California King

California king measures 72 by 84 inches. Set beside a standard king it is 4 inches narrower and 4 inches longer. That makes it the longest mattress sold as a US standard. It is the answer for people whose feet find the end of every other bed.

Height is the main reason to choose it. Eighty-four inches clears a sleeper of 6 foot 6 with room at head and foot, where a standard king at 80 inches does not. Below about 6 foot 2 the extra length does nothing at all. The lost width is a genuine subtraction: each sleeper drops from 38 inches to 36.

Shape suits certain floor plans. A long, narrow bedroom takes a California king more gracefully than a king. The slimmer footprint hands back 2 inches of walking space on each side. That matters when a nightstand is already tight against the wall.

Bedding is the standing drawback. California sheets are cut 72 by 84 and king sheets are cut 76 by 80, so they do not substitute in either direction. Shops stock far fewer of the California cut. Read the label for the word California rather than trusting a king set to stretch. Duvets are forgiving because they hang loose; the fitted sheet and the protector have to match exactly.