Beds, Mattresses and Duvets

The sleeping arrangements in Germany are a bit different from what we are used to in South Africa. The average German couple sleeps on a bed base with two single mattresses, and each with their own duvet.
Some would argue for this, but I would at least want to share a duvet with my partner.

I vacuum-packed all my queen-size duvets and brought them with me to Germany, together with my standard SA pillows.
It works fine as long as you don’t want to buy new duvet covers.
If you do want to get new duvet covers for your SA duvet inners, your best bet would be to buy from the UK, but be aware their King size is, to my knowledg,e the same as our Queen size, so always make sure of the measurements.
Since the German double bed consists of mostly two 100 x 200cm mattresses, a King-size duvet will work best.
Finding covers for a King size is possible at online shops, but your choice is limited, and the pillowcases will be the German standard 80 x 80.
Always make sure of the pillow size

Where to shop for bedding

Here is a list of online shops that have a bigger variety and some have the correct pillow sizes:

Ikea
Debenhams
Amazon – Germany or UK, just make sure the supplier delivers to Germany
Home24
www.otto.de. You can choose the pillow size on their website, although the closest tothe SA Standard is 40 X 80
The White Company – Luxury bedding
La Redoute – French company
H&M Home

Bedding sizes South Africa vs Germany

	Mattress size in SA	Duvet Size in SA	Mattress size Germany
Children / Kinderbett			70 x 140cm
Single / Einzelbett	90-92 x 188cm	130 x 190cm 135 x 200cm 140 x 200cm	90 x 200cm is most common but it is also available in 100 x 200cm
3 / 4 or großes Einzelbett	107 x 188cm	150 x 200cm	140 x 200cm
Double / Doppelbett	137 x 188cm	200 x 200cm	2 (90 x 200cm) Mattresses
Queen	152 x 188cm	230 x 200cm
Queen Extra Length	152 x 200cm	220 x 220cm
King	183 x 188cm	230 x 220cm
King Extra Length / großes Doppelbett	183 x 200cm	240 x 240cm	2 (100 x 200cm) Mattresses

South African pillow sizes

Pillow Type	Size
Standard Pillow	45 x 70cm
King Pillow	50 x 90cm
Continental Pillow	70 x 70cm
Body Pillow	45 x 150cm

German pillow sizes

The standard size is 80x80cm, although you can find other sizes like 40 x 80cm.
If you buy a duvet cover and do not find pillow cases that will fit your SA pillows, you can, of course, take the 80×80 cases and resize them or use SA pillowcases that will still look good with your new duvet cover.
Alternatively, invest in a new 40 x 80 pillow

Mattress hardness

Firmness Level	Description
H1	Suitable for people weighing less than 60 kg. Since such a low body weight is relatively rare in adults, only a few mattresses are manufactured in this mattress firmness level. Often these mattresses are also only available with mattress firmness level 1, so they are real custom-made products. If you weigh more than 60 kg, you should under no circumstances choose a mattress with a degree of hardness of 1 (even if you like it softer), as this would quickly lose its dimensional stability.
H2	One of the two most popular sellers in Germany – especially among women. It is particularly suitable for people who weigh between 60 and 80 kilograms. Depending on the manufacturer, the designation F2, medium strength or medium, is also common.
H3	The mattress firmness level 3 (H3) is by far the most common in Germany and is suitable for people weighing 80 kg or more. Depending on the manufacturer, the upper limit is 100, 110 or even 120 kg (a mattress hardness of H4 is usually recommended for over 120 kg).
H4	The mattress firmness level 4 (H4) is suitable for people who weigh over 100, 110 or 120 kg (depending on the manufacturer). This degree of firmness is often referred to as firm, extra-firm or even ultra-firm. Since there is no further degree of hardness for many manufacturers or models, there is often no upper limit to the next higher degree of hardness. Usually this is reached at 120, 140 or 150 kg.
H5	The degree of hardness 5 (H5) is the rarest. Often the mattress firmness level 4 is just as suitable for heavy people and mattresses firmness level 5 is just harder. That is probably the reason why some manufacturers do not have mattresses with a degree of hardness of 5 in their range. Most mattresses with firmness level 5 are suitable for people weighing 140 or 150 kg or more, but sometimes the lower limit is 120 kg.

Types of beds

Boxspring Bed

Boxspring beds (Boxspringbett ) are among the most popular types of beds worldwide. They consist of three layers:

The base (box) – a solid wood frame with built-in springs (usually pocket springs for better body support).
The mattress – a spring mattress, often divided into zones for ergonomic comfort.
The topper – a soft foam layer that adds cosiness and regulates temperature.

Lattenrost

A Lattenrost is the traditional German bed system. Instead of a solid base, it uses a frame with flexible wooden slats that support the mattress. The slats can flex and adapt to body weight, helping with pressure relief and ventilation.
A Lattenrost fits into a bed frame

Polsterbett

A Polsterbett is a bed frame that is fully upholstered in fabric, leather, or faux leather, often with a padded headboard for extra comfort. The inside can hold either a Lattenrost with a mattress or, in some models, a boxspring system.

Massivholzbett

A Massivholzbett is a bed made entirely from solid wood, often crafted from oak, beech, pine, or walnut. Unlike veneer or particleboard frames, solid wood beds are built to last and develop character over time.

Where to buy beds

Vocabulary

English	German
Duvet	Bettdecken
Duvet cover	Bettwäsche
Pillow	Kopfkissen
Pillow Cases	Kopfkissenbezüge
Mattress	die Matratze
Single bed	das Einzelbett
Double bed	das Doppelbett
Large single bed	das große Einzelbett
Large double bed	das große Doppelbett
Children’s bed	das Kinderbett
Home Textiles	die Heimtextilien

South Africans in Germany