The twin-size mattress used to be one of the most featured beds in movies and on television. Movies and TV shows from the 30s and early 40s made these beds popular. During those years, the only acceptable sleeping position for married couples on TV was to have twin beds arranged side by side. Even real-life couples back then slept on separate twin beds. However, by 1945, couples had stopped sleeping on separate beds, making it a culture that was mostly only seen on television.
By the 60s however, this culture had also become outdated on television as it has now become a regular practice to show couples on TV sharing a queen or king-size bed. But the twin bed has never stopped being one of the world’s most popular beds. They are affordable and very versatile. They can be set up in every bedroom from kids’ rooms to teen rooms and dorm rooms.
What Are the Dimensions of a Twin Bed?
A standard twin bed measures 38″ and sometimes 39″ in width and 75″ in length. Twin XL beds measure 38″ in width and 80″ in length. This means that the only difference between a standard twin bed and a twin XL bed is an extra 5″ in the length of the twin XL bed.
Apart from crib beds, the twin bed is the smallest standard bed available in the market; therefore, it’s more popular among younger users, especially kids. Many adults would find that their feet hang off the twin bed thanks to its limited length.
Twin beds are so narrow that you can fit multiple beds in one room, which makes them more suited for kids sharing a room. They’re also used in motels, dorm rooms, and hotel rooms to help put up several people sharing the same room who don’t want to share a bed.
Factors to Consider before Buying a Twin Bed
A twin bed is one of the smallest and most affordable options out there. Because of their low prices, many people get tempted to just go for twin beds, however, there are other important considerations to be made before deciding to go with a twin.
What’s the Size of Your Room?
Twin beds are exceptionally versatile. As long as your room measures at least 7 x 10 feet, it should be pretty easy to get a twin bed in there and have enough room left for additional furniture. However, larger rooms might swallow up a twin bed because of its small size. No one wants their bed completely dwarfed by all the extra space around it. If you have a very large room, consider getting two or more twin beds or better still, going for bigger bed sizes.
If you have a really small room, however, a twin bed would be perfect, provided you’re not an active sleeper and you don’t plan on sharing your bed. They’re easy to lift and move around too and rarely a bad call for someone living alone.
If you think the standard twin bed is too small, you can also consider going for the twin XL bed, which has 5″ more length than the standard twin. Thanks to their versatility, twin beds, and Twin XL beds can be used as a grown-up bed, as well as a kids’ bed.
Comparing a Twin-Size Mattress and a Full-Size Mattress?
A twin-size mattress is 38 inches wide and 75 inches long while a full-size mattress is 54″ wide and 75″ long. These two mattresses have a common length and are both suited for a single sleeper, so many people get torn between buying one or the other. A full bed is also sometimes called a double bed while a twin bed is sometimes called a single bed.
A full bed offers 16″ more sleeping space than a twin bed. The more sleeping space a person has on their bed, the more comfortable they’ll sleep, so if you’re an adult who needs a little more space on your bed, a full bed would be the way to go. But if you’re buying for kids or teens that do not need that much space on the bed to sleep comfortably, then a twin bed is the right choice.
The twin bed is also a lot more versatile and saves more space in the bedroom than the full bed, so if you have limited space in your bedroom, you should go for the twin bed to create more space for moving around and for additional room furniture.
Comparing a Twin Bed and Other Beds
Twin-size beds are the smallest standard beds available in the market, being only bigger than crib-size mattresses. They’re followed closely in size by the twin XL bed which is the exact length as the standard twin and only longer by 5 inches. The twin XL bed is the perfect choice for taller people who want a twin bed.
The next bigger size after a twin bed is the full bed. It’s just 16 inches wider than the twin bed and the perfect choice for people who want a small bed for sleeping alone with just enough space to turn at night. It’s 16 inches wider than a twin bed which means it can be shared occasionally, unlike the twin bed that can’t be shared. A full bed, when shared, however, doesn’t provide enough space for two sleepers to be comfortably and so should only be shared occasionally; if you’re planning to share your bed, you might prefer to get a bigger bed.
Bigger options than the twin bed include the queen bed which measures 60 inches by 80 inches and the king bed which measures 76 X 80 inches.
Can You Make a King-Size Bed by Joining Two Twin Beds?
Two twin beds joined together would measure 76 inches which is just the same width as a king-size bed. This means that the answer to this question is yes- somewhat. The length of a king bed is however 5 inches longer than that of a twin so you won’t have a king bed replica when you join two twin beds. Alternatively, you can get the same dimensions of a king bed by joining two twin XL beds because a twin XL bed has the same length as a king-sized bed.
