What size storage unit do I need for a bed?
None of the four bed sizes lie flat in a 5-wide storage unit. The packer always stands them on edge instead, because standing up takes far less floor space than lying down. A twin and a full share the smallest unit on the ladder, a 5×5. A queen and a king need one size up, a 5×10.
| Bed | Assembled | Standing on edge | Smallest unit that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Bed (Frame + Mattress) | 42″ × 79″ | 14″ × 42″ footprint, 79″ tall | 5×5 |
| Full/Double Bed (Frame + Mattress) | 58″ × 79″ | 14″ × 58″ footprint, 79″ tall | 5×5 |
| Queen Bed (Frame + Mattress) | 64″ × 84″ | 14″ × 64″ footprint, 84″ tall | 5×10 |
| King Bed (Frame + Mattress) | 80″ × 84″ | 14″ × 80″ footprint, 84″ tall | 5×10 |
Run any bed alone through the tool and it comes out standing, never flat, in every 5-wide size. For the twin and the full that's a choice: flat would fit, but standing shrinks a 42″ × 79″ claim on the floor to 14″ × 42″. For the queen and the king it is not a choice. Standing is the only way in.
Put a queen and a king in the same order and a 5×5 has no answer; both overflow it even standing up. One size up, in a 5×10, they stand side by side using 34% of the space. A twin and a full share a 5×5 with room left over, using 40% of it between them.
The crib is the exception worth knowing. Assembled, at 30″ × 54″ × 38″, it lies flat in a 5×5 with room to spare (18% used). It is also one of the few catalog items with a truly universal teardown: posts, rails, and mattress base pull apart into flat panels, 30″ × 54″ × 6″, that the packer tucks into a sliver of floor. That changes nothing here (a 5×5 already had it), but if you're breaking down other furniture for the same trip, the crib comes along for free.
No bed size gets stopped at the door, either. Standing on edge, the face that passes through is the mattress-and-frame thickness, 14″ on every one of these, well inside a typical 5-wide unit's door. (Door figures are typical, not a measurement; confirm with your facility.)
See a queen and a king packed together
Frequently asked questions
Does a queen bed fit in a 5×5 storage unit?
No. Standing on edge is the only way a queen bed fits any 5-wide unit, and even then its footprint is still too big for a 5×5's 60″ × 60″ floor. It needs a 5×10.
Can a bed lie flat in a storage unit?
A twin or a full technically can, since both are narrower than the 60″ wall on a 5-wide unit, but the packer never places them that way, because standing on edge uses a fraction of the floor space. A queen and a king can't lie flat in a 5-wide unit at all: even their narrow sides, 64″ and 80″, are wider than the wall.
What size storage unit fits a queen and a king bed together?
A 5×10. Both stand on edge side by side, using about 34% of the unit's volume.