Quick Answer: An Alaskan King bed measures 108 x 108 inches (9 x 9 feet), per Dimensions.com; a California King measures 72 x 84 inches, per the Better Sleep Council. The Alaskan King's 81 square feet is nearly double the California King's 42. Tall couples usually need the Cal King's length; the Alaskan King is built for co-sleeping families.
10 min read. Updated November 3, 2026.
An Alaskan King bed is a square, custom-built mattress, 108 inches on each side, that Dimensions.com lists among the largest mattress sizes available. The California King is a standard rectangle, 72 inches across and 84 inches long. The Better Sleep Council puts it four inches narrower and four inches longer than a regular king. One is a made-to-order family bed. The other is a stock size you can buy online today.
At Mattress Miracle in Brantford, the California King comes in 18 models from the Natura mattress collection, priced from $1,897.40 to $7,014.60 as of November 3, 2026. We do not list an Alaskan King. That gap is the whole story of this comparison. The Cal King is a size you order like any other. An Alaskan King starts with a phone call to a custom builder and a tape measure in your bedroom.
The square shape matters more than the numbers suggest. An Alaskan King is 36 inches wider and 24 inches longer than a California King. Every sheet, frame, protector and duvet for it is custom, and the room around it has to be about 14 feet wide before you add a nightstand. If that sounds like more bed than you need, the sizes in between are covered in our Wyoming King and Texas King size guide.
"When a couple comes in asking about an Alaskan King, I always ask who else is in the bed. If it is two adults and a single small dog, a Wyoming King or even a standard King with an adjustable base does the job and they sleep just as well. Where the Alaskan King actually earns its keep is the family co-sleeping with two or three kids, or someone with a Great Dane and a partner who is a heavy mover. Surface area only matters if every square foot is being used."
Talia Grose, sleep specialist, Mattress Miracle
In This Alaskan King vs California King Guide
- Alaskan King vs California King: How Do the Sizes Compare?
- Alaskan King Bed Size in Inches, Feet and Centimetres
- What Is the Point of an Alaskan King Bed?
- How Many People Can Sleep on an Alaskan King?
- California King Bed: Who It Suits and Why Tall Sleepers Choose It
- King vs California King: Which Is Bigger?
- Room Size for an Alaskan King vs a California King
- Alaskan King vs California King Cost, Sheets and Frames
- Can You Buy an Alaskan King Bed in Canada?
- Alternatives to an Alaskan King Bed
- Alaskan King and California King FAQs
Alaskan King vs California King: How Do the Sizes Compare?
The Alaskan King vs California King comparison comes down to shape and scale. A California King is a long rectangle, 72 x 84 inches, built for height. An Alaskan King is a 108-inch square built for numbers: more people, more pets, more room to sprawl. The Alaskan King's sleep surface is 11,664 square inches, about 1.9 times the California King's 6,048. Everything that touches a California King comes in its own size too, and our California King headboard measurements guide shows how the frame and headboard line up.
| Size | Inches | Centimetres | Feet | Sleep surface | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen | 60 x 80 | 152 x 203 | 5 x 6.7 | 33.3 sq ft | Better Sleep Council |
| King | 76 x 80 | 193 x 203 | 6.3 x 6.7 | 42.2 sq ft | Better Sleep Council |
| California King | 72 x 84 | 183 x 213 | 6 x 7 | 42.0 sq ft | Better Sleep Council |
| Alaskan King | 108 x 108 | 274 x 274 | 9 x 9 | 81.0 sq ft | Dimensions.com |
Read the table across and the California King barely moves from a regular king: it trades four inches of width for four inches of length. The Alaskan King jumps a full class. It is 32 inches wider and 28 inches longer than a king. Anyone weighing the whole oversized ladder can start with Mattress Miracle's guide to the biggest mattress sizes, from king to Alaskan King.
Alaskan King Bed Size in Inches, Feet and Centimetres
The Alaskan King bed size is 108 inches long by 108 inches wide, which is 9 feet by 9 feet or 274 x 274 centimetres. Dimensions.com puts its area at 81 square feet (7.52 square metres) and lists a typical mattress depth of 10 to 14 inches. Because it is square, an Alaskan King has no head or foot by shape. You can turn it either way in the room.
People often ask whether two queens pushed together make an Alaskan King. They do not. Two queens at 60 x 80 inches each make a 120 x 80-inch surface: a foot wider than an Alaskan King and 28 inches shorter. Two kings side by side reach 152 inches across, which is more width than most bedrooms can spare. Pushing beds together trips people up at every size, and our math on whether two twin beds make a king shows the same trap one step down.
The size is less standardized than a queen or king. A builder may quote 108 x 108 inches and deliver a mattress a little under or over, depending on the cover and how the core is joined. Ask for the finished dimensions in writing before you order sheets, a frame or a protector, because all three are made to that number. To compare against the bed you own now, our mattress size chart in inches and centimetres lists every standard size.
What Is the Point of an Alaskan King Bed?
The point of an Alaskan King bed is room for more than two. Dimensions.com describes it as designed for people who need more space than a king provides, naming co-sleeping families. Most buyers fall into one of these groups:
- Families who share a bed with older children, often after a nightmare or a move, and want everyone to fit without someone ending up on the floor.
- Owners of large dogs that sleep on the bed and take up a person's worth of width.
- Very tall sleepers, since 108 inches is two feet longer than a California King.
- Couples who want a wide gap between them, with room to move without waking the other person.
If you are a couple who simply wants more space, a king or a split king set up so each partner sleeps independently often solves the problem at a regular price, with sheets you can buy off the shelf.
Co-Sleeping With a Baby on an Alaskan King: Canadian Safe Sleep Advice
A bigger bed does not make bed-sharing with a baby safer. The Public Health Agency of Canada's Joint Statement on Safe Sleep says that when infants sleep on surfaces not designed for them, such as adult beds, they are more likely to become trapped and suffocate, in particular when the surface is shared with an adult or another child. The same statement recommends room sharing, with the baby in their own crib, cradle or bassinet near the parents' bed, for the first 6 months, when the risk of SIDS is highest.
The Canadian Paediatric Society's Caring for Kids safe sleep guidance agrees: for the first 6 months, the safest place for a baby is on their back, in a crib, cradle or bassinet in your room. It also lists bed-side sleepers that attach to an adult bed as not recommended. An Alaskan King can hold a family with older children. For an infant, follow your doctor's or public health nurse's advice and give the baby their own sleep space.
This section is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, paediatrician or public health nurse about safe sleep for your child.
How Many People Can Sleep on an Alaskan King?
An Alaskan King can sleep three adults with 36 inches of width each, which is exactly what two adults get on a California King. Four people get 27 inches each, which works for two adults and two children or one adult and several large dogs; our mattress guide for sleeping with dogs and cats covers the pet side. There is no official occupancy figure for any mattress; those are width divisions, and real sleepers do not stay in neat lanes. Two adults on a regular king get 38 inches each, and our California King vs King width and room-fit comparison shows how that plays out night to night.
Length helps too. At 108 inches, every sleeper on an Alaskan King has two feet more than on a California King, so children can sleep across the foot of the bed without kicking anyone in the head. Anyone who has shared a queen with a restless six-year-old will see the appeal.
California King Bed: Who It Suits and Why Tall Sleepers Choose It
The California King bed suits tall sleepers who want length without giving up a standard size. At 84 inches, it is four inches longer than a king. A person who stands 6 feet 4 inches (76 inches) has 4 inches to spare on an 80-inch king and 8 inches on an 84-inch California King, before the pillow takes its share. For taller sleepers still, our mattress size guide for people 6'3" and up runs the numbers.
The trade is width. Two adults on a California King get 36 inches each, two fewer than on a king. Couples where one partner is tall and the other likes to spread out often find that a king fits their nights better. Our California King dimensions guide in feet, inches and centimetres covers the exact measurements, and the room math is the same as a king's.
A California King also fits long, narrow bedrooms. It is four inches slimmer side to side than a king, so in a room where a king leaves a cramped walkway on one side, the Cal King can give you those inches back.
King vs California King: Which Is Bigger?
In the king vs California King question, the king is the bigger mattress by area: 6,080 square inches against 6,048, a difference of 32 square inches, as our breakdown of whether a California King is bigger than a king shows in detail. The Better Sleep Council puts the king at 76 x 80 inches and the California King at about 72 x 84, four inches narrower and four inches longer. The king wins on width, the Cal King on length.
Neither one shares a frame, box spring or fitted sheet with the other. A king mattress on a California King frame hangs over by two inches on each side and leaves four inches of empty frame at the foot. If you are still choosing between the two, our guide to the difference between a king and a California King matches each size to the sleepers it suits.
Room Size for an Alaskan King vs a California King
Room size is where the Alaskan King vs California King decision usually gets made. If you want 30 inches of walking room on both sides of the bed and at the foot, here is the floor each size needs, before nightstands and dressers:
| Size | Mattress | Wall width needed (bed + 30 in each side) | Room depth needed (bed + 30 in at the foot) |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | 76 x 80 in | 136 in (11 ft 4 in) | 110 in (9 ft 2 in) |
| California King | 72 x 84 in | 132 in (11 ft) | 114 in (9 ft 6 in) |
| Alaskan King | 108 x 108 in | 168 in (14 ft) | 138 in (11 ft 6 in) |
Add a 24-inch nightstand on each side and keep the 30-inch walkways, and the Alaskan King's headboard wall grows to 216 inches, or 18 feet. A California King fits most rooms where a king fits. For the step-by-step method, our king size mattress dimensions and room size guide shows how to tape the bed out on the floor before you buy.
Getting the mattress into the room is the second test. A one-piece 108-inch mattress needs a straight path, wide doorways and a staircase it can be carried up flat or folded along. Ask any builder whether the mattress arrives in one piece or in sections, and measure every door, landing and turn on the way to the bedroom.
Alaskan King vs California King Cost, Sheets and Frames
The cost gap between an Alaskan King and a California King starts with the mattress and grows with everything that goes on or under it. A California King is a stock size. At Mattress Miracle, every one of the 18 Natura models is sold in Cal King, from $1,897.40 for the Natura Green Spring Reflection to $7,014.60 for the Natura Eco Sanctuary, and on every model the Cal King costs exactly the same as the King. Those are our online prices on November 3, 2026.
An Alaskan King is quoted one build at a time, and so is everything around it:
- Sheets and protectors: king and Cal King sets do not fit a 108-inch square. Alaskan King bedding is made to order.
- Duvets and covers: a king duvet will not cover a 9-foot bed. Plan on a custom size here too.
- Frame or foundation: standard king frames are built for a 76-inch-wide mattress, so an Alaskan King sits on a custom platform or on a set of foundations joined under it.
- Delivery: a mattress this size may need extra hands or a second trip, which the builder quotes separately.
California King accessories are easier but still their own size. A king fitted sheet is four inches too short for a Cal King. Before you order, our California King duvet size guide and the California King box spring setup guide for Canada cover the pieces people usually get wrong.
Can You Buy an Alaskan King Bed in Canada?
You can buy an Alaskan King bed in Canada, but almost always as a custom order from a specialty builder rather than off a store floor. Expect to supply your room measurements, choose a build, wait for it to be made, and arrange custom bedding and a frame at the same time. Our complete guide to Alaskan King and oversized beds covers sourcing, Alberta King sizing and moving-day logistics in detail.
Mattress Miracle does not list an Alaskan King. We do make custom-cut mattresses for RVs, boats, antique beds, bunks and built-ins, quoted individually and made in two to three weeks; the custom size mattress page explains how it works. We have no published maximum size for a custom build, so we cannot promise a 108-inch mattress; call 519-770-0001 and ask before you plan around one.
The California King is the easy one. The Natura line ships rolled, free, anywhere in Canada, which is why all 18 models sit in our mattresses that ship free across Canada collection. Each of those listings carries the 60-Night Comfort Guarantee, which allows one exchange with no exchange fee.
Alternatives to an Alaskan King Bed
The common alternatives to an Alaskan King bed solve one part of the problem at a lower cost:
- A standard king, 76 x 80 inches, for couples who want more width per person than a California King gives. Browse the king size mattresses we carry for prices by model.
- A split king on adjustable bases, so each partner raises the head or foot on their own side. Our split king adjustable beds fit the standard 76 x 80 king footprint.
- A Wyoming King or Texas King, the in-between oversized sizes. Price the sheets and frame before the mattress, since neither size shares bedding with a king.
- Two beds side by side on one platform, which gives a family width while keeping standard sheets.
For a tall couple, the California King answers the length question. For a family, ask first whether the width problem lasts a few years or a decade. A king plus a second bed often outlasts the stage that made an Alaskan King look necessary, and our family mattress guide for parents and kids covers that setup.
Alaskan King and California King FAQs
How many inches is an Alaskan King bed?
An Alaskan King bed is 108 inches wide and 108 inches long, or 9 x 9 feet (274 x 274 cm). Dimensions.com lists a typical depth of 10 to 14 inches. Builders vary slightly, so get the finished size in writing before ordering bedding.
What is the biggest mattress size in Canada?
Dimensions.com lists the Alaskan King, at 108 x 108 inches, among the largest mattress sizes available, and it is made to order. Of the standard sizes, the king at 76 x 80 inches (Better Sleep Council) has the most sleep surface; the California King is longer but narrower. Our ranking of the biggest mattress sizes in Canada lists every oversized size in order.
Do two queens make an Alaskan King?
No. Two 60 x 80-inch queens side by side make 120 x 80 inches, a foot wider than an Alaskan King and 28 inches shorter. You would also have a seam down the middle and two sets of queen sheets.
Can a king mattress fit on a California King frame?
Not well. A 76-inch king is four inches wider than a 72-inch California King frame, so it overhangs by two inches on each side, and it is four inches shorter, leaving a gap at the foot. Buy the frame and mattress in the same size; our Cal King frame and box spring setup steps list the parts that must match.
Can I put king sheets on a California King?
A fitted sheet made for a 76 x 80-inch king sits loose at the sides of a 72 x 84-inch California King and comes up four inches short at the corners. Flat sheets and duvets are more forgiving. For a fitted sheet, buy the Cal King size.
Is an Alaskan King bed safe for co-sleeping with a baby?
The Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society advise that for the first 6 months a baby sleeps on their back in their own crib, cradle or bassinet in the parents' room, and they warn that adult beds are not designed for infants. Ask your doctor or public health nurse about your own family's sleep setup.
Does Mattress Miracle sell California King mattresses?
Yes. Mattress Miracle sells the California King online in 18 Natura California King mattresses, from $1,897.40 to $7,014.60 as of November 3, 2026, each priced the same as its King. Call our Brantford store at 519-770-0001 to ask which models you can try in person.
Visit Our Brantford Showroom
Mattress Miracle
441 1/2 West Street, Brantford, Ontario
Phone: (519) 770-0001
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thu-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-4
Family owned in Brantford since 1997, on West Street since 2010. Parking is free, right at the store. Deciding between a king and a California King, or wondering whether your bedroom can take anything bigger? Bring your room measurements and we will work it out with you. Can't get to Brantford? Call during store hours and an advisor will walk the floor with you by phone.
Shop California King Mattresses at Mattress Miracle
California King in every Natura model, kings across the brands we carry, and custom cuts quoted by phone.
Related Reading on King and Oversized Bed Sizes
- Alaskan King Beds: The Complete Guide to Oversized Sleep
- California King Bed Dimensions in Feet, Inches, and Centimetres
- Is a California King Bigger Than a King? Size Comparison Guide
- California King vs King Canada: Size Difference, Sheets, and Room Fit
- California King Headboard: Dimensions, Compatibility, and What to Look For
- Do 2 Twin Beds Make a King? The Size Math Explained
Sources for Alaskan King and California King Sizes
- Better Sleep Council. Mattress Sizes. bettersleep.org/mattress-sizes
- Dimensions.com. Alaskan King Bed Dimensions and Drawings. dimensions.com/element/alaskan-king-bed
- Public Health Agency of Canada. Joint Statement on Safe Sleep: Reducing Sudden Infant Deaths in Canada. canada.ca
- Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids. Safe sleep for babies. caringforkids.cps.ca
- Mattress Miracle online catalogue, Natura California King and King prices, checked November 3, 2026.