---
title: "Guest Room, Day Bed and Truckle"
description: "UK guest-room kit for day beds and truckles — thin mattresses, storage and matching sheets, without sofa-bed rankings."
url: "https://bedguide.co.uk/beds/guest-room-day-bed-and-truckle/"
category: "beds"
primary_entity: "guest room day bed truckle"
date_published: 2026-08-28
date_modified: 2026-08-28
---

# Guest Room, Day Bed and Truckle

> A guest-room pack is a thin mattress, a place to store it, and sheets that match the open size. A day bed is a Single that looks like a sofa by day. A truckle, or trundle, rolls a second mattress from below. Sofa beds sit in other guides. This page is the spare-room kit — not a ranking.

Structural components: day-bed frame, truckle or trundle drawer, thin guest mattress, spare bedding store.

Key facts:

- Usual day-bed plan: 90 × 190 cm — Confirm the frame. Some guest decks are 90 × 200 cm.
- Cavity limit: Thin core — The drawer must close. Depth is a constraint, not a quality score.
- Truckle space: Open floor — A second Single needs a clear rectangle beside the day bed.
- Sheets and store: Labelled kit — Plan size plus shallow pocket, kept where you can find them.

Sources:

- [IKEA UK mattress size guide](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/rooms/bedroom/mattress-size-guide-pub63d34391/) — Lists UK sizes and extra 80 × 200 and 90 × 200 guest lines. Mixing those plans with a 90 × 190 day bed is a common sheet miss. Checked 2026-08-28.
- [National Bed Federation — regulations and standards](https://www.bedfed.org.uk/resources/regulations-standards/) — UK plan sizes and a ±20 mm making spread. A truckle still needs the centimetres the frame states. Checked 2026-08-28.

## What is the guest-room pack?

A guest-room pack is three things: a mattress the frame will close on, a place to store spare bedding, and sheets that match the **open** size. Shops sell sofa beds as the whole story. Mechanism pages already exist. This page is the spare-room kit.

A **day bed** is usually a [Single](/sizing/uk-standard-bed-sizes) that sits against a wall and looks like a sofa by day. A **truckle** or **trundle** is a low second bed that rolls out from below. Two thin Singles can sleep two guests. They need a clear floor when open.

For click-clack and pull-out sofas, use [how to choose a sofa bed](/beds/how-to-choose-a-sofa-bed) and [sofa beds and guest beds](/beds/sofa-beds-and-guest-beds).

## What mattress goes on a day bed or truckle?

Most UK day beds take **90 × 190 cm**. Some guest decks, including extra IKEA lines, use **90 × 200 cm**. IKEA UK’s size guide also lists 80 × 200 cm. That guide was checked on 28 August 2026. The frame centimetres win. A 135 cm Double will not sit in a Single cavity.

Depth is the other limit. The truckle drawer or the day-bed lip has a maximum. A thick pillow-top will not close. Occasional [reflex foam](/mattresses/reflex-foam-explained) or a slim foam is common. That is a trade-off. It is not a quality rank and it is not medical advice.

| Item | Usual guest reading | Check before you buy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Day-bed plan | 90 × 190 cm | Frame sticker, not the word Single |
| Truckle plan | Often a second 90 × 190 cm | Drawer length and width |
| Extra-long guest | 90 × 200 cm | Sheets must be the long cut |
| Depth | Thin enough to close | Maker’s maximum centimetres |
| Feel | Occasional, not nightly | How many nights, not a slogan |

The National Bed Federation allows about 20 mm making spread. That note was checked on 28 August 2026. Twenty millimetres will not turn a Single into a Small Double.

## What sheets and storage does a guest room need?

Match **plan size** and **shallow pocket**. A deep King fitted sheet will swim on a thin Single. See [UK fitted sheet sizes](/sizing/uk-fitted-sheet-sizes) and [mattress depth](/sizing/mattress-depth-guide).

Keep a labelled spare set: fitted sheet, duvet, two pillows, pillowcases. Store them in the same place every time. A day bed with drawers can hold the kit. An [ottoman](/beds/ottoman-mechanics) or [under-bed boxes](/environment/under-bed-storage) can too. Do not crush a spare spring mattress in the same drawer as the truckle.

| Kit piece | Why it fails if you guess |
| --- | --- |
| Fitted sheet | Wrong plan, or a pocket meant for a 30 cm hotel mattress |
| Duvet | A King duvet on a Single hangs and trips |
| Pillows | Guest heads still need loft — see [how to choose a pillow](/bedding/how-to-choose-a-pillow) |
| Protector | Sweat on a spare mattress is hard to air in a hurry |

Air a spare mattress before guests arrive. A sealed spare in a damp room can mould. See [damp and mould under a mattress](/care/damp-and-mould-under-mattress) and [how to store a mattress](/care/how-to-store-a-mattress).

## What floor space does a truckle need?

Measure the day bed closed. Then measure the rectangle beside it where the truckle will sit. You need about a Single width of clear floor, plus a little to walk. See [how to measure a bedroom](/sizing/how-to-measure-a-bedroom-for-a-bed).

A truckle that opens into a door swing or a radiator is a failed guest night. Castors need a flat floor. Thick carpet can stop the drawer.

Two guests on two thin Singles is not the same as a [zip-and-link](/mattresses/couples-and-zip-and-link) Super King. There is a gap and a height step. Tell guests before they arrive.

## Related BedGuide entries

- [How to choose a sofa bed](/beds/how-to-choose-a-sofa-bed)
- [Sofa beds and guest beds](/beds/sofa-beds-and-guest-beds)
- [UK standard bed sizes](/sizing/uk-standard-bed-sizes)
- [UK fitted sheet sizes](/sizing/uk-fitted-sheet-sizes)
- [Under-bed storage](/environment/under-bed-storage)
- [Reflex foam](/mattresses/reflex-foam-explained)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a truckle bed in the UK?

A truckle, or trundle, is a low second bed that rolls out from under a day bed or a higher Single. It usually takes a thin mattress. You need clear floor beside the main bed when it is open.

### What size mattress does a UK day bed take?

Most UK day beds take a Single plan — 90 × 190 cm. Some guest decks use 90 × 200 cm. Confirm the frame centimetres. A UK Double will not sit in a Single day-bed cavity.

### Why are guest mattresses thinner?

The drawer or the day-bed cavity has a depth limit. A thick pocket sprung unit will not close. Occasional comfort is the trade-off for daytime furniture.

### What sheets do I need for a guest day bed?

Match the plan size and the shallow depth. A deep King sheet will swim on a thin Single. Keep a labelled spare set in the same store as the spare pillows.

---

Source: https://bedguide.co.uk/beds/guest-room-day-bed-and-truckle/ · BedGuide — educational encyclopedia, no affiliate commission. Facts checked against official sources where possible; see https://bedguide.co.uk/editorial-policy. Report an error: https://bedguide.co.uk/corrections.