Split King Latex Mattress Guide For Couples (Pros + Cons Of Two Twin XLs)

A split king mattress, sometimes called a  dual bed, has the same dimensions as a normal king-sized mattress but the main difference is that the middle has been divided so each sleeper can customize their own side of the bed. 

When compared to a standard king, couples report that split king mattresses are more comfortable for both partners because the two twin xl-sized sides can be customized based on the needs of both sleepers.

How to adjust each side of a split-king mattress (and why you would want to) will be outlined below, but it is important to know that there are advantages and disadvantages to sleeping on any type of split mattress. We’ll cover those below, too. First, let’s get your dimension, size, and comparison questions out of the way.

If you know you want to purchase two twin xl mattresses and you’re not sure what to get. We have some good points and tips to consider based on whether or not you are a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper.

Check out this link for a personalized latex mattress recommendation for you based on your individual weight, sleep style and the firmness you desire.

We also cover some important details on the types of split king mattresses that work with adjustable foundations(bases). We even break these down into the best custom mattresses for soft sleepers, medium firm sleepers and firm sleepers.

What Size Are Split King Mattresses?

Whether it’s a king-size or otherwise, it’s important to double-check bed sizes and dimensions before adding a new mattress to your bedroom. Especially with bigger options like a queen size, king size, and California king size, if you buy a bed that’s too big then it may not fit in the room!

Two Twin XL Beds = One Split King Bed

How big is a split king mattress? 

To make it easy to visualize, you can simply picture two twin XL size beds pushed together. This is possible because a split king-size mattress is the same size as two twin XL mattresses put together!

Twin XL Dimensions: 38 x 80 inches

Split King dimensions: 76 x 80 inches

Split King Size Compared To Other Mattress Sizes

Are you trying to decide between a dual king bed and another size, like a queen or perhaps a split California king mattress? Check the similarities and differences below before adding it to your shopping cart. 

PS: If you need more help, please contact us directly at any time. Email support is available if you have questions while you shop for our latex mattresses.

King vs. Split King

A normal king bed is the same size as a split king bed. The only difference is the small gap down the middle if a split king mattress model (we’ll touch on this later). This means you can fit king mattresses in the same exact sized space as you could a split version. 

Solid King vs. Split Layered King

With personalized latex mattresses like the ones found on Sleeping Organic, you can purchase split layers that are split under one mattress encasement. This allows some layers to be “solid” while other layers are split. How to create this type of king mattress as well as the benefits are outlined at the bottom of this article.

Split King vs. California King

While there’s no difference in size between a standard king and a split version, there are significant size differences between California king and standard king beds. A king bed is 4 inches wider than a California king, while the cal king is 4 inches longer.

King size bed (split and standard) dimensions: 76 x 80 inches

California King mattress dimensions: 72 x 84 inches

Do split California kings exist?

Yes, it’s possible to buy a split California king mattress. In fact, you can build your own split cal king Sleeping Organic mattress and personalize each side to match your and your partner’s needs. Couples with different sleep needs (like comfort and support) love this option! We’ll walk you through exactly how to do this at the bottom of this article.

Split King vs. Queen

Kings (both split and regular) are a bit larger than queen mattresses, hence the higher price for a new king mattress. Kings help give couples more room in bed because they are 16 inches wider than queen mattresses. Check out the exact sizes here:

King size bed dimensions: 76 x 80 inches.

Queen dimensions:  60 x 80 inches

Do split queen mattress sets exist?

It’s possible to find a split queen mattress, but they are not as popular or easy to shop for as their king counterparts. Because of this, split queens can often be just as expensive as king and split king sizes. 

At Sleeping Organic, we manufacture split queen mattresses but only by special order and on a customer-to-customer basis. If you’re interested in this size, please contact us directly.

The Pros and Cons of Split King Beds

So now that we’re on the same page about sizing and you’re still interested in buying a split king-sized mattress, let’s decide whether this purchase is best for you by reviewing some of the pros and cons.

Disadvantages Of Split Mattress Sets

While split king mattresses are a great choice for many couples, there are some negatives to go along with the benefits.

Availability (Where To Buy)

Finding somewhere to buy a split bed is more difficult than normal mattresses because not as many mattress companies manufacture them. As a customer, you’ll have less places to shop which isn’t great if you want to buy this bed in person. If you’re okay with shopping online, you can save time and have more mattress brands to choose from.

Price Differences

Higher price tags for split bedding come as a direct result of availability. Because they’re harder to find, retailers can charge more for a split model compared to the same exact bed in a model that isn’t split. On top of availability, they also generally use more material and they take more time to create. 

Yes, split mattresses are generally more expensive. But if you choose a split-latex mattress made by Sleeping Organic, it will cost the same as any other bed of the same dimensions! This gives you all the benefits of a split model, without the extra cost.

Gap Down The Middle

Customers with questions about split mattresses almost always ask about space between the twin twin XL beds that come together to create a split king mattress. Can I feel the gap in a split mattress? Will it affect my sleep? Will I notice the seam between the two sides of the bed? And while these are great questions, our answer (with latex mattresses especially) is generally no.

You won’t really feel any gap in a split layered latex mattress because the latex foam in each twin XL bed hugs the other side very closely. With latex, there isn’t a need to add any filler between the two just to stay comfortable at night. However, with split inner-spring mattresses, there’s a strong chance you will feel the gap between the two sides because two innerspring beds pushed together will leave a 1 to the 2-inch gap.

 In these cases, you may want to search for a solution to fill or bridge the gap/seam to enhance your comfort, especially if you want to use the middle of the mattress. These issues are not as present in a split layered king mattress where the top layer is static and the layers underneath are split.

No Sleeping in the Middle

With traditional split king mattresses (like the ones popular with adjustable beds for optimal functionality) there is absolutely no sleeping in the middle. Be advised that your snuggle will have to be on 1 twin xl side of the bed or the other. With split layered mattresses, you won’t have this issue, however, you also wouldn’t be able to take advantage of all features of a split adjustable bed.

One side is super soft and the other super firm 

On a split layered mattress where one side is a completely different firmness than the other side, you are left with a middle that slopes from one side to the other. This makes the middle and area near the middle of the mattress extremely uncomfortable to sleep on.

If you have an adjustable bed with two twin XL inner-spring mattresses on top, then you may want to consider latex because latex mattresses are by far the best mattress for an adjustable base. With latex on a split adjustable bed, you won’t have to worry about how to keep each side of the adjustable bed together without slipping.

Benefits Of Split Bed Styles

Especially for couples with different sleep styles and firmness preferences, the advantages of split mattresses generally outweigh the negatives mentioned above. Take a look below so you can decide which option is right for you and your bedroom!

Uniqueness For Each Side of The Bed

If you sleep with a partner who has different sleep preferences and you’ve ever tried to buy a mattress with them, I’m sure you’ve felt the struggle…

You want a firm bed, while your partner wants a soft one, or vice-versa. If only there was a way to both get the firmness and comfort you desire. If only both sides of the bed could be different…

Ta-da! You’ll get exactly that with a split king or split layered king mattress set. It offers you the opportunity to make each side of the bed feel exactly how you want it to feel, so no more sacrificing your comfort just to make your partner’s side great.

Best Mattress Size for Adjustable Beds

What’s the best mattress size for an adjustable bed? Don’t be surprised to find split king mattresses as your answer. Many people who want an adjustable base choose a split king option over regular kings because the split helps both sides adjust up and down on their own. This way, each partner can choose their own position at any time.

Important: If you want both sides of the base to move up and down on their own, you’ll want to make sure you choose two twin XL adjustable beds, then sync them together. Doing so means one twin xl side of the mattress can go up and down one way, while the other stays static or moves in a different position. Alternatively, a king-size adjustable bed (that’s not split into two twin XLs) would only be able to move one way.

A split king mattress on top of two twin XL adjustable bases offers an extremely customizable bed. And when you add a personalized Sleeping Organic latex mattress into the mix, it becomes the best personalized sleep experience available anywhere! 

If you want help customizing your base and latex mattress choice, contact us at your convenience. Our sleep specialists are experienced in helping customers create the perfect type of sleep setup to match the sleep needs of couples and single sleepers alike!

Motion Transfer At Night

You may be wondering: “will I feel my partner moving around in bed if we have a split mattress?” And though the answer depends on how much movement there is and how deep of a sleeper you are, we’re confident that you’ll feel your partner moving a bit less when the bed is split than when you have a traditional king setup.

A split king’s main benefit is you will not feel any of your partner’s movements during the night. If you decide to go with a split layered king, it’s possible to feel some movement from your significant other. But it will be much less than if you bought a solid king bed type.

A split bed option offers a bit more serenity because each side’s material is not “connected” in the traditional sense. There’s that tiny gap in the middle like we mentioned above, which creates the “split”. The lack of continuity between both sides generally makes motion transfer a non-issue.

Easier To Transport

Moving your mattress around won’t be a factor on most nights, but once in a while (when you move homes or rearrange your bedroom) you’ll want the process to feel as easy as possible.

For anyone who’s moved a large latex or memory foam mattress around for more than a minute, you know how challenging the flopping movements can be. Never mind trying to carry that floppy foam up a flight of stairs! Moving your bed becomes easier with a new split bed because the two sides can be carried separately.

Building Your Sleeping Organic Split King Latex Mattress

Note: This process also works for creating split California king sizes.

To start, head on over to our 100% natural latex mattress page. Right below the product description, you’ll find a form where you can select a mattress size, firmness, and other options.

Step 1: Select Layer Preferences

Select your mattress height (choose from 7 inches, 10 inches, and 12 inches) then choose which mattress size you’re buying. If you’re splitting the mattress, then your options for this are either king or California king. For this example, we’ll be splitting layers on a king size to create a brand new split layered king latex mattress.

Step 2: Split Each Layer According To Your Preferences

When you look at step #3 of our builder, you’ll initially see three static layers. But because we’re splitting the mattress to make each side customized, static layers won’t do! One by one, we’re going to make each layer unique and perfect for both sleepers.

To split each layer, toggle (click) the “split” button to the right side of each layer you want to split.

Note: if you’re not buying an adjustable bed and never plan to, you can choose a mixture of solid and split layers for each side. For couples truly worried about the small gap we mentioned in the “cons” section above, you can keep the top layer solid while splitting the layers underneath. 

This gives a “best of both worlds” situation if the idea of a little space between the bedsides has been keeping you up at night! A split mattress with no gap in between the sides would look like this in our builder:

Alternatively, a split layered mattress that does not have a “merged” layer on top would look like this:

As you make each side unique to you, you can click each layer to customize the firmness and support you will feel. 

The example above has one side with soft Talalay latex for the top layer, Dunlop medium for the middle, and Dunlop firm at the bottom. The opposite side of the bed has medium Dunlop latex at the top, Dunlop firm in the middle, and Dunlop extra firm at the base. 

The left side offers a much softer feeling than the right side. We’d recommend the left for a side sleeper looking for a medium feelings mattress and the right for a back sleeper who wants a firm mattress, with no other personalization factors considered. 

Creating the perfect mattress for your body depends on a variety of factors, like sleep position (back, side, or stomach), desired firmness, and what comfort means for you.

Which Firmness Should My Side Of The Bed Be?

If you’re excited about the possibility of a split mattress, we don’t blame you! They provide a remarkable sleep experience that’s unmatched by many other options on the market. 

If so, check out our mattress personalization form, located here: https://sleepingorganic.com/personalize/