A king size mattress is the biggest sleep upgrade most couples ever make - and the purchase people most often get wrong on the practical details. Will it fit up the stairs? Is your room actually big enough? Why do overseas size charts contradict the South African ones? And why does the price jump so sharply from queen to king?
I manufacture mattresses in South Africa, so let me answer all of it - including the honest bit about what we do and don't make in king.
What "king size" means in South Africa
A standard South African king mattress measures 183cm wide by 188cm long. Two things worth knowing before you compare further:
- Ignore imported size charts. American and European "king" dimensions differ from ours. If you're buying sheets or a base, work off the SA standard, not a chart from an overseas website.
- The maths that sells king beds: at 183cm wide, a king gives each partner about 91cm of space - almost exactly a full single mattress each. A standard double (137cm) gives each adult just 68.5cm - less than a cot. That's the entire argument for king in one sentence.
See the Revive - Our King Size Mattress →
Will it fit? The two checks people skip
- The room. A king works best in a bedroom where you can leave roughly 60cm of walking space on each open side of the bed. If the bed touches three walls, you've bought a very expensive pool float.
- The route in. Measure doorways, passages and stairwell turns before ordering any king bed. A mattress flexes; a rigid base often doesn't - which is one reason king bases commonly come in two halves.
Our king lineup - deliberately short, and here's the honest version
Plenty of brands will sell you anything in any size. We keep our king range short, and we'd rather tell you exactly what it is:
- Revive Memory Foam - King, R8,999. This is our king size mattress: breathable open-cell memory foam over a high-density core, 10-year written warranty. Contouring comfort without the heat build-up of old-school memory foam - which matters more on a king, where two people share one surface all night.
- Hybrid - King base set, R7,999. The Hybrid's coil-plus-foam build is available in king as a base set only - it isn't sold as a standalone king mattress.
- Comfort Foam and Active Foam do not come in king. If a firm foam king is what you're set on, we'll say so plainly rather than upsell you sideways.
Taller than 1.85m? Any of our mattresses can be made extra-length to order at 15% above the standard price - see the extra-length guide for how that works.
Every mattress ships free anywhere in South Africa with a 365-night home trial - a full year to decide whether the king upgrade was worth it. (It is. Nobody sends the space back.)
Regional guides
Shopping regionally? See our king mattress guides for Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, or the national king mattress South Africa guide. Not sure king is the right call? Compare with the queen mattress guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best king size mattress in South Africa?
The Mr Mattress Revive Memory Foam King - breathable open-cell memory foam over a high-density core, R8,999, with a 10-year written warranty and a 365-night home trial.
What size is a king mattress in South Africa?
The South African standard is 183cm wide by 188cm long - giving each partner roughly a single mattress's width of space. Extra-length versions are made to order.
How big should a bedroom be for a king bed?
Aim to keep about 60cm of walking space on each open side of the bed, and measure doorways and stair turns before ordering - the route in catches more buyers than the room itself.
Written by Andries Taljaard, founder of Mr Mattress. 15+ years making mattresses in South Africa.