The single is the mattress South Africans buy with the least thought - it's for the child's room, the spare room, the digs, the flat. And that's exactly why it's the size where the most money gets wasted. Because a single is "just a single," buyers grab the cheapest one on the floor, and eighteen months later it has a crater in the middle and gets replaced again.
I manufacture mattresses, and I'll tell you now: a single carries a full-sized human on a smaller surface, night after night. It deserves the same spec discipline as any queen. Here's the guide.
What "single" means in South Africa - and who it's actually for
A standard South African single mattress measures 91cm wide by 188cm long. Where it earns its keep:
- Children and teenagers - the classic first "big bed," with the full 188cm length they'll never outgrow until they pass 1.85m.
- Students and digs rooms - the size that fits the room and the budget, and takes the hardest nightly punishment of any mattress category.
- Guest rooms and spare beds - where two singles side by side also outflex a fixed double for hosting flexibility.
- Adults in compact spaces - a 91cm single sleeps one adult properly; it's sharing that it can't do.
See the Active Foam Single - Our Firmest, R3,399 →
The single-mattress trap: buying by price alone
Because singles are the cheapest size, the price gaps between products look small - and buyers default to the lowest number. But the same physics applies at 91cm as at 152cm: foam density (kg/m³) decides how firm the mattress feels and how long it lasts before sagging. A no-name single with unlabelled low-density foam feels fine in month one and fails by year two - and on a child's growing spine or a student's daily-use bed, that failure isn't cosmetic.
The checklist is short: ask for the published density, ask what the warranty says in writing, and insist on a real trial period - because a showroom lie-down tells you nothing about month six.
Our singles: three ranges, published specs
We build the single in three of our four ranges, all in our own facilities in Gauteng, the Free State, Cape Town, East London, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga:
- Comfort Foam Single - R2,399. Firm entry-level, 50 kg/m³ published density, 3-year written warranty. The budget single that still shows you its number.
- Active Foam Single - R3,399. Our firmest mattress: 50 kg/m³ high-density core, 10-year warranty. The one I'd put in a student digs or a teenager's room - it's built to outlast the degree.
- Revive Memory Foam Single - R4,899. Breathable open-cell memory foam over a high-density core, 10-year warranty. Contouring comfort in a single footprint.
And the honest note: the Mr Mattress Hybrid coil mattress is not made in single - its Bonnell coil core starts at double width. If you specifically want springs in a single, we're not your factory for that one; if you want firm, durable support in a single, the Active Foam is the strongest thing we build at 91cm.
Every single ships free anywhere in South Africa with a 365-night home trial.
Regional guides
Shopping regionally? See our single mattress guides for Gauteng, Cape Town and KZN, or the national single mattress South Africa guide. Need a bit more width in the same room? Read about SA's in-between three-quarter size. Sleeper taller than 1.85m? Any single can be made extra-length to order at 15% above the standard price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best single mattress in South Africa?
For most buyers, the Mr Mattress Active Foam Single - our firmest mattress, with a 50 kg/m³ published high-density core, R3,399, 10-year warranty and 365-night trial. On a tighter budget, the Comfort Foam Single is R2,399 with a published 50 kg/m³ density; for contouring comfort, the Revive Memory Foam Single is R4,899.
What size is a single mattress in South Africa?
The South African standard single is 91cm wide by 188cm long - the same length as every other standard size. Extra-length versions are made to order.
Is a cheap single mattress good enough for a child?
Only if it has a published foam density. A single carries a growing spine every night - low-density foam that sags in 18 months is a false economy. Ask for the kg/m³ figure before buying, whatever the price.
Written by Andries Taljaard, founder of Mr Mattress. 15+ years making mattresses in South Africa.