Is a California King Bed the Same Size as a King Bed?
Standard mattress sizing developed during the industrial revolution as an artifact of mass producing mattresses and beds. Although designed to better serve the manufacturer, standard sizing also makes shopping for a bed easier since it gives the shopper and the shopkeeper a shared vocabulary. One place this shared vocabulary breaks down is in the difference between a king mattress and a California king. Although both are "king" mattresses, a California king mattress and king frame won't work together. Does this Spark an idea?
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Standard King Information
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A king mattress, also called a "standard king" or "east coast king," measures 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. Each sleeper gets about as much individual room as she would have sleeping alone on a twin bed. The total surface area of the top of a king mattress is 6,080 square inches. These are the measurements for North American king beds. King mattresses in Europe and Asia have different specifications.
California King Information
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The California king mattress was invented in 1982 to accommodate the fact that people tend to be taller now than when mattress sizes were standardized. A California king mattress is thinner but longer than a standard king. It measures 72 inches wide by 84 inches long. The total surface area for the top of a California king mattress is 6,048 square inches.
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Pricing
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Due to their similar size but different dimensions, king mattresses and California king mattresses are usually similar in price. This similarity is also true for king versus California king bed frames, sheets and comforters. However, California kings are usually manufactured and distributed on the West Coast; people living on the East Coast or in the American Midwest may find prices on a California king higher due to shipping costs.
Terminology
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Note that "king mattress" means a standard king size mattress to most people in the trade. If you want a California king mattress, frame or accessory, you should ask for it using the full name. You don't want to come home with a standard king fitted sheet and try to put it on your California king mattress.
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