When you want to buy a new bed for yourself, for another member of your family or to place in a spare bedroom, you have several options in the size of the mattress. Compare the various sizes of mattresses to see which one best meets your needs and the size of the room you have available. The size of a full mattress is the same as that of a double mattress because the terms double and full are usually used interchangeably. However, it is best to ask about the difference because some mattress manufactures use the term full to mean a mattress that is a little larger than a twin, but smaller than a double or larger than a double yet smaller than a queen. These mattresses usually have the designation Full/Double or Full/Queen.

A twin size mattress measures 39 inches by 75 inches. You can also get extra long twin mattresses that are 80 inches in length. The shorter mattresses are best for small children and the longer ones are often used in college dorm rooms. However because the mattress is not of normal length, the bedding is often hard to find and is more expensive.

The full mattress measures 54 inches wide by 75 inches long. This means these mattresses are only 15 inches wider than a twin size bed. They are great for one person or two small children because it is healthy to move around when you sleep. However, for two adults, there is not a lot of room for both of them to sleep comfortably, especially if one of them likes to sprawl out on the mattress. Each person only has a little over two feet of space on the bed, which when you think about it is not a lot of room. They do fit better in a small room and the bedding is easy to buy and is less expensive.

A queen size mattress measures 60 inches by 80 inches. This adds 6 inches to the width and 5 inches to the length as compared to the full mattress. This difference in size will definitely add to the comfort level of two adults sleeping in the same bed as well as adding to the comfort of a taller person. It is not only a good choice for your own bed but would also be a perfect choice for a spare bedroom when you have another couple staying overnight. Some of the bedding is sold as Full/Queen and may be too small for a queen size bed, yet too big for a double bed.

The king size mattress offers the ultimate in comfort when it comes to size. This mattress measures 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. This gives you plenty of room to move about as well as provide space to have a child in bed with you for times when he/she wakes up in the night or is not feeling well. You do need a large room for this size of mattress and the bedding is more expensive.