The short answer
For a UK double bed (a mattress of about 135 × 190 cm), a 200 × 290 cm rug under the lower two-thirds of the bed is the usual choice and leaves about 30 cm of rug at each side when centred. In a small room, 160 × 230 cm still gives a soft landing at the foot. A 240 × 340 cm rug suits a roomy bedroom and can reach under the bedside tables.
Try the Rug Size CalculatorStart with the bed, not the rug
Mattress sizes are standard, but frames are not. Measure the widest and longest points of the whole bed, including the headboard and any chunky side rails, because those decide how much floor the bed covers.
Standard UK mattress sizes help you check what you are buying. A double is about 135 × 190 cm, so a rug centred under it shows the extra width as a strip on each side.
- Single: about 90 × 190 cm.
- Small double: about 120 × 190 cm.
- Double: about 135 × 190 cm.
- King: about 150 × 200 cm.
- Super king: about 180 × 200 cm.
Three rug sizes that work under a double
Run the shorter side of the rug across the width of the bed, so there is the same amount at each side, and the longer side towards the foot. The sizes below assume that layout, and a 135 cm mattress centred on the rug.
- 160 × 230 cm: compact. Centred, it shows only about 12 cm each side, so it works best as a landing strip at the foot or pushed slightly to the side you get out on.
- 200 × 290 cm: the usual choice. It shows about 30 cm at each side and gives a good landing area at the foot.
- 240 × 340 cm: generous. About 50 cm shows at each side, and the rug can reach under the bedside tables.
Where to put it
Slide the rug under the lower two-thirds of the bed, so the headboard end and the bedside tables stand on the floor. This saves rug where you would barely use it, and makes the rug easier to position and to move when you clean.
Leave a visible border of floor around the rug where you can, commonly 20–45 cm, and check that wardrobe doors and the bedroom door open without catching the pile. A thick pile looks luxurious but can snag doors and is harder to vacuum under the bed.
Check it before you buy
Mark the outline of your chosen rug on the floor with painter's tape, put the bed in position and stand at each side and at the foot. This shows quickly whether the rug looks too small, or whether it leaves too little floor around it.
Rug sizes vary slightly between makers, and handmade and natural-fibre rugs can differ from the listed size by a few centimetres. A non-slip underlay keeps the exposed edges flat, particularly on smooth floors.
This guide is general information to help you plan, not professional advice. Check product instructions and your supplier's guidance before you buy, and ask a qualified professional about structural or safety-related work. See our terms of use.