Choosing between a luxury double bed and a luxury king size bed is one of the biggest decisions you'll make when furnishing a bedroom. Get it right, and the room feels balanced and comfortable for years. Get it wrong, and even the most beautifully upholstered frame can end up crowding the space — or leaving you wishing you'd gone bigger. Here's how to decide.
Double vs King: The Basic Dimensions
Before anything else, it helps to know exactly what you're working with. Standard king size bed UK and double dimensions are:
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Double bed: 135cm x 190cm — comfortably sleeps two adults, though it's cosier than a king
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King size bed: 150cm x 200cm — 15cm wider and 10cm longer, giving noticeably more room to stretch out
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Small double bed: 120cm x 190cm — a good middle ground for smaller rooms or single sleepers who like extra space
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Super king bed: 180cm x 200cm — the largest standard UK size, best suited to larger main bedrooms
When a Luxury Double Bed Makes Sense
A double frame isn't just a "smaller" option — for the right room, it's genuinely the better choice:
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Guest bedrooms and second bedrooms, where floor space needs to work for storage and furniture too
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Bedrooms under roughly 10–11m², where a king frame would leave little room to walk around
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Single sleepers who want a bit more room than a single bed without the footprint of a king
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Period or older properties with smaller room proportions, where scale matters as much as comfort
When to Choose a Luxury King Size Bed
A king frame is worth the extra floor space in a few common situations:
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Main bedrooms of 12m² or more, where a double can start to look undersized against the walls
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Couples who want more personal space overnight, without upgrading all the way to a super king
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Rooms with a strong existing colour scheme or feature wall, where a larger upholstered headboard becomes the focal point
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Anyone replacing an older double and finding it's felt tight for a while — it usually has
Bedroom Size Guide: Matching the Bed to the Room
As a simple bedroom size guide, leave at least 60–70cm of clear space on each side of the bed and roughly 90cm at the foot for wardrobe or drawer access. As a rough rule of thumb:
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Under 10m² → double or small double
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10–12m² → double, or king if storage needs are modest
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12m² and above → king or super king sits comfortably
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Awkward or box-shaped rooms → measure wall-to-wall first; a curved or low-profile headboard can make a king feel less imposing than a squared-off frame of the same size
What to Look for in a Luxury Bed Frame
Size aside, the frame itself makes just as much difference to how the room feels day to day:
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Upholstery quality – a well-padded headboard should hold its shape, not flatten within a year
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Base options – slats, solid base or a gas-lift ottoman base for hidden storage, worth considering in smaller rooms
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Fabric choice – deeper, richer tones suit period rooms; lighter bouclé and linen-look weaves work well in brighter, contemporary spaces
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Craftsmanship – handmade, made-to-order frames tend to hold their shape and finish far longer than mass-produced alternatives
Every Comodo Living bed is handcrafted to order in the UK, available in 44 fabric options, and covered by a 5-year structural guarantee — so whichever size you land on, the frame itself is built to last.
Double or King: The Quick Answer
If you're still weighing it up, the short version is this: measure your room first, not the bed. A double works best under roughly 11m² or in a secondary bedroom; a king comes into its own once you're past that, or once comfort matters more than floor space. Either way, a well-made luxury bed frame in the right fabric will outlast several mattresses and plenty of decorating trends.
Ready to compare sizes in person? Order free fabric swatches or browse our full range of handcrafted beds to see how each size looks in your own space.
