Trying to get your head around bed sizes can feel like a puzzle, but it doesn't have to be. In New Zealand, the standard double bed size is 137 cm wide by 188 cm long. It's a hugely popular choice for a reason: it's a real step up in space from a single, but it won't take over your room like a queen bed can.
A Quick Look at NZ Bed Sizes
Knowing the exact dimensions is your first step to getting your bedroom layout perfect. Luckily, sizes are pretty consistent across New Zealand, which makes finding the right bed frame and linen much easier. The double bed really hits that sweet spot, making it ideal for single sleepers who love to spread out or for turning a spare room into a welcoming retreat for guests.
Here’s a quick visual to help you see where the double fits in.
As you can see, it’s a brilliant middle-ground option, offering a noticeable width increase over a King Single without the larger footprint of a Queen.
Standard New Zealand Bed Sizes in Centimetres
To make things crystal clear, here’s a simple table with all the standard NZ bed sizes. Think of this as your go-to reference for checking dimensions at a glance.
| Bed Size | Width (cm) | Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 91 cm | 188 cm |
| King Single | 107 cm | 203 cm |
| Double | 137 cm | 188 cm |
| Queen | 153 cm | 203 cm |
| King | 167 cm | 203 cm |
| Super King | 183 cm | 203 cm |
| California King | 203 cm | 203 cm |
This chart is your foundation for planning your space and ensuring everything from your bed frame to your duvet will fit just right.
More on the Double Bed and Regional Differences
To recap, the standard New Zealand double bed measures 137 cm wide by 188 cm long. This sizing makes it an excellent choice for smaller master bedrooms, teenagers' rooms, or spare rooms. It offers plenty of room for one person without making the space feel cramped.
While these are the official NZ standards, it's always smart to double-check the label, as you might find tiny variations between manufacturers. It's also interesting to see how our sizes compare across the ditch; you can have a look at this Australian bedding size chart to see the subtle differences.
For a complete breakdown of every size available in New Zealand, you can find everything you need in our full size guide here.
A Detailed Breakdown of NZ Bed Dimensions
Getting the right bed size isn't just about reading a chart; it's about picturing how it will fit into your life and your room. To really nail your decision, you need to think beyond the numbers and consider who the bed is for.
From Single to California King
Every standard bed size in New Zealand has a specific purpose, whether it's for a child's first "big kid" bed or a luxurious retreat for a couple. Let's look at what each measurement means in practice.
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Single (91 cm x 188 cm): The classic, go-to size for children, bunk beds, and spare rooms where space is tight. A single is a brilliant space-saver but can feel a bit restrictive for most adults. To learn more, check out our in-depth guide to the NZ single bed.
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King Single (107 cm x 203 cm): A fantastic option for growing teenagers or any solo sleeper on the taller side. That extra length (15 cm longer than a standard single or double) is a game-changer, stopping feet from hanging over the edge. It's a clever long-term choice for a kid's room.
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Double (137 cm x 188 cm): As the star of this guide, the double bed size in NZ is 137 cm x 188 cm. It feels incredibly generous for one person who loves to sprawl out. While it can fit two adults, it's often a better solution for smaller master bedrooms where a Queen would simply overwhelm the space.
Larger Sizes for Couples and Families
For couples, moving up to a larger size is often about more than just extra space—it's about getting a better night's sleep.
For couples, the jump from a Queen to a Super King is less about luxury and more about sleep quality. That extra width makes a huge difference in reducing partner disturbance, so you’re far less likely to be woken by tossing and turning.
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Queen (153 cm x 203 cm): The most popular bed size in New Zealand, and for good reason. A Queen provides ample room for a couple without making the average master bedroom feel cramped.
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King (167 cm x 203 cm): If you value your personal space, the King is a welcome step up. It gives each person a bit more width to themselves, which can make all the difference for a peaceful night.
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Super King (183 cm x 203 cm): This is where you get into truly palatial comfort. A Super King is ideal for large master bedrooms, families that co-sleep, or couples who just want the freedom to really stretch out.
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California King (203 cm x 203 cm): The ultimate sleeping experience. This huge square bed offers an enormous amount of space and is best suited for very large, grand bedrooms.
The Double Bed: A Closer Look
So, is a double bed the right fit for your home? To figure that out, you need to think about more than just its measurements. At 137 cm wide by 188 cm long, the double bed hits a real sweet spot, balancing comfort with a compact footprint. It's a classic choice and a staple in countless Kiwi homes for good reason.
A big part of its appeal is just how versatile it is. For a single person, it's a huge step up from a King Single, giving you plenty of room to stretch out. At the same time, it’s a smart pick for couples in smaller city apartments or for kitting out a guest room where a Queen might completely dominate the space.
Who Should Get a Double Bed?
A double bed really shines in a few key situations. See if any of these sound familiar:
- Single Sleepers: If you're sleeping solo and find a single bed a bit tight, a double feels downright luxurious without taking over the whole room.
- Couples in Cosy Spaces: For partners with a smaller master bedroom, a double offers enough space to share while still leaving room to actually walk around and fit in a set of drawers.
- Guest Rooms: It’s the perfect size for making a spare room feel comfortable and genuinely welcoming for your visitors.
Of course, it's not for everyone. It can feel a bit snug for couples who like their own sleeping space, or for taller people who might find the 188 cm length a little short. If that's you, you'd probably be better off looking at a Queen, which measures 153 cm x 203 cm.
Still, its popularity speaks for itself. Market data consistently shows that double beds account for roughly 25-30% of all mattress sales in New Zealand annually. This highlights just how valuable they are, especially in rental properties and shared living situations. You can read more about these NZ mattress and bed size trends to see how they fit into the bigger picture.
How to Measure Your Room for the Perfect Bed
We’ve all heard the horror stories – buying a beautiful new bed only to discover it completely swamps the room. It’s a frustrating and surprisingly common mistake. But a few minutes with a tape measure is all it takes to avoid the headache and ensure your new bed is a perfect fit, not a furniture faux pas.
Proper planning helps you visualise how everything will come together, guaranteeing you'll have enough space to actually live in your bedroom, not just sleep in it.
First things first, get your raw dimensions. Measure the wall-to-wall length and width of the room, jotting down the numbers in centimetres. This gives you the absolute maximum space you have to play with.
Now, think about the furniture you already have (or plan to get). If you’re keeping your bedside tables, measure their width. For instance, a standard double bed size in NZ is 137 cm wide. If you have two 50 cm bedside tables, you'll need a total of at least 237 cm of clear wall space.
Ensuring You Have Enough Clearance
A bedroom needs to feel comfortable, not cramped. Good flow is key. A solid rule of thumb is to leave at least 70 cm of clearance around the sides and foot of the bed. This is your walkway – enough space to move freely, open drawers, and make the bed without shuffling sideways.
Before you make a final decision, it can be really helpful to sketch out a simple interior design bubble diagram to map out the room's layout. This little trick helps you see how the space will function before you move a single piece of furniture.
Practical Example: A 3m x 3.5m Room
Let's say your room is 300 cm x 350 cm. Placing a 137 cm double bed against the shorter wall leaves you with 163 cm of width to spare. This is more than enough for two 50 cm nightstands, still leaving a comfortable 31.5 cm gap on each side. That’s a great fit!
If you're looking for more ideas on how to style your new bed, our guide on choosing a queen bed and headboard has some fantastic tips.
Recommended Minimum Room Size for NZ Beds
To make things even easier, here’s a quick-reference chart. It matches our standard NZ bed sizes with the minimum room dimensions we’d recommend to keep things feeling spacious and functional.
| Bed Size | Minimum Room Size (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Single | 2.5 m x 3.0 m |
| King Single | 2.6 m x 3.3 m |
| Double | 3.0 m x 3.5 m |
| Queen | 3.2 m x 3.5 m |
| King | 3.3 m x 3.6 m |
| Super King | 3.5 m x 3.6 m |
| California King | 3.7 m x 3.8 m |
Of course, these are just guidelines. The ideal room size will always depend on your other furniture, the placement of doors and windows, and how you want the space to feel.
Matching Bedding to Standard NZ Bed Sizes
Choosing the right bed is a great start, but the job isn't done until you've found bedding that fits perfectly. It’s one of those details that makes a huge difference to both your comfort and the look of your room. We've all been there – wrestling with a fitted sheet that keeps pinging off the corners or dealing with a duvet that leaves you in a nightly tug-of-war.
This often happens when people accidentally buy internationally sized bedding for their New Zealand bed. The dimensions just don't quite line up.
Before you buy, always check the dimensions on the packaging, which should be listed in centimetres. This is non-negotiable for fitted sheets, where the depth of your mattress is just as important as the length and width. For a standard double bed size nz cm of 137 x 188, you'll need a sheet made specifically for those measurements to get a snug, smooth fit.
Pro Tips for a Better Fit
Want to create that plush, inviting look you see in hotels? Here's a simple trick: size up your duvet.
- For a Double Bed (137 x 188 cm): A Queen size duvet is a fantastic choice. It gives you a generous overhang on the sides, which not only looks more luxurious but also ensures both you and your partner stay comfortably covered all night.
- For a Queen Bed (153 x 203 cm): Following the same logic, a King size duvet provides that extra drape and cosiness, elevating the whole feel of your bed.
A well-fitting sheet set and a correctly sized duvet can completely transform your sleeping experience. It’s a small detail that pays off big time in comfort and style.
Don't forget that mattress protectors and valances also need to match your bed’s exact dimensions for a tidy finish. You can explore collections of high-quality bed sheets for NZ sizes to find the perfect fit every time.
How NZ Bed Sizes Came to Be
Ever wondered why our bed sizes in New Zealand are what they are? It's quite a story. Our unique dimensions didn't just appear out of thin air; they’ve been shaped over decades by a combination of housing trends and influences from both Britain and Australia.
This unique mix of international standards and local needs gave us the sizes we know today. Think back to the early 20th century, when Kiwi homes were generally more compact. Smaller beds like singles were the norm. But as our country developed, particularly with the post-World War II boom in suburban housing, homes got bigger, and so did our appetite for more comfortable, spacious beds. This shift paved the way for the double and, later, the queen to become household favourites. You can dive deeper into the general history of bed sizes on Wikipedia.
From Compact Living to Modern Comfort
For a long time, the humble double bed size in NZ of 137 x 188 cm was the go-to for Kiwi couples. It was a perfect fit for the smaller bedrooms of the era, offering a practical step up from a single without demanding too much floor space.
But as our homes grew through the second half of the 20th century, our tastes changed along with them. The arrival of Queen and King sizes really mirrored this shift towards more generous living spaces. It’s this unique history that explains why our standard sizes don't quite match up with those in the US or Europe—they’re a direct reflection of our own architectural and cultural journey.
Common Questions About NZ Bed Sizes
Choosing the right bed can feel a bit overwhelming with all the different sizes and names out there. Let's clear up some of the most common questions we get asked, so you can feel confident you're making the right call.
Is a NZ Double the Same as an Australian Double?
This is a great question, and the answer is no—they're not quite the same. It's a small difference, but an important one when you're buying bedding or a new bed frame.
A standard New Zealand double bed measures 137 cm x 188 cm. Over in Australia, a double is the same width but just a fraction longer at 137 cm x 190 cm.
That little 2 cm difference in length might not sound like much, but it can be just enough to make a fitted sheet or mattress protector a bit too snug if it's not made for NZ dimensions.
Can Two Adults Comfortably Share a Double Bed?
This really boils down to personal space and how you both sleep. A double bed gives each person about 68.5 cm of width, which, for a bit of perspective, is actually less space than a baby gets in a standard cot.
For some couples, a double is a cosy and practical choice, especially if you're working with a smaller bedroom. However, if one or both of you tends to move around a lot or simply likes to stretch out, you might find it a bit tight. Upgrading to a Queen (153 cm wide) can make a world of difference by minimising partner disturbance.
Deciding between a Double and a Queen often involves weighing up your bedroom size against your sleep quality. A Double is great for saving space, but the extra width of a Queen can be a real game-changer for couples who are light sleepers.
What Is the Difference Between a King Single and a Double?
It’s easy to get these two mixed up, but they're designed for very different people and purposes. The key differences are in both their width and length.
- King Single: Measures 107 cm wide x 203 cm long. It's narrower than a double but offers much more length, making it ideal for tall teenagers or single adults who need the extra legroom.
- Double: Measures 137 cm wide x 188 cm long. This bed is much wider but shorter, perfect for a single sleeper who loves having more room to roll over, or for couples who don't mind being close.
So, a King Single is all about length for one person, whereas a Double is all about providing more width.
If you have any more questions that we haven't covered here, our NZ Bed Company FAQs page is packed with helpful information.
Ready to find the perfect bed for your space? At New Zealand Bed Company, we offer a huge range of high-quality mattresses and beds in every standard NZ size. Explore our collection and find your ideal match today at https://nzbeds.co.nz.