Short answer: most headboards are 100 to 140 cm high, measured from the floor. To lean back and read, at least 40 cm of headboard should rise above the mattress. In width, the headboard should be at least as wide as the bed. If it is wider, it can reach the bedside tables and bring everything into one line. In a room with a ceiling height of 2.50 to 2.70 m, a 100 to 120 cm headboard is in proportion.
The headboard gives the bedroom its character. It is also the part of the bed used most when not lying down: for reading, watching a series, a weekend breakfast. So height and fabric matter as much as design.
What is the ideal headboard height
Start with how it is used. Sitting up in bed, your back and head should rest against the headboard, not the wall. For that, the headboard should rise at least 40 to 50 cm above the top of the mattress, including the pillows.
As general guidance:
- Low headboard: 90 to 100 cm from the floor. Works in rooms with a low ceiling, under a window or on a bed against a wall with pictures.
- Medium headboard: 100 to 120 cm. The most common size, and the one that suits most bedrooms.
- Tall headboard: 130 to 160 cm, or up to the ceiling. Needs a high ceiling and a reasonably wide room.
The headboards on our beds are about 1 m high: 100 cm on the ECHO, the WILLOW, the BREEZE, the AURA and the FRAME, and 99 cm on the HALO. The mattress depth changes how much stays visible. A 27 cm mattress leaves 5 cm less headboard showing than a 22 cm one.
How wide should the headboard be
The headboard should be at least as wide as the bed. Any narrower, and it looks too small for the bed.
There are 2 approaches:
- A headboard the width of the bed. The bedside tables sit alongside, 5 to 10 cm away. This is the design of the ECHO, the HALO, the WILLOW and the BREEZE: the headboard is 167 to 168 cm on a Queen and 187 to 188 cm on a King.
- A headboard wider than the bed. It extends to the sides and gains presence on the wall. The AURA and the FRAME have 200 cm headboards on a Queen and 220 cm on a King, for a bed 168 and 188 cm wide.
To work out the wall, add the headboard, the bedside tables and 70 cm clear on each side. The measurements for each bed size are in the guide Bed sizes in Portugal: double, Queen and King.
How to match the proportion to the room
The headboard should fill the wall without overwhelming it. Some general references:
- Ceiling height of 2.50 to 2.70 m: a 100 to 120 cm headboard. It sits just under half the wall, leaving room for a picture or wall lights.
- Ceiling height above 2.80 m: the headboard can rise to 130 to 160 cm, or go up to the ceiling as a panel.
- Narrow bedroom: choose a headboard the width of the bed. A wide headboard eats into the space at the sides.
- Wall with a window: the headboard should stay below the sill, or the bed should move to another wall.
A tall headboard in a small bedroom can work if it is narrow and close in colour to the wall. What weighs is the mass of colour, more than the height.
A headboard with built-in bedside tables?
A headboard with niches or shelves does away with bedside tables and keeps the room in one piece. The FRAME has side niches and an upper shelf in wood, and is 32 cm deep. Allow for that depth in the overall length: the FRAME takes 236 cm from the wall to the foot of the bed.
The downside is flexibility. With separate tables, you can change them, move the bed to another wall or take the tables to another room. To choose separate tables, see the guide Bedside tables: what height and what measurements to choose.
The best fabric for an upholstered headboard
The headboard is in constant contact with heads and hands. So choose for use, not just colour.
- Tightly woven fabrics: stand up better to daily leaning and mark less.
- Velvet: gives a richer feel and a deeper colour, but shows where someone has leaned. Brush it now and then in the direction of the pile.
- Mid tones: hide wear better than pure white where heads rest.
- With pets at home: choose a fabric that resists claws and lets hair come off easily.
Our beds come in up to 11 fabrics, including velvets and 3 petproof Aqua fabrics: Sky, Gold and Soft. The Aqua fabrics resist snagging from claws, and hair comes off with a lint roller or a damp cloth. The headboards and side rails are fully upholstered.
Channels, plain panel or split
The design also changes the proportion:
- Vertical channels, as on the ECHO, draw the eye upwards and make the headboard look taller.
- Horizontal channels, as on the WILLOW, widen the headboard visually.
- A panel split into 2 sections, as on the AURA and the HALO, gives each person their own side.
To see the beds in a finished bedroom, visit the Bedroom page. If you buy the bed with 2 bedside tables, the Pack Quarto Duo gives a 5% discount, applied in the basket.
Summary of measurements
- Total height: 100 to 140 cm from the floor. 100 to 120 cm in most bedrooms.
- Above the mattress: at least 40 cm, to lean back.
- Width: at least that of the bed.
- Ceiling height of 2.50 to 2.70 m: a 100 to 120 cm headboard.
- On each side of the bed: 70 cm clear.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal height for a headboard?
Between 100 and 120 cm from the floor in most bedrooms. The useful minimum is 40 cm above the mattress.
Should the headboard be wider than the bed?
It does not have to be. It should be at least as wide as the bed. Wider, it gains presence and can bring the bedside tables into the same line.
What size is a Queen headboard?
It depends on the model. The width of the bed, about 168 cm. Wider, 200 cm, as on the AURA and the FRAME.
Which fabric should I choose for a headboard with pets at home?
A fabric that resists claws and releases hair easily, such as the Aqua fabrics on our beds.
Can I hang pendant lights over the headboard?
Yes. Over the bedside tables, a pendant hangs 30 to 50 cm above the top. See the guide to the ideal height for hanging pendant lights.
