Single Vs King Single: what's the difference?

February 04, 2018

Choosing your child's bed size can be a big deal, so we've created a handy little check-list of factors to take into consideration when choosing the bed size. 

1. It all comes down to size.

Basically, a King Single bed is just a little bit longer and a little bit wider than a single bed. At Plyhome, we use standard NZ mattress sizes -  which are:

  • Single: 1900mm Long x 910mm Wide
  • King Single: 2030mm Long x 1060mm Wide

2. So, which one?  

This entirely depends on your child’s genes, their room size, how they sleep and your parenting approach to bedtime stories and tricky nights!

  1. Genes: If you expect your kids are going to be tall, go for the King Single, because you’ll get more years out of it before their feet are dangling off the end. Likewise, if the chances are that your kids will be more on the petite side, you’ll be fine with a single for many years to come.
  2. Rooms: Because a King Single takes up more floor-space, if you’re tight on room, a single may be the answer to leave more room for play.
  3. Sleeping style: Is your child a serene "barely moves all night" sleeper, or one that ends up sideways with limbs all over the show as if they've run a marathon? Their sleeping style can indicate mattress size appropriateness too. It's not rocket science! An 'active' sleeper will do better on a bigger mattress. 
  4. Parenting approach to bedtime stories and tricky nights: A King Single is great for those tricky nights (illness/nightmares etc) when your child may need a bit of support getting through the night...you’ll comfortably be able to sleep in a King Single with them if needed, without needing a physio appointment the next day. It also means less squash factor if you like to cuddle up and read bedtime stories in your child's own bed as part of good sleep hygiene routines. 

3. Now, about that bedding:

NZ has plenty of options for bedding to suit both single and king single mattress sizes, but a great tip is to consider the height of your mattress too. Many mattresses are quite high so it pays to go up a size to ensure that the fitted sheet isn’t too tricky to get on the mattress and that the flat sheet is easily tucked in.

A pro tip is to consider whether you use a top sheet at all. A quality duvet, with an easily washable cover + a fitted sheet is often all you need. Looking for some quality kids bedding? Our favourite NZ quality brands are Foxtrot Home  One Hundred Percent Heart and Burrow & Be

The Plyhome mattress is actually designed with a lower 150mm profile. This enables you to get the maximum benefit of the guardrail but without losing any mattress quality. Our mattresses are double-sided (so can be flipped for Summer vs Winter for much more favourable mattress longevity) plus they have premium short profile springs. They’re more expensive than many on the market but as soon as you see them you'll understand why: they’re very, very good. And in our humble opinion, you don’t want to muck around with growing spines.