What came first — the California King or the King? Well, the answer behind their origin stories depends on who you ask.
Some say the original King bed was first to be created. The story is that back in 1982, there was a man named David Bergeson from Concord, California. David had uncommonly long legs. This caused issues for him when it came to fitting into a King-sized bed. His legs were just too long, and they dangled off the end of the bed. David also was presumed to have stubby arms, making him unable to reach for his wife in the middle of the night due to the width of the bed. Hence, why the California King is 4 inches taller, but 4 inches narrower than the standard King. However, this story is not correct.
In fact, it was the California King, or Western King, that was actually created first in 1960. A Los Angeles furniture company created this mattress originally for Hollywood celebrities and athletes. These beds were longer, adding an additional 4 inches to accommodate the height of the athletes, and 4 inches narrower than the standard sizes. Celebrities were requesting these beds because the Cali King better filled the space of their rather large bedrooms in their mansion homes.
It wasn’t until after World War II that the standard King was created. There became a larger demand for the luxury mattresses in the Eastern side of the States, hence why the standard king is also called the Eastern King. The furniture store decided to produce a mattress that would be able to perfectly fit across two extra-long twin box springs. This is how the standard King was created. Regardless of how they originated, king mattresses became widely popular. Other countries began producing their own versions of the larger mattresses, each having their own unique names and minimal size differences.
In this case of which came first, the chicken or the egg? It is in fact the California King that was first produced. We can thank all the celebrities and athletes for their rather large tastes in mattresses. Now, these luxury beds are available to all who desire them. The athletes and celebrities have moved onto bigger and better things, like Shaq and his 15’x30′ custom bed!
No matter what size mattress you decide to go with, you want to make sure it will provide you with your perfect night’s sleep. If you are needing more information on the California King, head over to our website or give us a call at 417.890.5788. We would be more than happy to help you find the perfect mattress for all your slumber needs.