Thinking about buying a king sized bed? Make sure you have the mattress before you get your bed covers. Most people aren't of aware of this, but you can find three different sizes of king size beds! And each type measures different than the others. So before spending your money on new linens or a new frame, find out about the different types. You could have a standard king, a California king bed, or perhaps a European king size bed.

A standard king size bed measures 76 inches in width by 80 inches long. You will find these linens most popular and they should be clearly marked as standard 76 x 80. I often advise that you make the effort and measure the mattress yourself. This way you can make sure that your measurements are actually 76 x 80. You also need to check out if your mattress has a topper, or if you make use of a mattress pad. These can add to the depth and may require you to get fitted bed covers otherwise you might find your sheets frequently coming off the border while you are asleep.

A California king bed frame will typically be more narrow than a standard king, but it will be more lengthy. The usual size is 84 inches long by 72 inches in width, or +- 4 inches from the standard size. The Cal King is ideal for two situations. One is if you have a smaller room but still want the additional space of a king bed. The other scenario is for taller people, as this bed is excellent for those tall people. Covers for this type bed are labeled "California King", but you have to always verify the measurements on the packaging. As stated previously, make sure to manually measure the width, length, and depth of your bed.

You need to also know that each style has additional names that people or manufacturers may refer to them by. A standard is sometimes called an eastern king. California king beds are sometimes called western style king bed.

Finally, and I can't reinforce this enough, always make sure to check the dimensions of your bed. Pick up the tape measurer and put it to use. It will save you a lot of disappointment at the store!