The Three Quarter Bed: South Africa In-Between Size
The three quarter bed is one of those sizes that barely exists elsewhere and is completely normal here. It sits between a single and a double, and for a great many South African bedrooms it is the size that actually fits. We list 131 of them, plus 86 in extra length.
Why the three quarter bed exists
A single is often not quite enough for an adult, and a double will not fit the room with anything else in it. The 3/4 splits the difference: noticeably more sleeping width than a single, while still leaving space for a cupboard door to open.
Older South African homes in particular were built with bedrooms that do not comfortably take a double once you have added furniture. The 3/4 is the size that was designed for exactly that room.
Who it suits
Teenagers, mostly. A single stops being enough somewhere around thirteen, and a 3/4 buys several more years without taking the whole room.
Then single adults in a flat or a cottage, where the extra width is genuinely nice and a double would mean walking sideways past the end of the bed. And guest rooms, where a 3/4 sleeps one person properly while leaving the room usable for something else.
The one thing to check: bedding
This is the genuine drawback and it is worth knowing before you buy rather than after. 3/4 linen is stocked less widely than single or double, so you will have fewer patterns to choose from and you should buy two sets at the outset.
Do not be tempted to use double linen on a 3/4 — the excess bunches under you and pulls loose. Same for a mattress protector: buy the right size.
Extra length if they are still growing
If the bed is for a teenager, 3/4 XL is worth the small extra. It adds 12cm of length — 200cm instead of 188cm — and a 15-year-old who is already tall will need it well before you would otherwise replace the bed. Extra length beds covers the sizing.
Making the room work
Whatever size you land on, measure the room before ordering and allow 60cm clearance on any side you walk down. In a room tight enough to need a 3/4, a storage base is usually the right call too — it is the cheapest storage in the house, as we have written before.
Browse three quarter beds, compare against our full size guide, or send us the room measurements and we will tell you what fits.
