Matching a Mattress to Your Bed: Size, Depth and Weight

To match a mattress to a bed, buy it in exactly the same UK size name, check its depth against the base, and on an ottoman check its weight against the lift. Firmness and type are personal choices; size, depth and weight are the ones that make a mattress physically work with a particular bed.

Legend Beds beds are sold without a mattress, so these checks apply to a new mattress and to one you already own.

1. Size: match the name, not a close number

UK mattresses are sized to UK beds: Single 90 x 190cm, Small Double 120 x 190cm, Double 135 x 190cm, King 150 x 200cm, Super King 180 x 200cm. A European or US mattress with a similar name won't fit. A mattress a few centimetres narrow slides and leaves a gap; one too large won't sit flat or will stop an ottoman lid closing properly. The UK bed sizes guide has every conversion.

2. Depth: check the finished height

Mattress depth adds directly to how high the bed sits. Base height plus mattress depth is your sitting height, and it also decides how much headboard shows above the mattress. A very deep mattress on a tall base can make getting in and out awkward; see how high should a bed be?

On beds with a surrounding frame or side rails, a mattress that's too shallow can sit below the rails. If a product page states a mattress depth range for the base, stay inside it.

3. Weight: the ottoman question

An ottoman platform lifts on gas struts rated for a weight range. A heavy mattress, typically a deep pocket-sprung or hybrid in king or super king size, can make the lift hard to start and wear the struts faster. Look up the weight of the mattress you're considering and compare it with the base. How gas-lift ottoman beds work covers this in more detail.

Does the base change how a mattress feels?

Yes. A solid platform, like most ottoman lids, gives firm, even support. A sprung slatted base, which some Legend Beds designs such as the Aspen list, adds a little give and airflow. The same mattress can feel slightly softer on a sprung base than on a solid one.

The Aspen lists a sprung slatted base.

Which Legend Beds mattress suits which sleeper?

The Legend Beds mattress range has four options in all five sizes:

• 2000 Pocket Sprung Pillow Top: 2,000 individually pocketed springs with a padded top layer. Pocket springs move independently, which reduces motion transfer between partners.
• Memory Foam: moulds to your shape, the usual pick for side sleepers wanting pressure relief at hips and shoulders.
• Memory Orthopaedic: firm support under a memory foam layer, often chosen by back sleepers. It's also the most affordable of the four.
• Pillow Top: an extra padded layer on top for a softer first feel.

The Memory Orthopaedic Mattress.

For firmness by sleeping position, see how to choose a mattress.

Should I buy a new mattress with a new bed?

Not automatically. If your current mattress is the right size, isn't sagging and you wake without aches, keep it. If it's around seven or eight years old or visibly dipped, replacing both at once means a single delivery and a fresh start. A new mattress on a worn base wears faster, but a new base under a sound mattress is fine.

Frequently asked questions