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A lot of people don’t understand what a cal king bed is. They mistakenly think that a cal king mattress is higher off the ground when in reality a cal king is longer and more narrow than a regular king-size mattress. As a result, many mattress companies end up with far more returned cal king-size mattresses. Customers are ordering and then returning them and costing a lot of extra money in returns and for lost customer satisfaction.
Box bed websites should clearly state the dimensions of a cal king bed at the time of order to make sure people don’t accidentally order the wrong one.
Cal King Mattress Size In Inches
A Cal or California King size mattress in inches (the measurements) are: 72 inches x 84 inches. They are 72 inches wide and 84 inches long. That’s 4 inches more than a regular king mattress. If you are a tall person, this extra length is very important! It has a more rectangular shape.
A regular King bed is 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. The two together add up to 156 inches (the same amount of stuff), which is why they are usually the same price. It’s almost a square. Two twins make a king and two twin XLs make a Cal King. An Eastern King is the same as a regular King.
Who should order a Cal King Bed?
Normally, only people taller than 6 foot 3 inches need a Cal King. Someone who is 6’3″ is actually 75 inches tall. A King mattress is 80 inches tall and a Cal King mattress is 84 inches (7 feet!) tall. If you are a tall person sleeping on a regular King mattress, your head may hit the headboard and your feet may hit the footboard. If you sleep on your back, you are more stretched out and can touch both the headboard and the footboard of the bed! You will feel very cramped. So you should buy a Cal King bed.
The other perfect customer for a king size bed is someone whose bedroom is not wide enough for a regular king size bed or space is too tight. Cal Kings were named after the state of California. This mattress size was developed because people in California built homes with smaller rooms to save space. As a result, people in California are often familiar with what a Cal King is. But outside of California, many people do not know.
The other perfect customer for a king size bed is someone whose bedroom is not wide enough for a regular king size bed or space is too tight. Cal Kings were named after the state of California. This mattress size was developed because people in California built homes with smaller rooms to save space. As a result, people in California are often familiar with what a Cal King is. But outside of California, many people do not know.
TIP FOR BED IN A BOX MATTRESS COMPANIES
Include the dimensions of the mattress in the checkout process.
Like this:
See how the cal king is obviously 10 inches thick and the only thing that changes is the length and width? This company gives the prices but we recommend adding the dimensions too.
This mattress company doesn’t have the dimensions and likely has a higher return rate on California king size beds.
Split California King Adjustable Bed With Mattress
Cal Kings also come in split Cal Kings. They are two twins that are 84″ long, but no one sells them individually. You have to buy them as a set and people usually get them with an adjustable base. As far as we know, there is no such thing as a California queen-size mattress.
Here are some split adjustable Cal Kings beds.
All the boxed brands we have seen offer a Cal King, but not a split Cal King. Check out the Amazon links above for that.
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