When you hear the term "double bed" what comes to mind?

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I believe this size is one that "just happened" - a box spring for a king would be too big to handle easily, so kings have 2 half-size box springs. Someone figured this would be a great way to get some extra length, and the size was born.

I've also heard of the Split King being referred to as a Lannister - a pair of twins put together to make a king.

That's what my Mom has on her bed for the box spring - two twin mattresses pushed together, topped with not one, but TWO king sized mattresses.

Talk about comfy . . . .I can stretch out on her bed and be almost asleep in no time flat.

And mine is a antique double bed (aka Full size) iron bed frame that sits a few inches off the ground. Add on the box spring and mattress (and I bought my current set 8 years ago ) and I almost have to jump just to get into my bed - it sits higher than it used to when I had one box spring and two mattresses on it (the newer mattresses are much thicker than ones we bought 20 years ago.)

And some evenings when I'm aching so bad, I feel like I need a stepladder just to get into my bed.

[WishfulSpirit]

That's why we call ours "two queens" and "single kings." Its a bit more idiot proof.

[Catwoman2965]

Seeing as this month marks 9 years working in mattress stores for me, here's the standard mattress sizes in the United States:

--Twin, AKA Single = 39" wide by 75" long
--Twin Extra Long = 39" wide by 80" long (2 of these pushed together make a Split King)
--Full, AKA Double = 54" wide by 75" long
--Queen = 60" wide by 80" long
--California King (which for some strange reason is the "Standard" King on the West Coast & in the waterbed industry) = 72" wide by 84" long
--King (known to Californians as an "Eastern" King) = 76" wide by 80" long

Non-Standard, Special Order Sizes (ALL of the major national mattress brands have stopped making these, only lesser-known mattress makers still offer them, except as noted):

--"Camp"/Cot Mattress = 31" wide by either 72" or 75" long
--3/4 size, AKA "Antique Bed" size = 48" wide by either 72" or 75" long
--Full Extra Long = 54" wide by 80" long
--Short Queen, AKA RV/Camper Mattress = 60" wide by 75" long
--Olympic Queen = old size discontnued by ALL mattress manufacturers at least 10 years ago, would now only be available as a custom order. I don't know the dimensions.
--California Queen = See Olympic Queen

Also, please be aware that these dimensions are the industry standard dimensions, around which furniture and bed linens are designed. But due to the fact that most mattresses and box springs involve at least some hand craftsmanship, the exact, finished dimensions will vary slightly from one mattress or box spring to another. So, if you measure your mattress and get 53 & 1/2" wide by 74 & 1/3" long, you still have a Full/Double, and the dimensions are still within the manufacturer's specifications. 8-)

So, if you say "Double" to me, that means a Full Size mattress. If you say "Double Room", I expect that to mean either 1 or 2 Full Size mattresses in the room.

My mom has a 3/4 bed in her spare room. Which she is getting rid of in her preparation to move. I'm quite happy since its god-awful. I bought a new bed about a year and a half ago, a full size, and was on the fence about whether I liked it or not. Hybrid; memory foam over innerspring. I wasn't use to the "squish" of the memory foam, but anytime i come back from visiting her, its like heaven, so I've learned to love and appreciate it! and my back, hips and knees don't me anymore either!

[Catwoman2965]

My own experience is:

Rooms:
Single - room for one person, or a single bed, large enough for one person.
Twin - room with two beds, usually single size.
double - room for two people with one double bed.
twin double - two double beds

Beds: (we've just been bed shopping a couple of months ago)
Small single - a narrowish bed for one person, narrower than a single.
Single - a narrowish bed suitable for one person.
Small double - (called jack size or king single in the US) about a foot wider than a single, good for single people who like big beds, or thin couples.
Double - not actually twice the size of a single, good for people who like lots of space or most couples.
Kingsize - Big bed, 5' wide.
Super king - Biiiiig bed, great if you need to share with pets...
Custom - can be as wide or as long as the factory is capable of, the owner of the bed store claims he once ordered a 17' wide mattress for the sultan of somewhere for him and his harem!

A queen size exists too but i don't know what that one is. (A quick google reveals that is a US size, equivalent, in width anyway, to our kingsize)

Beds also come in standard length and extra long.

Dh is an insomniac and i'm the kind of sleeper who makes the tasmanian devil look like a really chilled out guy, so we always had super kings before, we tried a double with memory foam and both sleep well!

I will admit; as I'm planning a trip to London, I'm having trouble with the naming of the size of rooms etc. and really have to look carefully to make sure places I'm considering have what I want. Which is essentially a single room, one bed, to me, twin, with en-suite bath. I don't care if the room is teeny, and the bath teenier. Its just me, which is fine.

[wolfie]

--Twin, AKA Single = 39" wide by 75" long

My understanding is that Single is 36" by 75" (usually used for children's beds)

--Twin Extra Long = 39" wide by 80" long (2 of these pushed together make a Split King)

Fun fact: This is a VERY common mattress size in 2 "niche" markets: college dorms (so if you have this size of mattress, back to school season is the best time to buy sheets), and truck sleepers (bedding stores have MUCH better quality and lower price sheets than truck stops).

I believe this size is one that "just happened" - a box spring for a king would be too big to handle easily, so kings have 2 half-size box springs. Someone figured this would be a great way to get some extra length, and the size was born.

I've also heard of the Split King being referred to as a Lannister - a pair of twins put together to make a king.

[Jack T. Chance]

Seeing as this month marks 9 years working in mattress stores for me, here's the standard mattress sizes in the United States:

--Twin, AKA Single = 39" wide by 75" long
--Twin Extra Long = 39" wide by 80" long (2 of these pushed together make a Split King)
--Full, AKA Double = 54" wide by 75" long
--Queen = 60" wide by 80" long
--California King (which for some strange reason is the "Standard" King on the West Coast & in the waterbed industry) = 72" wide by 84" long
--King (known to Californians as an "Eastern" King) = 76" wide by 80" long

Non-Standard, Special Order Sizes (ALL of the major national mattress brands have stopped making these, only lesser-known mattress makers still offer them, except as noted):

--"Camp"/Cot Mattress = 31" wide by either 72" or 75" long
--3/4 size, AKA "Antique Bed" size = 48" wide by either 72" or 75" long
--Full Extra Long = 54" wide by 80" long
--Short Queen, AKA RV/Camper Mattress = 60" wide by 75" long
--Olympic Queen = old size discontnued by ALL mattress manufacturers at least 10 years ago, would now only be available as a custom order. I don't know the dimensions.
--California Queen = See Olympic Queen

Also, please be aware that these dimensions are the industry standard dimensions, around which furniture and bed linens are designed. But due to the fact that most mattresses and box springs involve at least some hand craftsmanship, the exact, finished dimensions will vary slightly from one mattress or box spring to another. So, if you measure your mattress and get 53 & 1/2" wide by 74 & 1/3" long, you still have a Full/Double, and the dimensions are still within the manufacturer's specifications. 8-)

So, if you say "Double" to me, that means a Full Size mattress. If you say "Double Room", I expect that to mean either 1 or 2 Full Size mattresses in the room.

[notalwaysright]

I never heard of a Queen size bed until I was grown, all we had was twin beds and double beds. Parents slept in double beds.

Although I knew of the larger sizes, that's the way it was growing up for me, too. I slept in a twin, parents slept in a double. My parents sized up at some point because the nice bedding seemed to only come in queen or king size.

Oh, and everyone saying that hotels don't have double beds, motels still do. The main one I can think of is Motel 6, which lists available rooms as either one queen bed, one full bed or two full beds.

[Golden Phoenix]

My own experience is:

Rooms:
Single - room for one person, or a single bed, large enough for one person.
Twin - room with two beds, usually single size.
double - room for two people with one double bed.
twin double - two double beds

Beds: (we've just been bed shopping a couple of months ago)
Small single - a narrowish bed for one person, narrower than a single.
Single - a narrowish bed suitable for one person.
Small double - (called jack size or king single in the US) about a foot wider than a single, good for single people who like big beds, or thin couples.
Double - not actually twice the size of a single, good for people who like lots of space or most couples.
Kingsize - Big bed, 5' wide.
Super king - Biiiiig bed, great if you need to share with pets...
Custom - can be as wide or as long as the factory is capable of, the owner of the bed store claims he once ordered a 17' wide mattress for the sultan of somewhere for him and his harem!

A queen size exists too but i don't know what that one is. (A quick google reveals that is a US size, equivalent, in width anyway, to our kingsize)

Beds also come in standard length and extra long.

Dh is an insomniac and i'm the kind of sleeper who makes the tasmanian devil look like a really chilled out guy, so we always had super kings before, we tried a double with memory foam and both sleep well!

[Jay 2K Winger]

As someone who ordinarily sleeps in a double bed, I know what it means.

Had to look that up. US first floor is the ground floor, UK first floor is the floor above the ground floor. I would be confused, except for the brilliance of the google.

I know about this one thanks to Achievement Hunter. In part 2 of their Let's Play Minecraft Halloween Special, token Brit Gavin got into an argument about "ground floor vs first floor" with everyone else (who are all American) about the term while they were searching the haunted house. When Gavin explained the definition of "first floor" by his reckoning, team leader Geoff immediately snapped, "We're not in England right now!"

(Gavin is frequently the butt of jokes thanks to his British English terminology.)

[Seshat]

Bed sizes I'm familiar with:

Single (usually sold to children or people who intend one person to be sleeping in it)

'King Single' (rare, wider than a single, still intended for one)

Double (intended for two)

Queen (longer and wider than a double, intended for two)

King (same length as a queen, wider, intended for two who like luxury or who both toss and turn horribly in their sleep!)

[judecat]

I never heard of a Queen size bed until I was grown, all we had was twin beds and double beds. Parents slept in double beds.

[Food Lady]

When I was growing up I had a full bed and sometimes we called it a double. If you say double bed, that's what I'm going to think of.

[paxillated]

Hmm. As a grammar wise ass daughter of an old-school English teacher, If I said I wanted a "double," I'd mean a room for 2. If I asked for a "double bed," I would be speaking of a full-size bed. I'd also be pretty dumb, because it has been a long time since hotels replaced them with queens or kings.

Acksherly, at a hotel, I'd say "room for 1 (or 2)" and nothing about the size of the bed!

[HotelMinion]

Yeah double means two people can squeeze into it. Also called full.
Double according to dictionary is two (equal things).
I also to work in a mattress store before hotels and never heard of it! The stores only sell king, queen and twin.
Sales always says two people can squeeze into it...but NOT if they're really large or don't move. Stupid sales! Just say only one adult can fit comfortably in it! =P Maybe two children. Maybe. They ought to specify. Had 4 adults try to fit into 2 doubles. They were aghast.

[Mr Hero]

You've obviously never been to Canada - a "Double Double" is a Tim Horton's coffee with 2 cream and 2 sugar. Wouldn't want to sleep in one.

In the Western U.S. a double double is a hamburger similar to the Big Mac served at the most overhyped chain restaurant.