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King-Size Mattress
What kind of king-size mattress do you want? Your choices include the basic firm or soft, thick or standard, pillow top or quilted top, and they also include the construction materials. The choices are numerous and give you options you didn't have several years ago. I personally love my king-size latex mattress with wool mattress topper. But my various friends like their sleep number and inner spring mattresses.
King-size mattresses are one of the most commonly purchased mattress today. The thing that some people do not even realize, however, is that there are different sizes of king size mattresses, including the regular king-size and California king-sized mattress. This gives you the opportunity to find the right large mattress for your needs. What do you need to know about the king size and California King size mattresses?
You first need to know what size these mattresses are. A king-size mattress measures 78 inches wide and 80 inches long, while a California king mattress is 72 inches wide and 84 inches long. As you can tell by the measurements, a California king mattress is slightly narrower than a traditional king-sized mattress, and it's half a foot longer. This is great for those people who are very tall, because they do not have to be concerned about their feet hanging off of the bed. There are other things that you need to consider about a California king size mattress, too.
Finding bedding that will fit your California king mattress may not be as easy as you may think. There is not a great deal of variety in California king sheets or comforter sets, which can be somewhat hard to deal with if you want to create a bedroom that fits your style. These bedding items would have to be custom ordered in most cases and this can cause the price to rise exponentially. If you are hanging your feet off of the mattress, then this issue may be well worth it to be able to sleep comfortably on a mattress that is the right size.
If you are thinking of getting either a king of California king mattress, you'll be happy to know they are available in a number of different styles, including innerspring, latex foam, water, futon, memory foam and air. The thing that you may want to take into consideration, however, is where your bedroom is located that you are going to be using the mattress in.
For example, if you live in a walk-up that is more than two-plus stories high, consider how heavy the mattress is going to be. Many of the mattress choices don't have a great deal of flexibility either, which can be a problem with moving larger mattresses in winding staircases or in close quarters. If this is your issue, then you will want to get a king or California king mattress that is somewhat flexible, so an innerspring mattress that has a frame would not be a good choice. And if you find a mattress that does go up your winding stairway, be sure the springs or foundation also will be manageable in going up the stairs.
At one time, king-size beds were made by putting two twin beds together with either a rubber pad covering the seam or putting a king-size bed pad over the twins to make the middle more comfortable. I know some bed and breakfasts still take this approach, and it's one you can consider too. Two twins are much easier to move than a king-size bed.If you share a mattress with someone, consider a sleep number air bed. That kind of air mattress offers you the opportunity to inflate each side to the specific firmness you and your partner want and need to sleep well.
Air mattresses make good guest beds because they store nicely. Another good point about air mattresses is they deflate, making them easier to move, because they are light compact. Just be sure to get a good foundation for your air mattress to help it last longer and to give the people using it the most comfortable sleep.
A king or California king-size mattress can give you that room and space that you want and need to stretch out and get the good night's sleep that you want. By keeping the previous points in mind, you will be able to choose the right one for you, your room, and your needs.
Comments
It sounds uncomfortable. Have you tried rotating the mattress so a different section of edge is at your torso? Do you often sit on the edge of your mattress, like to talk on the phone? If so, stop doing that. Did you replace the springs when you replaced the mattress? That's important to do. What condition are your springs in? Maybe you want to try to support the mattress more evenly by putting plywood between the springs and mattress.
And talk to the store where you bought your mattress to see what they can tell you. I hope it will be better news than reports I hear from other consumers are.
The Mattress Lady at February 13, 2008 10:54 AM
I am wondering about a California king bed, does it fit into a queen size headboard? or are California king or standard king sized headboards required? Thanks
Carol at March 29, 2008 10:16 AM
If your queen-size headboard is flat you can attach a king-size frame to it. There will be a few inches of overhand on either side of the frame, but it's generally not too noticeable. But if the queen-size headboard curves out, like toward the foot of the bed, then no, it won't work.
Double check the attachment points of the headboard and the frame you are going to use to make sure things align as they need to. If they don't you'll want to rig a solution -- like attaching the headboard to a piece of wood that attaches to the frame.
The Mattress Lady at March 29, 2008 10:59 AM
I am looking for a pad to cover two twin mattresses that we have put together to make a king sized bed. We bought one many years ago that was made of foam and was shaped like a "T" so that the "T" fit down between the middle of the bed to eliminate the ridges from the twin mattresses. Hope you can help me.
Thank you Donna Wileczka
Donna Wileczka at May 5, 2008 05:53 PM
What an interesting product! I've never heard of it. Everyone I know who's put twins together to make a king either just put a quilted mattress pad over the two beds or put a T-shaped foam strip between the two before putting the mattress pad over the twins.
When I have put twins together I haven't bothered with the foam because people too often complained that the foam was more uncomfortable than the edges of the twin beds. I have found a good quilted mattress works better. And if the edges of the twin beds are especially hard I have also put a blanket down before putting the quilted mattress pad over the twin beds.
That doesn't help you find the product you are looking for, but it does give you ideas for other approaches.
Good luck finding what you are looking for. Please chime in and let us know where you do find it.
The Mattress Lady at May 6, 2008 09:47 AM
I have a California King Matress that is currently in a waterbed frame (we were trying to save money buy continuing to use the waterbed structure long after the actual water bed was disposed of.) My husband and I want to get rid of the waterbed frame and purchase a box spring and frame instead (our matress is only 2 years old.) I have heard that some people use twin boxprings in their twin frames to fit under the California King matresses. Would you have to use a college sized twin boxspring or would a standard sized twin boxspring/frame work? Is it more economical to just buy a California king box spring and frame? Thanks for any help!
Danielle at May 19, 2008 01:54 PM
You want to find box springs that match your mattress in size. The problem with approaching this as you are is that often mattresses and box springs are made as a unit, the idea being that the springs augment what the mattress is intended to do. But, your ecological approach is appreciated.
As far as which is the more economical approach -- 1 Cal King box spring or 2 Cal Twin box springs -- you need to price that for where you are.
Another consideration is where you move the springs to in your home. If you have any tight corners to negotiate, the two box springs will make the tight corner better than the one big box spring.
The Mattress Lady at May 19, 2008 02:59 PM
I have a king size bed and the mattress that we are getting is a California King.. My question is; Can I use the king box springs for the california king mattress?
Tina at June 11, 2008 12:02 AM
Tina, you can't really use the same springs because they are shorter than the mattress. I suppose if you want to lay plywood between the springs and the mattress you could get by, but it's not a great solution.
Besides, buying your new mattress with springs makes for a better package. Manufacturer's claim they make springs and mattresses to go together and work as a unit. If that's true then you'll be more content with your purchase if it's with springs too. If it's not true you'll save yourself money by not buying their springs (other than you have two different sizes to deal with).
The Mattress Lady at June 11, 2008 10:06 AM
The "T-shaped" unit mentioned by a previous poster might be the "Create-a-king" kit. It includes a plush covered foam "T" that fills the gap between the two twins and a long belt that goes around the perimeter of the two mattresses to cinch them together. Easy to turn up with an internet search for "create-a-king".
at June 24, 2008 05:27 PM
