What size rug for a full bed?

A 6x9 rug is the best size for a full bed in most bedrooms. Laid with the 9 ft side across the bed, it leaves 27 in of rug on each side of the 54 in wide mattress and 21 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands. A 5x8 is the smallest that works (21 in on each side). An 8x10 gives 33 in on each side, but it needs a room at least 11 ft 4 in wide.

  1. Rule 01Rug on each side of the bed18 in minimum, 24-36 in ideal
  2. Rule 02Rug past the foot of the bed12-48 in, 18-36 in ideal
  3. Rule 03Gap in front of the nightstands0-6 in, or the nightstands fully on the rug
  4. Rule 04Floor showing at the walls8 in minimum

Try it with your room

Room
Bed
Room width
Room length
Units

Full mattress: 54 x 75 in. Width is the wall behind the headboard.

Recommended sizefull bed, 11 x 12 ft room

6 × 9ft

A 6 x 9 ft rug, laid with the 9 ft side across the bed, leaves 27 in of rug on each side of a full bed and 21 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.

Bedroom plan: 6 x 9 ft rugTop-down plan, drawn to scale: 11 ft by 12 ft room. A 6 x 9 ft rug, laid with the 9 ft side across the bed, leaves 27 in of rug on each side of a full bed and 21 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.27 in27 in21 in6 in6 x 9 ft11 ft12 ftHeadboard wall

Drawn to scale, 1 ft grid. Drag the rug to move it, drag its corner to snap to another standard size, or rotate it.

A 6 x 9 ft rug, laid with the 9 ft side across the bed, leaves 27 in of rug on each side of a full bed and 21 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.

How the rug measures against the sizing rules
Rule6x9
Rug on each side of the bed18 in minimum, 24-36 in ideal27 in
Rug past the foot of the bed12-48 in, 18-36 in ideal21 in
Gap in front of the nightstands0-6 in, or the nightstands fully on the rug6 in
Floor showing at the walls8 in minimum12 in
Verdictideal

5x7, 5x8, 6x9 and 8x10 rugs under a full bed

Each plan is drawn to the same scale, under a full bed in an 11 x 12 ft room. The 1 ft grid shows how much floor each size covers.

5x7 rug under a full bed in an 11 x 12 ft roomTop-down plan, drawn to scale: 11 ft by 12 ft room. A 5 x 7 ft rug is too small: rug on each side of the bed is only 15 in (18 in minimum, 24-36 in ideal).15 in5 x 7 ft
5x7 too small: 15 in on each side of the bed
5x8 rug under a full bed in an 11 x 12 ft roomTop-down plan, drawn to scale: 11 ft by 12 ft room. A 5 x 8 ft rug, laid with the 8 ft side across the bed, leaves 21 in of rug on each side of a full bed and 17 in past the foot, with 14 in of bare floor between it and the nightstands.21 in5 x 8 ft
5x8 works: 21 in on each side of the bed
6x9 rug under a full bed in an 11 x 12 ft roomTop-down plan, drawn to scale: 11 ft by 12 ft room. A 6 x 9 ft rug, laid with the 9 ft side across the bed, leaves 27 in of rug on each side of a full bed and 21 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.27 in6 x 9 ft
6x9 ideal: 27 in on each side of the bed
8x10 rug under a full bed in an 11 x 12 ft roomTop-down plan, drawn to scale: 11 ft by 12 ft room. An 8 x 10 ft rug is too big for this room: floor showing at the walls is 6 in (8 in minimum).33 in8 x 10 ft
8x10 too big for this room: 6 in floor showing at the walls

Why a 6x9 fits a full bed

A full (or double) mattress is 54 in wide, 6 in narrower than a queen. A 6x9 turned sideways is 108 in across, which leaves 27 in on each side: close to the middle of the 24-36 in range, about the reach of one step out of bed.

It is also deep enough. Under a 75 in bed, a 6 ft deep rug can start just in front of the nightstands and still reach 21 in past the foot, so it stays connected to the whole bed. Full beds tend to live in smaller rooms, such as guest rooms and teen rooms, where a 6x9 frames the bed without running into the walls or the closet door.

How to place a rug under a full size bed

  1. Turn the rug so the 9 ft side runs across the bed.
  2. Center it, so 27 in shows on each side.
  3. Set the top edge just in front of the nightstands, about 24 in from the headboard wall. The nightstands stay level on the floor and the lower 51 in of the bed sits on the rug.
  4. Check that about 21 in of rug shows past the foot of the bed.

5x7 or 5x8 under a full bed?

A 5x7 is 84 in long and leaves 15 in on each side of a full bed, short of the 18 in minimum, so most of it hides. A 5x8 adds a foot and leaves 21 in, enough to work in a small room.

Rug size for a full bed against a wall

With one side of the bed against the wall, the rug only needs to cover the open side. Start the rug a few inches from the wall and turn it sideways: a 4x6 shows about 26 in on the open side, and a 5x7 shows about 38 in, a little more than you need.

Every standard size under a full bed

Standard rug sizes under a full bed (54 x 75 in) in an 11 x 12 ft room
Rug sizeRug on each side of the bedRug past the foot of the bedFloor showing at the wallsVerdict
4x648 x 72 in9 in17 in30 inToo small
5x760 x 84 in15 in17 in24 inToo small
5x860 x 96 in21 in17 in18 inWorks
6x972 x 108 in27 in21 in12 inBest fit
8x1096 x 120 in33 in23 in6 inToo big for the room
9x12108 x 144 in45 in33 in-6 inToo big for the room
10x14120 x 168 in57 in45 in-18 inToo big for the room
12x15144 x 180 in63 in69 in-24 inToo big for the room

Questions people ask

What size rug goes under a full size bed?

A 6x9, laid with the 9 ft side across the bed. It leaves 27 in of rug on each side of the mattress. A 5x8 is the minimum, with 21 in on each side, and an 8x10 works in rooms at least 11 ft 4 in wide.

Will a 5x7 rug fit under a full bed?

Only barely. A 5x7 leaves 15 in on each side of a full bed, below the 18 in minimum. It works better beside a bed that stands against a wall, or across the foot of the bed.

How do you place a rug under a full size bed?

Run the long side of the rug across the bed, center it, and set the top edge just in front of the nightstands, about 24 in from the headboard wall. About 21 in of rug then shows past the foot.

How big is a full size bed?

A full (double) mattress is 54 x 75 in (137 x 191 cm): 16 in wider than a twin, and 6 in narrower and 5 in shorter than a queen.