What Is a Queen Size Bed?

Size

• Standard queen beds are 60 inches wide and 80 inches long. The style mattress you choose, such as flat or pillow-top, determines its thickness. Manufacturers make box springs in various heights to compensate for thickness of the mattress. You should buy mattresses and box springs as a set since manufacturers designed them to work together. Placing a new mattress on an old box spring may shorten its life and lessen your comfort, according to the Better Sleep Council.

Mattress

• Innerspring mattresses with strong, better-quality tempered steel coils support your weight better, and as a result, provide the most comfort. Mattresses made from cheap metal coils tend to get lumpy as they provide less support. Upholstered fabric covers the inner springs. A big difference exists in quality among the various models. The type of material used, as well as the thickness of its layers, affects your level of comfort. A thick layer of quality material provides the most comfort. Thread count and strength of the fibers determines the quality of any fabric.

Box Spring

• Box springs, or foundations, are wooden boxes with either flexible or coiled steel springs. Those with more and thicker springs support the mattress better than thin-gauge wire. However, sometimes there is no difference in the construction of expensive and budget brand labels.

Bed Frame

• Queen beds need a metal frame with a center support. The bed may break or bow if you install it on a frame without the center support. You can lessen the chance of damaging the floor by placing furniture sliders under the wheels.

Headboard and Foot Board

• Headboards and foot boards are optional when assembling a queen bed unless you choose a canopy bed. Consider the room decor and wall coverings when deciding whether to use a headboard or foot board. For example, if you have an antique cedar chest at the bottom of the bed, you may not want a foot board.