Will a Floor Bed Fit? How to Measure Your Child's Room
Will it fit? Measure once, smile at bedtime
A new floor bed is a big moment. Here is how to measure your little one’s room in five minutes, what the numbers mean, and how to see the bed in the room before it arrives.
Try the room plannerThree numbers to measure
Grab a tape measure and a grown-up helper. Measure wall to wall at floor level, because baseboards and the bulge of a radiator count.
Width and length
Measure both walls of the room. Write them down in feet and inches, or centimetres if you prefer.
The door and closet
Note where the door is, how wide it is and which way it swings. A bed should never stop a door from opening fully.
The ceiling
Only needed for a house bed. Measure from the floor to the ceiling, or to the lowest light or fan.
How much floor is left?
Here is the open floor left beside a Little Dreamer Floor Bed when it sits in a corner, in three common room sizes. The bed’s outer size is 41 × 77.2 in for a Twin, 56.6 × 76.8 in for a Double and 62.5 × 82 in for a Queen.
| Room | Twin | Double | Queen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cozy9 × 10 ft | 5 ft 7 in24% of the floor | 4 ft 3 in34% of the floor | 3 ft 10 in40% of the floor |
| Average10 × 11 ft | 6 ft 7 in20% of the floor | 5 ft 3 in27% of the floor | 4 ft 10 in32% of the floor |
| Roomy12 × 13 ft | 8 ft 7 in14% of the floor | 7 ft 3 in19% of the floor | 6 ft 10 in23% of the floor |
Open floor beside the bed, with the bed tucked into a corner along the longer wall. Your room will differ, so use the planner with your own measurements.
Little things that make a big difference
Keep a path
A common rule of thumb is at least 24 inches (about 60 cm) of open floor beside the bed. It leaves room to walk past, kneel for a story and tuck in a toy basket.
Measure the bed, not the mattress
Fences, rails and house frames add a few inches all round. Our ARY mattress is 38 × 75 in for a Twin, 53 × 75 in for a Double and 60 × 80 in for a Queen, and each bed page lists the bed’s own outer size.
Mind the door swing
Trace the arc of the door on the floor with a strip of painter’s tape. If the bed sits inside that arc, it is time to turn it or try a smaller size.
Tape it out
Mark the bed’s outer size on the floor with painter’s tape and live with it for a day. It is the easiest way to feel how much space is left for play.
See it in the room before it arrives
Our Will it fit? room planner shows your room in 3D or as a floor plan. Pop in your measurements, pick a bed and drag it around.
Open the planner- Mimi Beds and Sapiens Child floor beds
- Feet and inches, or centimetres
- Open floor, floor used and headroom
- Turn the bed, move it to a corner or the centre
Floor bed fit FAQ
How much space do you need beside a floor bed?
There is no official rule for a child’s room, but a common rule of thumb is to keep at least 24 inches (about 60 cm) of open floor beside a bed so you can walk past and kneel down for a story. Our planner calls anything under 24 inches snug.
Will a twin floor bed fit in a 9 by 10 ft room?
Usually, yes. Our Little Dreamer Twin is 41 × 77.2 inches on the outside. Tucked into the corner of a 9 × 10 ft room, it leaves about 5 ft 7 in of open floor beside it. Measure your own room first, because closets, radiators and doors change the picture.
Should I measure the mattress size or the bed size?
Measure for the bed. A frame, a fence or a house roof is always bigger than the mattress inside it. Every bed page lists the outer dimensions, and those are the numbers our planner uses.
Does ceiling height matter for a floor bed?
For a low floor bed, rarely. For a house bed it can: the ARY Classic House Bed in Queen stands about 80 inches tall, so check the ceiling and anything hanging from it, like a light or a fan.
More floor bed guides
Got a tricky room? Email us at hello@truelittlenorth.com with your measurements and we’ll be happy to help.
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