STANDARD SIZE
King soft sider waterbeds are
2030mm long x 1820mm wide x 200mm deep
Or 6' x 6'8" x 8" in the old scale
These are external measurements.
There may be minor variations of 10 to 20mm in length and width.

The mattress sits in a foam bath or cradle with a outer cover.
The zips on and off covers can be made with lambswool or quilting. Some older versions maybe velcroed just under the lower base.

Foam baths or cradles can come in different constructions
[a] One piece foam bath with foam on the bottom and a material lower covering to avoid spreading of the foam. Note there are some that do not have a lower material support. Check that the foam bath is straight along the sides so the mattress is supported properly. Where you get in and out of bed has the most wear
[b] One piece foam bath with no foam lower foam sheet and is totally covered in calico
[c] Four individual sides that are screwed to the decking inside the lower cover
[d] Four individual sides that slot into a two piece deck with a surrounding edge

Below are descriptions on mattress performances. Please note that this is a guide only and if you require accuracy then it is best to lay on beds in our showroom. However the information is a accumulation of nearly 20 years in the industry. When selling mattresses over the phone we refer to the below guide. We have a accuracy of around 95%.
[Details on measuring performance]

Movement
This test is conducted, filled to specifications. In our test there are no people on the bed or bedding items with the exception of the lambs wool or quilted cover. Please note that with the zip on/off covers, which are standard with the soft sider beds, and with the reduction of water volume, wave motion is reduced so you can't directly compare a timber frame bed to a soft sider. Our test is to sharply push down one corner of the mattress until you can't go any further, and wait.
Times are approximate.

Simple Price Table

Mattresses by Hardeness

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
 

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
 

Now we are starting to really notice a reasonable amount of dampening of wave action. Extra baffle support from underneath is getting noticeably better For the lighter single person who likes a little movent but not overwhelming it is a possible good choice Couples of equal weight will still have some movement but far, far less than a full float The lighter partner in couples some weight difference will still sleep higher but notably less
Sales are still low in this range. About 8%
Movement range approximately 18 to 12 seconds

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
Note: ADD $50 to above prices for lumbar support versions
 

Now we are entering into a popular range. Although this range still has some reasonable movement It is a main choice for those who like to feel a little wave action, have reasonable baffle support and still contour nicely to the body curves. For singles and lighter couples wave action stops reasonably quickly with a more gentle wave action. The lighter partner in couples where there is a reasonable degree of weight difference will still sleep slightly higher, but nowhere near the degree of a standard full float mattress Those who suffer from pressure points and require some stability usually go for this range
Sales increase sharply in this range about 26%
Movement range approximately 11 to 7 seconds

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
Note: ADD $50 to above prices for lumbar support versions 
 

We are now entering into another very popular range. Wave action in this range is greatly reduced and baffle support is reasonably strong. Singles and light couples usually stop at this level as support is strong enough at this level. Couples with reasonable weight difference also have a passion for this range as the lighter partner is not sleeping much higher that the heavier partner. We get more complements about our mattresses here. Those who require stability and support for their backs usually start in this range This is usually the upper range for those who require support and suffer from pressure points
This group would be the pick of the bunch. Sales at 52%
Movement range approximately 6 to 3 seconds

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
Note: ADD $50 to above prices for lumbar support versions
 

Being one stage up from the previous range there is more support and stability. Some lighter couples are starting to find this range hard. For those who require support and stability find this rage useful This range notably starts another process called compression. The baffle thickness now near the depth of the mattress now compresses when someone lays on it as the baffle now touches the top and bottom of the mattress skin. Most who test lay on this bed in our show room usually want to go less hard
Sales in this group are at about 11%
Movement range approximately 2 to 1 seconds

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!
Note: ADD $50 to above prices for lumbar support versions
 

Being one stage up from the previous range there is more support and stability. For those who require support and stability find this rage useful This range notably starts another process called compression. The baffle thickness now near the depth of the mattress now compresses when someone lays on it as the baffle now touches the top and bottom of the mattress skin. We do not have this one in our showroom as the previous level is stronger than what most are after anyway
Sales in this group is about 5%
Movement under 1 second

Is your foam bath/cradle a deep well or shallow well? More!