Bed Sizes trough History
Bed sizes through history have changed. Not only have the dimensions evolved, but so have the standards applied in countries. The following information will make this clear.
Same Names, Different Sizes
Sizes in a country (i.e., the US, UK etc) are the same, although there may be some small derivations due to manufacturing. However, the same bed dimensions label will vary from one country to the next. This makes choosing quite difficult. It can also cause problems when looking for bed sheets.
Here is an example. The queen bed in the US is 60″ by 80″. But in Europe the bed measures 63″ by 79″. Due to different historical developments, a queen bed in Asia measures 60″ by 77″. In Africa it measures 60″ by 74”.
Because bed sizes through history have evolved, full, twin and king also vary from country to country. Numerous manufacturers have come up with some unique measurements and names. This happened because some countries use the imperial system. But others rely on the metric system. In fact, many measurements vary in the two systems.
Manufacturers
Among the best known brands in the US are Simmons, Sealy and Serta. As time passed, numerous sizes became standard in the United States. They are king (78″ x 80″), queen (60″ x 80″), double/full (54″ X 75″) and twin/single (39″ X 75″). Less common sizes are California King (72″ X 80″), California Queen (60″ X 84″) and Olympic Queen (66″ X 80″).
Quality
Mattresses have improved greatly. In the past they only lasted for a couple of years. Today the low end ones will last for seven years. The good ones are going to last for 15 years or more. The frame and coils have also been enhanced greatly.
According to historians, people during the Neolithic period (8,000-6,000 B.C.) were sleeping on the ground. They then began making basic mattresses and beds. The earliest beds were made of grass and leaves. These were held in place by animal skin. During 3,500 BC, the Persians created waterbeds. These were built of goatskins filled with water. During the time of the Roman Empire, the rich people slept on beds filled with feathers.
The early bed sizes through history did not have steel coils. In fact they only appeared in 1865. The steel coils were patented during that year. Since that time, several advances have been made in terms of coil development. Numerous mattresses have also appeared.
