Children’s Bed Buying Guide

By Jade Blackmore

There are several types of beds you can choose from after your infant outgrows their crib. You’ll start off your child’s journey into grown-up slumber with a toddler bed, then move on to a variety of twin-sized beds.

Many factors determine the right bed for your child, including your budget, ease of assembly, the amount of space available for a bed in your child’s room, other furniture in the room, and how long your child will use the bed. Buying an expensive, fancy toddler bed doesn’t make much sense for most families since a child only uses it for a short time. If you plan to pass the bed down to younger children, it may be a good investment.

Toddler Beds or Cots

A cot bed has an end panel and removable sides. You can easily convert it into a toddler bed. It’s a transitional bed that prepares your child for a bunk or twin bed. A cot bed is usually larger than a cot, and you’ll need more space in your child’s room to position it.

Most children can move from a cot to a bed by the age of three, but most children can use one by 18 months, according to sleep experts. Overall, toddler beds are recommended by children from one to four years of age. Once a child crawls out of his or her crib or is 35 inches or taller, they can safely sleep in a toddler bed.

Toddler beds have a crib mattress and are placed low on the floor like a twin bed. (You can still use all the bedding from your child’s crib with a toddler bed.) Some models have side rails to prevent your toddler from falling out of bed. Toddler beds are the same size as a crib, about 27 inches by 52 inches. Some toddler beds double as “playgrounds” with slides or thematic designs, and fit in well with whimsical décor.

Twin or Full Beds

A single or twin bed describes the size, but not the frame of a child’s first regular-sized bed. Twin beds may have canopies, be shaped like race cars, or have other playful themes. Trundle beds have a second mattress tucked underneath the first one that you can pull out and use as a second bed when your child has friends on a sleep-over.

Your child will get more use out of a bigger bed. Measure your child’s room and consider how the bed will fit in with the rest of the furniture. A child’s twin bed usually measures 99.06 x 190.5 centimeters, or 39 x 75 inches. You can also find extra-long twin beds that measure five inches longer. We recommend twin beds for children and teens from four to 18 years.

Full beds are excellent for restless sleepers, teens, or bigger children. They measure 54 x 75 inches and are a good choice for older children who are less than 65 inches tall.

Cabin Beds

Cabin or Captain’s beds have a raised frame that’s lower than a bunk bed but higher than a twin bed. This type of bed comes in different frame heights, so you can use it for teens as well as young children. Since the Cabin bed’s height is halfway between a single and bunk bed, it’s sometimes referred to as a “mid-sleeper.”

A Cabin bed usually has drawers underneath the frame to store toys or clothes. Use a cabin bed if you live in an apartment or are short on storage space. Enclosed cabin beds offer privacy, which is especially important to teens and pre-teens.

Cabin beds are among the most economical kinds of children’s beds since they offer storage, but they also come in a variety of creative designs with built-in safety features. The space-saving design leaves room for more furniture in your child’s room.

Bunk Beds and Loft Beds

Bunk beds are commonly used to save space in shared bedrooms. There are several types of bunk beds, including triple and three-tiered bunks, bunk beds with storage units, and corner bunks. The most popular bunk beds have two stacked single beds with a ladder leading to the top mattress. Make sure bunk bed ladders are sturdy and securely attached when assembling the unit. To prevent accidents, only children six years or older should sleep in the upper bunk.

A loft bed has an elevated frame like a bunk bed with space underneath it for storage or play. A loft bed utilizes limited space any way you see fit and is often used in small urban apartments. Loft beds may have many frame designs that offer enough room for desks or bookshelves underneath the sleeping area. Kids access loft beds by climbing a ladder, just like bunk beds, so they are best for older kids and teens.

Frames and Mattresses

Metal frames can be ornamental or plain and purely functional. They are long-lasting and sturdy. Aluminum, brass, nickel and other types of metal offer extra durability for bunk beds and day beds. You can easily customize or paint metal frames.

Real or faux wood frames come in many shades and grains to match the rest of the décor in your child’s bedroom. Wood frames will sustain lots of jumping around and rough play. Like metal frames, they last a long time and can be painted or customized. Many elaborate wood frames are handcrafted.

Plastic frames come in a variety of colors and are often used in playful novelty beds. These inexpensive frames are easy to clean and assemble.

Innerspring mattresses are as popular for kids’ beds as they are for adult beds. They provide support and a cool sleep. They may tempt children to use the mattress as a trampoline, due to their “bounciness.” Memory foam mattresses have a longer lifespan and little bounce potential, but they may have a strange smell, especially when new. Latex mattresses are more expensive, but have little allergy risk, and are safer for sensitive children.