CozyArray- Why the Difference Between a King vs. California King is Bigger than You Think
There are only a few inches of difference between a King vs. California King bed, right?
Wrong.
Sure, the sizes sound close. After all, a King size bed is 76 inches wide by 80 inches long, while a California King is 72 inches wide by 84 inches long.
Lots of people will see those figures, notice the four-inch difference in width and length and assume it’s no big deal.
But it has a huge impact. Not only on your sleeping habits, and those of anyone else in the bed, but also on your room, and potentially your wallet.
A bed is a significant investment. The last thing you want is to choose wrong, and be stuck with it for years to come.
In this post, I’ll walk you through why this subtle difference matters. So that you make the right choice for your home and your lifestyle.
But first, let’s take a quick look at why there are more than one King on the market. After all, there’s no such thing as a California Queen or a California double.
Source: sleepadvisor.org
The Battle of the Kings
It’s hard to track down exactly when and why each of the Kings was created.
California King. General consensus is that the California King was first made in California, sometime between 1920 and 1982.
The most common tale appears to be that it was created in the late 40s or early 50s, after the war.
These beds began as specially made pieces for wealthy, famous Californians who supposedly needed big beds to fit their big houses and big lifestyles.
King. It seems that the King was created and made popular around the same time, although again the history is a bit muddled.
They seem to have appeared around the mid-1940s, and started to grow in sales in the mid-1950s.
However, in the 1960’s something happened that made the Eastern King become the standard King size.
There was a group called the National Association of Bedding Manufacturers (NABM). After the war ended, manufacturers were trying to find ways to keep their factories busy and their workers employed.
In 1961 the group started launching campaigns to boost bed sales. The secretary and general manager of NABM, J. Paul Fanning reportedly made the following statement in May 1961:
“What this country needs is larger beds and smaller cars—and we already have the latter. But in bedding, width is now even more important than length. Too many people are still sleeping two in a ‘full-size’ bed that provides only 27 inches—or crib space—for each person.”
That brilliant idea to compare a double or full-size bed to a crib ended up being a public relations hit, and sales started to take off.
Source: www.bedtimesmagazine.com
The popularity of the King continued to climb over the following decades, and is now one of the most popular bed sizes available.
However, it did not mean that the California King went out of existence.
In fact, not only did the California King still survive, for reasons we’ll get into later, but a third King was also born.
The Super King. The Super King is the title given to the largest of the beds on the market today. Bigger than both the King and the Cal King, this bed is huge, rare, and most often custom made.
In fact, some Super Kings are 80 inches by 80 inches while others are 85.5 inches by 84.5 inches. There seems to be no consistency between brands at this point, and the beds are still very uncommon.
What about the other Kings?
I know what you’re thinking. It seems a bit ridiculous for there to be so many different King-sized beds. But there are, unfortunately, three more variations we should mention, in order to help avoid confusion.
The Split King. You may come across this term and wonder if it’s another sized King that you need to compare. The good news is that it’s not.
The Split King is the exact same dimensions as the King (76”x80”) except it’s literally split down the middle. It’s as if you pushed together two twin beds.
The upside of this is that it’s easier to move, and if you want an adjustable bed, it allows for separate inclines on each side. It also requires special sheet sets that offer two fitted sheets but one flat sheet.
The UK King. Interestingly, there is no Queen size in the UK. The next size up from Double is King, but their King size measures 60 inches by 78 inches.
The UK Super King. The UK does not have a Cal King, but it does have its own Super King. Once again, it’s smaller than the US version. The UK Super King is 71 inches by 78 inches, making it smaller than even an American standard King.
Source: https://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk/bed_sizes_and_dimensions
So make sure if you’re opting to get any fancy bedding or accessories from overseas that you make sure it’s the right measurements for your bed.
The Reigning King
So out of all the Kings on the market, which King is the winner?
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. After all, if there was one clear winner for everyone, we wouldn’t have to deal with the confusion of having six different Kings!
Let’s look at a brief summary of the differences before we delve deeper into the King vs. California King debate.
I wanted to bring up the UK differences in case you shop online and order products overseas. But I think we can cut them out of any discussion from here on out over which King is better. They’re simply too small.
The split King is the same as the King, at least in size, so we’ll also drop that one from the discussion for now.
And the Super King is a specialty mammoth. If you have the space, don’t mind custom shopping for the bed and all of its accessories, and accept that you’ll have fewer options to pick from… well, the size is impressive.
For most of us, I think that narrows us down to two choices. The King vs. the California King.
To fully explain the pros and cons of one over the other, we have to dig into a couple of different factors. Let’s start with the actual square footage.
The California King is Not Actually Larger
It’s a common misconception that a California King-sized bed is a step up from a King-sized one. I know that when I was younger, I thought a California King was the larger bed. And I was wrong.
Here are the areas of each bed:
- King: 76×80 inches = 6,080 inches
- Cal King: 72×84 inches = 6,048 inches
Yep, that’s right — the King is actually the larger of the two beds.
But, before assuming that makes it the right bed, let’s put that difference into context. A King is 32 square inches larger than a California King. Just how big is that difference?
It’s about half the size of an Apple iPad Air. Which is also the equivalent of about four post-it notes.
I don’t know about you, but to me, that seems like a pretty small difference when it comes to sleeping space.
Which is why there is no one right answer to which bed is better. For some, the California King is the ultimate choice, while for others it’s a huge mistake.
Which bed is right for you is going to depend on the following four things:
- Your size and sleeping habits
- Your bedmates
- Your room
- Ease of buying
Because four inches wider or four inches longer can make all the difference in the world when you factor in all those considerations.
We’ll look at each one in detail to understand why, but here’s the high-level summary:
.
What Are You Like?
A regular King size bed is 80 inches long, which is the equivalent of 6’8”.
Considering the average height of a male in the US is just under 5’10”, that should be large enough for the majority of the population, right?
Well, maybe not.
I’m 5’8” and if I sleep on a double bed (which is 6’2” long,) I find my feet hanging off the bottom. Because I don’t sleep with my head pressed right against the headboard. There’s empty pillow space up there that needs to be accounted for.
So if you’re over 6 feet tall, you may find that the King size is not long enough.
Especially if you love to sleep low down in the bed, with your arms flung above your head… some people do!
Source: www.onhealth.com
In fact, if you do a Google search on the right bed length for your height, you’ll find a number of people over 6’’ tall complaining that their feet hang over a standard King-sized bed.
However, maybe you love sleeping like that. Or, if you can’t help but starfish, sprawl sideways or toss and turn over a large space, extra width may be better for you.
Who Are Your Bedmates?
When selecting your perfect bed, you also need to consider who else is in it, and their habits.
Sleeping with a partner
If you regularly share the bed with your partner, then it’s important to take their size and sleeping habits into account as well.
You want to make sure there is enough room for both of you to sleep comfortably. California King mattresses are still a full foot wider than a Queen, which may be plenty.
However, if you’re both larger, or if you want enough space to feel as if the other person isn’t in the bed, that extra width of a standard King might be exactly what you need.
Does your partner toss and turn all night?
The biggest factor for motion transfer is the quality of the mattress. Which means that if you have a high-quality Cali King-sized mattress, it can still significantly reduce the disruption.
But, having a few extra inches in between you can help as well. So if you’re currently waking up at night, thinking of smothering your loved one to make him or her stop thrashing…maybe opt for the standard King…or sleep therapy…
What about if you love to cuddle and spoon to sleep?
Some people hate the feeling of sleeping alone and find the King feels too large, with their partner too far away.
Source: www.premiersleepsolutions.com
Kids in the bed
Any parent likely knows the feeling of a small child crawling into bed in the middle of the night, complaining that they can’t sleep.
Next thing you know, your little angel is sound asleep, taking up half the bed, and you have a foot in your face or an elbow in your ribs.
Add in a second kid, and you’ll be lucky not to end up on the floor, or squished up in the kid’s twin-sized bed, thankful to be alone.
So when you’re selecting the ideal bed for your room, make sure you don’t forget who else might be demanding space in it.
Source: makeup-mania.net
Furry companions
Do you have pets who sleep in your bed at night? About half of all pet owners share the bed, or at least the bedroom, with their pet(s).
If you have animals that sleep in your bed, considering how and where they sleep may also impact your buying decision.
For instance, do you have a large dog that loves to sleep at the foot of the bed every night?
If so, the California King might be the perfect way to save your feet from being pinned down under 60+ pounds of snoring animal.
On the other hand, if your furry friend always sneaks up beside you in bed, then the extra width of a King would be the better option.
Source: me.me
How Large is Your Bedroom?
Both the King and California King are large beds, and they can take up a lot of space in a Master Bedroom.
The last thing you want to do is get one home only to discover you have to sacrifice a bedside table just to fit it in.
Which means if you have a rectangular room, the Cali King might be a better fit, allowing you to move around the room easier and not have to sacrifice other furniture.
Make sure before you choose the bed you want, you measure the size of your room. Then account for the other furniture and enough free floor space to easily walk around.
You will likely want at least 2–3 feet of space around all three sides of the bed that won’t be pressed against the wall to allow for free movement and make sure your room doesn’t appear too cramped.
If you have a 15’x15’ room, a standard King size bed should fit just fine.
However, at around 12’ it starts to feel noticeably closed in, and the California King gives a few extra precious inches of room:
Not sure what you really need? You can measure everything out, or you can use an online room planner to give you a good idea.
Just don’t forget windows, closets, doors, and even outlets when considering where to place things.
What’s the Availability and the Cost?
When it’s time to shop for a new bed, a lot of factors come into play that you need to consider.
Consider all of the following options:
- Material type (i.e., spring vs. foam)
- Mattress firmness
- Thickness
- Coil count
- Warranty
- Brand
- Specialty features (i.e., adjustable)
And all of those decisions are just when picking the mattress. You also need to make choices when it comes to the bed frame, box springs, and accessories.
As we discussed earlier, the California King got its name due to its popularity in California and on the West Coast. In fact, it’s sometimes called the Western King, and the regular King is called the Eastern King.
Why is that relevant?
Because, if you don’t live on the West coast, it can be challenging to find California King beds, frames, and accessories.
So if you have your heart set on a certain brand or specialty mattress, frame, etc., you’ll have to make sure the California King size is even an option for you.
If you an adjustable bed, where each side inclines separately, you need to go with a standard King. Even if you just want a split bed to make it easier to move, you’ll have to opt for the King.
There are no Split California Kings.
Did you know that Ikea doesn’t carry California King sizes? If you’re a die-hard Ikea fan, that fact alone might have made your decision for you.
Although we offer Cal King sizes on many items, not all brands make or stock that size.
For example, the Clara Clark mattress protectors that we carry only go up to King size.
Plus, when things are more difficult to find, you often tend to pay more for them.
Even though the King bed has a larger area to cover, if you shop around on sites like Amazon, you’ll notice the sheets and accessories are typically cheaper. This is because they’re more common and are easier to produce in bulk.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, so if you know you want a California King, make sure you shop around and see what options are out there.
For example, our Cal King sheet sets are only $29.99 while our King sets are $34.99. No matter where you live in the US.
Conclusion
By now you hopefully know why there is no one size fits all answer to which bed is the better choice. As well as why such a seemingly small difference in space can add up to a huge impact on your life and your sleep.
When deciding between a King vs. California King, it’s important to consider your own height and sleeping style, as well as that of your partner. Who or what else sleeps in your bed should also factor in.
The size of your room, and your willingness to search and shop around for the bed and its accessories can sway your decision as well.
If you are tall, have a dog that sleeps on your feet, have a rectangular master bedroom, and don’t mind price shopping, then the California King is the clear winner.
On the other hand, if you need as much width as possible, to fit in you, a partner and a child all starfishing across the bed, then opt for the standard King.
Which bed will you choose? What was the deciding factor for you?
Source: tumblr.com