When the time comes to replace your mattress, ordering the correct size to fit your bed is crucial. One area where clients sometimes encounter difficulties is taking precise and accurate measurements of their bed in order that their replacement mattress is made to the correct size. Though on the face of it measuring your bed may seem an easy task, there are several points which if not considered can lead to inaccurate measurements being taken. 

The very last thing you want is to place an order, wait patiently, only receive a mattress that doesn’t fit your bed on delivery day. That’s why The Odd Company has produced this guide to measuring your bed in order that you order the correct sized mattress. We’ve identified some common mistakes which customers make, so with our easy-to-follow guide, you’ll have correct measurements for your mattress in no time!

 

How to measure your mattress: 

1. Always measure your bed frame and not your old mattress

When measuring up for a new mattress, always measure the bed frame and not the old mattress. Mattresses are difficult to measure accurately as they have an internal spring system which can lose its shape over years of use. Bed frames on the other hand retain their shape regardless of age and will therefore provide accurate dimension when measured.  It is also important to be aware that the current depth of your mattress isn’t a great indication of how deep your new mattress should be. Many of our clients come to us citing a specific depth for their new mattress, e.g. 25cm deep. When asked why this specific depth is a requirement, we often hear the phrase ‘Well, that’s how deep my old mattress is now’.

Of course, soft fillings compress over time and with use; and the spring system may also have compressed after many nights of supporting your body. Both these factors will cause your old mattress to have lost some of its depth. In addition, modern mattresses will usually be made deeper than the mattress you’re replacing. Here at The Odd Company, all of our mattresses are extremely well-filled, which gives them that luxurious feel when slept upon. So don’t be surprised if the mattress that turns up with our drivers is fuller and deeper than the one we remove and recycle for you.



2. A mattress with a standard width won’t necessarily have a standard length


It’s important to remember that just because a bed has a standard width that it will not necessarily have been made to a standard length! This is particularly true for beds which originate from the continent and North America, or were made prior to the more widespread adoption of standardisation in the UK mattress and bed industry after the second world war. Our advice to avoid any disappointment on delivery day is to always measure both the width and length of the bed before placing an order.

 

  1. Does your mattress sit within the bed frame?

If your mattress sits within as opposed to on top of the bed frame we would always recommend making the mattress shorter and narrower than the internal ‘tight’ dimensions for one simple reason. If the mattress fits too snugly within the frame, you’ll scuff your knuckles each time you come to make the bed. 

We would advise that we make your mattress 3cm shorter and 3cm narrower than the bed’s internal tight dimensions. However there is not any hard-and-fast rule here and we would always recommend letting us know the right dimensions of the bed and allow us to use our years of experience to assess and recommend the best size mattress for the bed.

 

  1. Imperial vs. Metric measurements for your mattress

     

If your bed is an antique or originates from across the Atlantic, we would recommend that our customers take their measurements in inches as well as centimetres. The reason for this is that older and antique beds will most likely have been made to imperial dimensions as opposed to metric ones. A bed with a width of 152.4cm for example requires a 5’0” wide mattress. If the width isn’t a whole number when measured in centimetres, your bed was most probably made to accommodate a mattress made to an imperial size. Certainly, anything UK-based and made pre-war will have been constructed to measurements taken in feet and inches. So make sure to check and note down the imperial dimensions of your bed alongside the metrics ones before you get in touch.  

 

  1. Don’t stop at your mattress – measure the rest of the house!

We’re not joking – although you won’t need to measure the entire house, it‘s important to measure the crucial areas of your home which may prevent an hassle free journey of your new mattress’ from the front door to the bedroom! Though your bed often comes in sections and will be assembled in the bedroom, your mattress will come in one piece – which, as you can imagine, can be quite large!


It’s important to check that your mattress will fit through doorways and up the stairs. In addition, your Odd mattress should never be rolled or bent as this risks damage to the internal spring system. If you find there are issues with tight stairways and landings or the height of doorways, the Odd Company can make your mattress zip to link, allowing it to be made in two pieces which can link to create one large mattress once in situ.  

  1. Measuring up a Four Poster Bed for the perfect mattress

Our final piece of advice on measuring your mattress correctly relates to four-poster beds and the requirement for the mattress used with them to have cut-out corners. At The Odd Company we recommend making a mattress with four cut out corners even only two cutouts are theoretically necessary. By making your new mattress with four cut out corners the mattress can be fully rotated and turned, extending its lifespan. When all your bedding and pillows are in place, the additional cut-out corners will in most cases won’t be noticeable.

 

 

We hope that these tips on how to measure your mattress have been helpful. If you’d like further information on how to measure your mattress or have questions on any other aspect of the bespoke mattresses we make, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with The Odd Company and one of our team will be happy to help you.