To think that 4ft is an unacceptable bed size?

[LolaNova]

Staying with in laws. They are lovely, we all get on well, no complaints... apart from the size of the spare bed!

It’s so small! We are not especially large people. DH is tall (6’3) but as skinny as they come, I’m an average height 10-12. We spend all night trying to get comfortable. It’s even worse when the baby needs feeding and DH ends up with about 1.5ft of bed 😂

It’s not going to kill us and I know I’m being a princess but it’s got me wondering if any adults can manage in such a small bed long term?!

One memorable stay with my in-laws in a 4 foot bed, i found a tape measure, measured the space between the fitted wardrobes - 5 foot!
I sat there in bed and ordered a five foot bed, drawer divan, mattress and bedding online.
Two weeks later the bed arrived and it cut out a whole lot of discussion, shopping and budgeting! Done!
A normal sized couple can't survive in a 4' bed

@DifficultBloodyWoman

A Queen is the smallest reasonable size for two adults. A King should be standard. A Superking is better

4ft is a ‘small double’ and not designed for two people.

What size is a UK Queen? (not the Queen obvs)

Me and my DP slept on a small double for 2 years when we moved out. He’s 6’2 and I’m 5’9 on the larger side. We managed with no complaints but if you’re not used to it I can see how it would be too small

@17to35

One memorable stay with my in-laws in a 4 foot bed, i found a tape measure, measured the space between the fitted wardrobes - 5 foot! I sat there in bed and ordered a five foot bed, drawer divan, mattress and bedding online. Two weeks later the bed arrived and it cut out a whole lot of discussion, shopping and budgeting! Done! A normal sized couple can't survive in a 4' bed

You bought a bed for someone else's house? Maybe I'm reading that wrong.

Can't imagine we would struggle to fit on a 4ft bed. Neither of us are slim and we manage fine on a 4'6 wide bed, it's only 6 inches less. We lose more than that from the cat sharing the bed too.

I would be fine in this for a few nights. But then DP and I used to sleep together in a single when he came over to mine regularly, many years ago.

@StamfordHill

I'm very happy with my 4ft bed. And my wife is happy with hers.

Love this!

The secret to a happy marriage. Individual beds (preferably individual rooms!)

@17to35

One memorable stay with my in-laws in a 4 foot bed, i found a tape measure, measured the space between the fitted wardrobes - 5 foot! I sat there in bed and ordered a five foot bed, drawer divan, mattress and bedding online. Two weeks later the bed arrived and it cut out a whole lot of discussion, shopping and budgeting! Done! A normal sized couple can't survive in a 4' bed

I agree with your last sentence, but the rest of your post confuses me.

Who and where did you buy another double bed for?

I bought it for my in-laws. They are a ferry journey away. I didn't tell them, it just arrived.? Argos.
Believe me, we had been discussing the bed for a couple of years. They insisted it was a normal double. It was a metal frame with springs and a squishy mattress so you collapsed into the middle. It was also so short. When I measured it, 4' in a 5' hole.
It had already had remedial measures of a sheet of wood under the mattress. I dated it around 1950.
To get them to replace it would have meant endless discussions. Easier just to buy one and not mention it.

@17to35

I bought it for my in-laws. They are a ferry journey away. I didn't tell them, it just arrived.? Argos. Believe me, we had been discussing the bed for a couple of years. They insisted it was a normal double. It was a metal frame with springs and a squishy mattress so you collapsed into the middle. It was also so short. When I measured it, 4' in a 5' hole. It had already had remedial measures of a sheet of wood under the mattress. I dated it around 1950. To get them to replace it would have meant endless discussions. Easier just to buy one and not mention it.

Wow that's forward. I'd be very annoyed if someone bought furniture for my house without telling me.

I have one in my spare, but wouldn’t expect a couple to sleep on it! Its for a single guest, or more likely, my nephews, who are young enough to share. If ai had a couple, I’d swop out for my bed.

@17to35

I bought it for my in-laws. They are a ferry journey away. I didn't tell them, it just arrived.? Argos. Believe me, we had been discussing the bed for a couple of years. They insisted it was a normal double. It was a metal frame with springs and a squishy mattress so you collapsed into the middle. It was also so short. When I measured it, 4' in a 5' hole. It had already had remedial measures of a sheet of wood under the mattress. I dated it around 1950. To get them to replace it would have meant endless discussions. Easier just to buy one and not mention it.

Wow that's forward. I'd be very annoyed if someone bought furniture for my house without telling me. So would I! Did you at least deal with removing the original bed and mattress for them? I wouldn't want a bed filling the entire space like that either.

I remain totally unapologetic.

What is it with inlaws expecting guests to sleep in something they wouldn’t sleep in themselves? Mine changed the guest room duvet from king to double as FIL said king size looked wrong on a double bed in that room. They have the same in theirs but their bed is higher so duvet does not hang so far down.
DH and I spent the night fighting over the duvet. DH said why did you change it, FIL said it’s fine. So the next time they came to ours we put the spare double duvet on instead of the usual king size. Next time we went to theirs, having brought our bedding, they’d changed it back to a king size. So sometimes a bit of PA action does the trick.

That's way too small. And with a baby you need proper rest. Can your husband ask if they have an air mattress to put alongside it?
My parents' spare bed is 4ft6. I think that is tough but acceptable. And even then they offered us a mattress too if we wanted.

My exhusband and I 'survived' quite easily sleeping in a 4 ft bed for over a year. We eventually got a 4'6" one. I've never once slept in a kingsize.
Obviously it depends on what you're used to though. My current bed is even smaller than a standard single bed, and I sleep perfectly fine in it (on my own thankfully).

@DDiva

Perfectly acceptable as a spare. Obviously not ideal long term.

I agree with this.

It's got me worried reading this thread! Just ordered a 4 foot bed for son's room - his girlfriend wasn't happy with them both sleeping in a single bed (understandably but neither of them said anything). His gf apparently ordered a double bed and he just announced it the day before it was due to arrive. Only one problem - the room isn't big enough for it. So we said sorry - no bigger than a 4 foot bed because even that would block off a chest of drawers and make it tight for his chair under his desk and he needs to study as well! I thought it was ok - OH and I had one for 5 years and even had a 5 year old squeeze in with us sometimes! It was cosy. Mind you we are both skinny. Our current 4'6" feels a bit too big. So have I done the wrong thing? We said the ordered double bed would have to have delivery refused and go back.

You may want to start your own thread. This one is from 2021 and people probably won’t see your new post at the very bottom.

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