Loft beds for children under 10

May 4, 2013 10:14 AM

My daughters want loft beds for their room. However I'm a bit concerned about their ability to get down in the middle of the night, particularly the 5 year old, who is a bit short. I've looked into a DIY solution but I really don't have the time. Custom furniture is a bit out of the budget under $600. The Ikea models seem a bit wobbly and too tall.. Does anyone have any suggestions for ones that are lower height or preferably adjustable as the kids get taller?
posted by humanfont to Home & Garden (19 answers total)

No advice on specific models, but I slept in the top bunk from the ages of roughly four to eight with no trouble.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:32 AM on May 4, 2013

You want something with guardrails. My first-year college roommate and I bunked our twin beds (simple headboard with mattress sitting atop springs), with me on top. Once I rolled in my sleep and woke up sitting on the carpet, with roomie staring at me in horror from her bed. I was eighteen, not a toddler, and I magically missed braining myself on the radiator or side table by a few inches.

I still stayed in the top bunk for the rest of the year and loved it, but I kept a body-pillow barrier between me and the edge when I slept.

One helpful thing was that my bed's head/footboard slats were evenly spaced and very sturdy, so I could use the bed frame itself as the ladder. Since you'll want guardrails, you'll also want something wide enough that your daughter isn't whacking into the rail every time she rolls, and that also gives you some room for padding.
posted by nicebookrack at 10:34 AM on May 4, 2013

I had a loft bed with steps when I was little. Maybe explore that option? No specific recommendations unfortunately.
posted by mlle valentine at 10:36 AM on May 4, 2013

My kids both have these Ikea loft beds and they are not wobbly at all. I know in the picture it looks like the posts are thin sticks but they're really not. We do have to tighten the screws about twice a year for the 16-tear-old, but he moves around A LOT at night. And he's 6'2", so that's a lot of kid in a bed.

On preview, I'm pretty sure that all loft/bunk beds sold in the US these days have substantial guardrails.
posted by cooker girl at 10:36 AM on May 4, 2013

Our youngest was 6 when we moved her to the top bunk, and she's never been...sure of foot. We found a used bunk bed on Craigslist being sold by a camp, made out of mostly logs with a guard rail. The only concern we had was the separate ladder siding away on the wood floor during the middle of the night bathroom breaks so we lashed it to the bunk with a belt and it was good to go.
posted by monkeymadness at 10:38 AM on May 4, 2013

Best answer: I'm probably being Captain Obvious here, but how about a midi-sleeper? They provide the space underneath that a loft bed does, but with much less height. And, for an easy exit, you can get them with steps at one end, and a slide at the other. How awesome is that, even for a gtown up, never mind a five year old? ;-)
posted by pootler at 10:41 AM on May 4, 2013 [9 favorites]

My niece has this children's bed from Ikea; it converts into a low loft bed, only about 4-5 feet off the ground. You couldn't fit a desk under it, but it makes for a nice playing or storage space.

It's designed for kids, but it is also extremely sturdy and will still fit them as they grow older. It will even support an adult - I've slept in it with no creaking, and I weighed 180lbs at the time.

It also has the coolest blue tent/canopy - I'm jealous of her.
posted by jb at 10:45 AM on May 4, 2013

(On reading nicebookrack's comment, I realize I should have added that I had a guardrail.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:49 AM on May 4, 2013

jb, that link doesn't work for me; what's the name of the bed so I can search for it?
posted by KathrynT at 10:50 AM on May 4, 2013

I'm guessing jb wanted to link to the Ikea Kura? My 5yo has one, getting in and out is a non-issue. If your 5yo doesn't have difficulties on play structures and the like I wouldn't worry about the getting in and getting out.

(I had a double-size Ikea loft myself a decade ago and it wasn't wobbly, for what that's worth.)
posted by kmennie at 11:38 AM on May 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

I slept in a bunk bed from 4-8 as well. I would OK it for my kids. I never fell off, but I never moved around a lot when I slept. My advice is to get a model that can be taken apart and turned into two beds if needed (There's always that one time when you need...)

A word of advice. Depending on the model you pick out this might not be a problem, but please, please, please educate your kids on what NOT to do.

1) DO NOT lay on the lower bunk on your back and use your feet and legs as a leverage to raise the top bunk up in the air, and be impressed that you, as a small little kid, are able to do such amazing feats of strength, and you may be able to do it 1000 times, but the top bunk will come crashing down, and when it does it's a quick question, is it Daddy's shins, you and your baby sister, or the window that gets the top bunk thrown at-on-through it. There is no correct answer there.
posted by QueerAngel28 at 11:47 AM on May 4, 2013

Best answer: We've got a Kura loft bed. Neither the 4- nor the 2-year-old has any problem getting up or down the ladder.
posted by colin_l at 12:00 PM on May 4, 2013

I'm so sorry for your loss, item. I have heard similar stories and, given living in an earthquake zone, I have done away with my kids' bunk beds. Also, I found that they were difficult whenever the kids were sick, had wet the bed, threw up, or were fevered or sitting up in their sleep and I wasn't sure if they would walk right out of the bed or fall down the ladder. I know someone who feel off a bunk bed and was hurt fairly badly during a fever, though certainly not as tragically as item has described. So I think perhaps the mini loft beds are a better answer.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 12:52 PM on May 4, 2013

You might want to look into the bunk beds with the steps on the end (this one from Sears is a bit out of your range but I bet there are less expensive ones) they are study and not really tippable and there are rails as well as real steps to climb down so no rickety ladders.
posted by jessamyn at 2:41 PM on May 4, 2013

Yes, it's the Kura - sorry about the link. It's a very good kid's semi-loft bed, but also convertible back to a regular bed if they get tired of the loft-style. They do recommend using a special, thinner mattress, so that the guard rails are high enough. My niece uses a thick mattress, but she has the canopy to keep her in and she's 14, not 4.
posted by jb at 3:48 PM on May 4, 2013

jessamyn - your link is to a newspaper article rather than Sears.
posted by jb at 3:50 PM on May 4, 2013

Another vote for the IKEA Kura beds!
I've got 2 of them between four kids under 10 and they are extremely sturdy. Keep in mind that the floor models always seem wobbly (at least at our IKEA store, the floor models are a wreck). No issues here whatsoever in 2 years of the bed being used as at-home playground equipment and I got them secondhand, so they last a long time too.
They are a lot lower to the ground than standard bunks, the lower bunk mattress goes on the floor. You do have to get the thinner ikea mattress to go with though, regular mattresses are too thick and will come close to the top of the guardrails.
They are so fun and customizable as well. Google Ikea Kura and take a look at the images to see what Im talking about.
posted by tenaciousmoon at 4:37 PM on May 4, 2013

Now fixed, thank you.
posted by jessamyn at 5:32 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

My daughter has the Ikea Tromso and it was incredibly easy to take about 14 inches off each leg with a hacksaw so it would fit in her low-ceilingd room. This had the dual benefit of making it less wobbly (not that it was that bad to begin with), and there's still enough room for her to play or have a friend sleep under it.
posted by bizwank at 5:40 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]