full night, particularly if one of you runs warm or moves around, the difference is consistently noticeable in a way that the measurements don't quite capture.
The frames in this collection are upholstered fabric beds in king size, including high headboard styles that make a master bedroom feel properly finished as well as simply larger. They sit within the wider beds collection alongside other sizes and types, so it's easy to compare directly if you're still working through the decision. A king is the most popular size for couples who have a bedroom large enough to take it comfortably, and for good reason. Finance is available on many of our king beds, subject to status.
We deliver nationally across the UK, with most frames arriving within 7 to 14 days. Our Manchester showroom is open if you'd like to see king size frames in person before buying. Get in touch at any stage if you'd like help with sizing or frame choice before you order.

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What's in this collection

The king size frames here are upholstered fabric beds covering a range of headboard styles. Several are high headboard designs in the 70-inch range, which at king width make a genuinely impressive centrepiece for a master bedroom. If that's the direction you're heading, the high headboard beds collection brings those frames together and covers the room planning considerations in detail.

Storage is worth thinking about at king size. The footprint of a king bed leaves less floor space than a double in the same room, which can put pressure on wardrobe access and storage generally. Some of the frames here include an ottoman base, where the mattress platform lifts to reveal a large storage area underneath. If under-bed storage is a priority, the ottoman beds collection covers how the lift mechanism works and what to consider before buying.

What the extra width actually gives you

The honest way to understand the difference is to think about what each person has. In a double, each person has 67.5cm. In a king, each person has 75cm. The 7.5cm per person doesn't sound transformative, but the effect compounds over the course of a night, particularly in two specific situations: where one person is a restless sleeper, and where both people are of larger build or tend to sleep spread out rather than curled up.

In a double, one person shifting position often disturbs the other because there's limited buffer between them. In a king, each person has enough space that ordinary movement during sleep is less likely to land on the other person's side of the bed. It's not that couples stop being aware of each other in a king, but that the incidental contact that accumulates over a night of sleep is reduced to the point where it stops being something either person consciously notices. That's a meaningful quality of life improvement for the time you spend in it.

The width also makes a difference to how the bed looks and feels in the room. A king-size bed with a well-chosen headboard reads as a proper master bedroom piece. The same headboard on a double, in a room that could have accommodated a king, can feel like a compromise that the room is drawing attention to.

Planning the room around a king

A king frame is 150cm wide and 200cm long. To use the bed comfortably with access on both sides, allow at least 60cm of clear floor space on each accessible side. That puts the practical minimum room width at around 270cm for a king with walkable clearance on both sides. At the foot of the bed, 90cm or more gives you room to move freely, open drawers, and reach a wardrobe without the bedroom feeling like a corridor.

The measurement that catches people out most often is the width, not the length. A bedroom that felt spacious with a double can feel considerably tighter with a king, because the extra 15cm of bed width reduces the clearance on both sides simultaneously. Before you commit, it's worth marking out the king footprint on the floor of the room with tape and walking around it with the wardrobe doors open. If it feels fine, it usually is. If it feels tight in the simulation, it'll feel tight every morning.

Also consider the wall behind the bed. A high headboard king frame needs a wall wide enough to sit the bed without the headboard crowding windows or built-in wardrobes on either side. A few centimetres of clear wall on each side of the headboard makes the bed look placed rather than wedged.

Spreading the Cost

Finance is available on many of our king size beds, subject to status. A king bed frame alongside a king mattress is a meaningful combined purchase, and spreading the cost is a practical option whether you're replacing an old double or buying for a new bedroom from scratch. Details are on the website, and we're happy to discuss options before you order.

Why buy from Shawcross

We're a Manchester-based furniture retailer with a physical showroom. For king size beds, seeing the frames in person is worth doing if you can, particularly if you're deciding between a high headboard design and a more modest one. The proportions of a king frame with a 70-inch headboard in a room are genuinely difficult to judge from product photographs, and in a master bedroom where that combination is likely to be the most prominent piece of furniture you own, getting it right matters.

We deliver nationally across the UK and our team is happy to help at any stage, whether you're still working out whether the room can take a king or are ready to choose between specific frames.

King Bed FAQs

How much bigger is a king than a double, and does it actually make a difference?

A UK king is 150cm wide, a UK double is 135cm wide. The 15cm total width divides to 7.5cm per person, which is easy to dismiss as marginal. In practice, it's more significant than it sounds, and consistently so.

The reason is that the extra space per person changes the dynamic of sharing a bed rather than just expanding it. In a double, 67.5cm per person means that ordinary movement during sleep, turning over, adjusting position, reaching for a phone at 3am, routinely crosses the invisible boundary between each person's side of the bed. In a king, 75cm per person provides enough buffer that normal sleep movement typically stays on the mover's side. Neither person has to make a conscious effort to stay in their half. That sounds like a small thing, but over the course of a night it's the difference between sleep that's subtly interrupted and sleep that isn't. Couples who make the switch rarely go back.

The difference is more noticeable in certain situations: where one person is a restless sleeper, where both partners are taller or larger-framed, or where one person runs significantly warmer than the other and spreading out is a natural response. In those households, a king isn't a luxury, it's the right-sized bed for how you actually sleep.

What room size do I need for a king bed?

A king frame is 150cm wide and 200cm long. For comfortable daily use, add at least 60cm of clearance on each side you'll be getting in and out from, and at least 90cm at the foot of the bed to move freely without the room feeling constricted. Working from those numbers, a bedroom needs to be at least 270cm wide and around 290cm long to carry a king bed with proper clearance on both sides and at the foot.

Those are practical minimums, not ideal dimensions. A room at exactly that width will feel functional but not spacious. If the room is meaningfully larger, the king will sit in it well. If you're right at the boundary, consider which side of the bed will be against or close to a wall, whether the wardrobe opens toward the side clearance, and whether getting out of bed from one side only is going to become an irritation over time.

The easiest thing to do before you order is mark out the king footprint on the floor with tape and spend a minute walking around it with the wardrobe doors open. It takes two minutes and it's the most reliable way to know whether the room works before the frame is in it.

Is a king size bed too big for a standard UK bedroom?

It depends on the bedroom. Many standard UK master bedrooms, particularly in newer builds and smaller houses, are sized with a double in mind, not a king. The difference of 15cm in bed width sounds minor, but it takes 7.5cm off each side of the available floor space simultaneously, which can reduce comfortable clearance to the point where the room starts to feel awkward.

The honest answer is that a king works well in a bedroom of reasonable size, and feels cramped in one that's already compact. If you're in any doubt, measure the room carefully and mark out the footprint before you commit. A well-sized double in a room that breathes around it is usually a better outcome than a king that makes the wardrobe difficult to open and getting out of bed feel like an obstacle course.

King or super king: how do I decide?

A UK super king is 180cm wide, 30cm wider than a king and 45cm wider than a double. The extra width over a king is substantial, and for couples who find even a king a little tight, or for larger-framed sleepers who naturally spread out, the super king is noticeably more comfortable. The constraint is the room.

A super king requires a meaningfully larger bedroom than a king. The practical minimum room width for a super king with comfortable clearance on both sides is around 300cm, and many standard UK master bedrooms don't reach that. Before considering a super king, mark out the footprint on the floor. If the room works comfortably, it's a genuinely rewarding choice. If it's tight, a king in a room that has space around it is a better daily experience than a super king that leaves you no floor.

Do I need a specific mattress for a king size frame?

Yes, in the sense that a king mattress is a specific standard size: 150cm by 200cm. A double mattress won't fit a king frame, and a super king mattress won't either. The good news is that UK king mattresses are a standardised size, so any king mattress from any UK retailer will fit a king frame from any UK retailer.

If you're replacing a frame but keeping a mattress, check the mattress dimensions carefully before assuming it will transfer. If you're buying both at the same time, we carry mattresses alongside our bed frames, which makes it straightforward to sort both together.

How does delivery work, and can I see king beds in person first?

We deliver nationally across the UK. Once your order is placed you'll receive a confirmation, and we'll be in touch closer to the time to arrange a delivery date that suits you. King bed frames are delivered in components and assembled in the room, so the width of the frame isn't a factor in getting it up a staircase or through a doorway. Delivery is typically within 7 to 14 days. If your property has a particularly narrow staircase, restricted access, or anything else worth knowing in advance, mention it when you order so the delivery team can prepare.

If you'd like to see king size frames in person before buying, our Manchester showroom carries a selection and you're welcome to come in without any obligation. Seeing a king frame at scale alongside a high headboard gives you a much clearer sense of whether it will work in your room than any amount of online research. Give us a call beforehand to check whether a specific frame is currently on the showroom floor.