Choose a headboard at least as wide as your bed frame, not just the mattress, and check that it still fits between your bedside tables. For height, sit up in bed: the part above the mattress should reach at least your shoulders and stay below any window sill, switchboard or AC unit on that wall.
Our cane headboard guide covers styles and a size chart by bed type. This one is the measuring job: how to size a headboard for your actual bed, wall and habits, and whether you need one at all.
Is a headboard necessary?
No. A bed works perfectly well without one. But a headboard does four practical things, and if any of them matter to you, it is worth having.
- Something to lean on. If you sit up in bed to read, watch something or work on a laptop, a headboard is far more comfortable than bare wall and a pile of pillows.
- No lost pillows. It closes the gap between the mattress and the wall, so pillows stop sliding down the back.
- A cleaner wall. The strip of wall behind the pillows picks up hair oil and scuff marks. A headboard takes that wear instead of your paint.
- A focal point. It gives the bed, and so the whole room, a clear centre.
You can skip it if you never sit up in bed, if you prefer a low platform bed or a mattress on a base in a minimal room, or if the wall behind the bed already has panelling or texture. On a tight budget, spend on the mattress first; a headboard can come later.
Why measure the bed frame, not the mattress label?
Mattresses in India are commonly sold as queen at 60 x 75 or 60 x 78 inches, and king at 72 x 75 or 72 x 78 inches. The length makes no difference to a headboard. The width does, and the width that matters is the bed frame's, which is usually a little wider than the mattress because of the side rails. Size to the mattress label and the headboard can end up narrower than the bed it sits behind.
| Measure | How | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Frame outer width | Side rail to side rail across the head end | The headboard should cover at least this |
| Gap between bedside tables | Inside edge to inside edge, at the wall | A wider headboard must clear the tables or sit above them |
| Mattress top from floor | Floor to the top surface, with the mattress on | Decides how much of the headboard you will actually see |
| Sitting-up head height | Sit against the wall on your pillow and have someone mark the top of your head | The visible panel should reach at least your shoulders |
| Clear wall height | Floor to the lowest obstacle: window sill, switchboard, AC unit or shelf | The top of the headboard must stay below it |
Match the frame width as a minimum and go a little wider if the tables allow, so the headboard frames the bed rather than sitting inside it. If you are still choosing bedside tables, our bedside table size guide sizes them to the bed. Shape matters too: arched and fan-shaped headboards are narrowest at the top, so check the width at pillow height, not only the widest point.
How high should a headboard be above the mattress?
What you see above the mattress is the number that matters, not the headboard's total height. For a headboard that stands on legs, subtract the mattress-top height from the headboard's height from the floor. If your mattress top sits 55 cm off the floor and the headboard stands 120 cm tall, you will see about 65 cm of it. For a wall-mounted panel, you see the panel's height, minus whatever sits behind the mattress.
On a wall-mounted panel, let the lower edge sit a few centimetres behind the top of the mattress. That way there is no gap for pillows to fall into and the panel looks anchored to the bed rather than floating above it. Then choose a height by how you use the bed and what is on the wall.
| Akway headboard | Listed size (W x H) | Shape | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myla | 160 x 60 cm | Low rectangle, cane in a dark frame | A bed under a window, a low Japandi look |
| Trista | 160 x 75 cm | Fan | Most bedrooms; reads lighter than its width |
| Laina | 160 x 125 cm | Arched sunburst | A clear wall where the bed is the focal point |
| Hawaii | 160 x 152 cm | Tall leaf fan | High ceilings and a wall with nothing above the bed |
These are the dimensions listed on each product page; both queen and king versions are sold, so confirm the size for your variant before you order.
Which headboard is best for the bed you already own?
How your bed is built decides how a headboard can attach, and that narrows the choice quickly.
| Your bed | Best fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Frame with headboard brackets or bolt holes | Bed-mounted panel | Bolt spacing must match the brackets |
| Box or divan storage bed with no brackets | Wall-mounted panel, or one on legs behind the bed | On a hydraulic lift bed, check the lid clears the headboard when it opens |
| Low platform or mattress on a base | Low wall-mounted panel | Too tall and it looks detached from the bed |
| Child's single bed | Narrow panel on its own legs | A single mattress is commonly about 36 inches wide |
| Rented flat | Panel on legs or bed-mounted | Wall-mounting means drilling |
The cane headboard guide linked above goes through wall-mounted and bed-attached fixing in more detail. If you are replacing the whole bed rather than adding a headboard, our cane bed buying guide covers bed sizes and types, and our cane and rattan beds come with the headboard built in.
Akway headboards, from low to tall
Each is handmade by artisan families in our Noida workshop. The four adult designs come in queen and king sizes; Petra is sized for a single bed.
A low rectangular cane panel in a dark frame, listed at 60 cm tall: the one to choose when a window or switchboard sits low above the bed.
From Rs 13,999
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A fan-shaped rattan headboard listed at 75 cm tall; the curved top reads narrower than its full width, so it suits a smaller wall.
From Rs 10,999
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An arched rattan sunburst listed at 125 cm tall, for a clear wall where you want the bed to be the first thing you see.
From Rs 11,549
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Mango Wood Rattan Headboard - Hawaii
A tall leaf-fan design listed at 152 cm; it needs a wall with no window, AC unit or shelf above the bed.
From Rs 16,999
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An arched cane panel on its own legs, 90 cm wide for a single bed; two can be joined behind a 180 cm bed.
Rs 10,999
Shop NowHeadboard sizing mistakes to avoid
- Sizing to the mattress label. Measure the frame, which is wider.
- Forgetting what is beside the bed. Bedside tables, a switchboard or a wall lamp can all block a wide panel.
- Going tall under a window or AC unit. Measure the clear wall height before you fall for a statement shape.
- Leaving a gap above the mattress. On a wall-mounted panel, tuck the lower edge behind the mattress top.
- Measuring once, without the mattress on. Mattress thickness changes the visible height, so measure with the bed made.
