For the first 10 years of our relationship, Bobby and I shared a full size bed. Looking back on that, I honestly don’t even know how we did it. Our first Brooklyn apartment could barely fit a full, let alone a queen or king. So, it was our best option for years. I remember Bobby always had to be at a slight angle so his feet didn’t go through the footboard, which cut into what little space I had on my side. We also often had a bed full of animals. Miku, and one or all three of our cats, liked to smush themselves between us or at the foot of the bed. It was…cozy. Or chaotic. One of those “c” adjectives.

Of course, I didn’t sleep all that much in my 20s. We also had opposite schedules during his years as an overnight room server and then bartender. So, we didn’t always have to share a bed for too long. As careers changed and our schedules synched, the limited space in our bed seemed to shrink more and more. I found myself sleeping upside down — head at the foot of the bed — just to feel like I had a bit more space. But mattresses are a little pricey and not a fun purchase like a pretty velvet sofa or a darling smeg refrigerator (both of which took priority in my brain), so I just complained about it a lot and threatened Bobby whenever he would snore (always) or grind his teeth (often). As one does.

We Started Looking for Mattresses

It wasn’t until I was presented with a job with a mattress company — praise the gods of rest and relaxation — that we decided to upgrade to a queen sized mattress, which gave us 5 inches more length and about 7 inches more width. It may not sound like a lot, but those extra inches felt like the ultimate luxury. With that big purchase taken care of, I only had to worry about the actual bed frame.

We had no way of getting a box spring up our stairs (our poor neighbors learned this the hard way), so we knew we needed something that didn’t require one. I couldn’t immediately find the right bed frame, so I ordered a “temporary” one without a headboard — something cheap and tall for maximum storage in our minimal storage space. And of course, “temporary” turned into 4 years and I’m literally writing this post as I sit on that same mattress on the same sad, headboard-less bed frame.

Should we upgrade to a King size bed?

Which brings me to the whole point of this post: now that we arguably have the space we never had before, do we make the leap and buy a king sized bed? Is it worth spending the money? I’m finally looking at purchasing a new (or probably vintage) bed frame and want to make that decision before buying it, because you know if I buy a queen I will just live with it forever. I mean, we have done fine with a queen for this long but if you’ve followed me for a long time, you know how much I look forward to hotel rooms because I get more bed space. I just want to know if it’s worth the extra cost of bedding, buying a new mattress, and getting the biggest bed frame.

Kitty Boos is the only one who sleeps with us now (Lacy prefers the guest bed), but I still feel a little cramped. Bobby is totally neutral on the decision. Please let me know your thoughts!

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