Bedding

Published January 27, 2022

13 min

Mattress Foundation Sizes and Dimensions Guide 2023

Nectar Editorial Team

Table of contents

Mattress Foundation Sizes ChartTwin Bed Foundation SizeTwin XL Bed Foundation SizeFull/Double Bed Foundation SizeQueen Bed Foundation SizeKing Bed Foundation SizeCalifornia King Bed Foundation SizeTypes of Mattress FoundationWhat to Consider While Buying a Mattress Foundation?Frequently Asked Questions

A mattress foundation is a wooden or steel structure that supports your mattress. Mattress foundation sizes vary with the size and type of your mattress. Placing your mattress on a foundation lets you get in and out of bed easily. Moreover, it keeps your mattress in shape, keeps up the flow of air and heat, checking the growth of moulds or other irritants. For the quality of sleep too, foundations are as important as mattresses. An ideal mattress foundation syncs well with the mattress to give you the perfect comfort and sleeping experience. Your wallet may find the idea of letting the mattress lay on the floor tempting for obvious reasons. But by doing so, not only do you put the aesthetics of the room in jeopardy but also hamper the effectiveness and durability of the mattress, and eventually, your precious sleep. This blog is a comprehensive guide to learning about mattress foundation sizes so that you too may come to a smarter and informed conclusion.

Mattress Foundation Sizes Chart

Below is a table with all the mattress foundation sizes compatible with standard mattress sizes.

Foundation Size	Dimensions (In)	Dimensions (CM)
Twin	38 X 74	96.5 X 187.9
Twin XL	38 X 80	96.5 X 203
Full	54 X 75	134.5 X 190.5
Queen	60 X 80	152.5 X 203.5
King	76 X 80	193 X 203
California King	72 X 84	183 X 213.5

Twin Bed Foundation Size

The twin-size mattress is suitable for kids and early teenagers. The dimensions of the twin-size mattress foundation measure 38 inches by 75 inches. An adult wouldn’t be able to sleep in such a tiny space without remembering his days in the crib.The twin-size bed foundation is a lifesaver in case your room isn’t the biggest out there. For convenience, keep a 2-foot gap around the bed for walkability.

Twin XL Bed Foundation Size

A Twin XL mattress foundation is a longer version of a standard twin-size foundation, with a dimension of 38 by 80 inches. The extra legroom is useful for taller kids and teenagers. For the bed frame to fit comfortably in your room, the room should be 8 feet by 10 feet, at least.Twin XL’s length of 80 inches equals that of a queen or king size. This makes it an alternative for those adults who would otherwise prefer a queen if not for want of extra space in their rooms.

Full/Double Bed Foundation Size

Though the Full bed is called a double bed, it’s very difficult to accommodate two adults in it. The double/full-size bed is wider than a twin or a twin XL by 16 inches, but at the same time, its length falls short of the twin XL's by 5 inches. The dimensions of the Full size mattress foundation are 54 by 75 inches. The bed, however, can easily include two kids, or one kid and an adult. The foundation size of a full-size mattress is suitable for places that don’t have much space, such as small apartments or guest rooms.

Queen Bed Foundation Size

The Queen size mattress is the most popular mattress size among all standard mattress sizes. The dimensions of the Queen size mattress foundation are 60 inches by 80 inches. The queen easily becomes the first choice for the single sleeper who loves comfort and spaciousness in bed. Plus, a queen can also accommodate couples who aren’t afraid of compromising with space in exchange for more closeness and intimacy.The compactness of the queen foundation makes it an ideal choice for smaller master bedrooms or guest rooms. However, couples who need some space around the bed while sleeping, or are bulky in size, may feel stuffed in a queen size bed and should rather go for a king or California king.

King Bed Foundation Size

Among all the standard bed foundation sizes, the king size, with a dimension of 76 inches by 80 inches, is the widest. The king can easily accommodate couples and is big enough to include a kid who sometimes feels lonely sleeping alone.It’s interesting to note that when two twin XL sizes are joined together, they make up a king. The king-size mattress foundation may also be bought in the form of a split foundation wherein the king foundation is in the form of two twin XLs. You can place two different twin XL size mattresses on either side according to the preferred firmness level .

California King Bed Foundation Size

The California King size bed is the longest among all standard mattress sizes. The California king-size mattress foundation measures 72 inches by 84 inches. Compared to the standard king, the California king is 4 inches longer but 4 inches narrower. The extra legroom makes it the perfect choice for taller sleepers and also provides some space for a pet that loves to snore in the coziness of a bed. The size of the California bed is large enough for big couples and even those couples who have children sleeping with them. The large size of both the king and California king prerequisites the availability of a bigger space (12 feet by 12 feet minimum) to fit in comfortably and still leave room for other kinds of stuff.

Types of Mattress Foundation

The mattress foundations are available for all the standard mattress sizes in the market. But, finding the mattress foundation that fits the size of your mattress is simply not enough. Alongside the dimensions, you must factor in other criteria, such as the compatibility of the foundation with your mattress type.The compatibility of your mattress and the foundation is essential for providing you with a night of good sleep. Not only this, an ill-matched foundation can deteriorate the quality of the mattress by causing it to sag or bend unnaturally and thus decrease its durability. Ultimately, you would be waking up with frequent stiffness, aches, or soreness in your body. To give you an idea, innerspring mattresses are usually kept on a box spring foundation, and latex, memory foam or hybrid mattresses are compatible with the platform, slatted, or a solid foundation.Let us skim through the different types of foundations in detail.

Platform Bed

A platform bed is typically a bed frame that consists of wooden slats or grids made of metal along the surface to provide support to the mattress. The inter-grid or inter-slat space allows air to move in and out of the mattress and keeps the mattress cooler and hygienic.The platform bed is a perfect fit for latex, memory foam, and hybrid mattresses. While placing such mattresses on a slatted foundation, you must make sure that the slats are not more than 2.75 inches apart, or else the wideness of the gaps may not provide the required support to the mattress and eventually cause it to sag. To solve the issue, you may place bunkie boards , usually made of plyboard, under the mattress to give it firmness and even support.The height of platform beds ranges between 6 to 18 inches. Depending on the variety, they come with or without the headboard and footboard. A platform bed with a head and a footboard may take 7-10 inches of extra space. Therefore, you must be wary of the size of your room while buying your bed foundation to fit it in and still leave adequate space around the room (leaving the side against the wall) for other furniture and also space to walk around.

Box Spring

The box spring foundation is basically a wooden frame that has steel coils inside. The steel coils act as springs and are covered with a layer of non-slippery fabric to hold the mattress in place.The box spring foundation is compatible with innerspring mattresses. The reason for the compatibility is that the coils inside the innerspring mattress act as shock absorbers and keep vibrations reaching back inside the springs in the mattress to the minimum. However, box spring foundations are not compatible with other mattress types like latex and memory foam as the latter’s weight may crush and damage the coils of the box spring, causing the mattress to deform.Also, using your mattress with the wrong type of bed foundation may even invalidate the warranty of your mattress with the manufacturer.

Adjustable Base

Adjustable bases are the epitome of luxury and convenience. Although they come with a higher price tag, the features they provide make them worth the dent in your wallet (only if you are a sleep-lover).The remote control provided with an adjustable base foundation enables you to elevate your head and feet portion with the help of the magic wand. Adjustable bases are useful in improving blood circulation and keeping a desirable posture whilst you are asleep. All this helps you to relieve pressure points, and minimize chances of aches, snoring, acid reflux, and sleep apnea.As a word of caution, you can use all types of mattresses with adjustable foundations but the innerspring mattress. The constant flexing of the coils may permanently damage the innerspring mattress. Thus, buyers should always check with the seller for a mattress that’s compatible with an adjustable base.

Panel Bed

The panel bed is typically a bed frame that has a headboard and footboard on either side. It also consists of two side panels that conceal some portion of your mattress or box spring. Like platform beds, panel beds also have slats to provide support for the mattress. Layering your older panel bed with a thin layer of plyboard can make it fit for modern mattresses.

Bunkie Board

A Bunkie board is used to provide a firm and even support for the mattress. It is basically a ply board that is often used on top of an older box spring or platform bed foundation. A Bunkie board is also preferable if you want to raise the height of your bed by a few inches if the present height of your bed makes jumping in and out of the bed a little inconvenient.

What to Consider While Buying a Mattress Foundation?

Mattress Type

The compatibility of your mattress with the mattress foundation you are going to buy is vital. For instance, memory foam is the best fit with flat or slatted foundations. Whereas, an innerspring mattress shall require a box spring foundation. Another parameter to keep in mind while purchasing a foundation for a mattress is the size of your mattress ( twin, queen, king, etc.). If you have a larger and heavier mattress, you need to make sure that the foundation is strong enough to withstand the pressure from above.

Cost

The price tag of a mattress foundation may read anywhere in between $100-$2000 according to your needs and preferences. The adjustable foundations are the most expensive of them all and cost as much as $1000-$2000. However, if you’re looking for something which might be just good enough sans any fancy and extravagance, then you can get the job done within $200-$500. Other budget-friendly mattress foundations in the market can cost you as low as $100 only.

Quality

Choosing a foundation that is sturdy and robust resists wear and tear during usage. A strong foundation also renders adequate support to your mattress and keeps it in good shape for a longer time. Buying a cheaper but weaker bed frame can cause your newfound abode to fall apart surprisingly quicker.

Style and Design

Some of you would want a bed set that can add to the aesthetics and glamor of your room with its style and design. There are many attractive mattress foundations to choose from. The choice of style and design varies according to age and gender and so do the available options. Another important thing to keep in mind is the mattress foundation height from the floor. The height of the surface of your mattress from the floor should be 25 inches in ideal conditions. This will make hopping in and out of bed easier.

Warranty

The warranty with some mattresses becomes void if you don’t use the suggested bed foundation. Go through the policies thoroughly to know what type of damages from the foundation, if any, would be covered by the mattress manufacturer. You may always ask the mattress company's representatives in case of confusion. A sound sleep is necessary for a fresh and productive day. And the quality of your sleep may go awry if your mattress doesn’t find the perfect foundation to fit in. Sleep disruption or deprivation can cause you to wake up with all sorts of discomfort, hampers your productivity and focus, and affects your health in the long run as well. Choosing the correct foundation for a mattress also saves you the cost of replacing the foundation or the bed for a good period.This article is for informational purposes and should not replace advice from your doctor or other medical professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a mattress foundation? Yes, a mattress foundation is required to keep your spine aligned, distribute the body weight properly and prevent it from wear and tear. Platform beds are the only bed that don’t require it because they have in-built foundations. Are bed frames different from mattress foundations? Yes, the two are different. Bed frames include a headboard, footboard, and side rails. Most bed frames alone can’t support a mattress so they are used with a foundation.