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Toddler bed or single bed?

24 replies

MiniMummy576 · 31/05/2017 11:53

Not sure I'm putting this in the right topic, so apologies if I've got it wrong... Blush
I'm doing some forward planning for when DS eventually moves out of his cot and am idly looking at what sort of bed to buy him. I was thinking of just getting him a single bed, because I sort of assumed that toddler beds were just a 'thing' but I've just looked at the John Lewis website that says [the single bed I was looking at] wasn't suitable for children under 4.
I was just wondering if anyone moved their LOs straight to a single bed or if the toddler bed is a mandatory transition? Confused

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AnotherYellowBelly · 31/05/2017 11:57

We had a toddler bed for dc 1 and didn't bother for ds 2. He went straight into a single bed. I felt the toddler bed was a waste on money as it didn't last that long until she was too long and it was a pain if I ended up in there overnight! I bought a removable side thing for the single bed and have had no problems. Dc2 went in it at 2. We spent the money on a decent mattress and bed frame which will last him.

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cookielove · 31/05/2017 12:03

I wonder what there reasoning for that is, I can only think of one and that is profit! We got a toddler bed, I think they are lower to the ground! But then he has a bed guard which you could use on a single bed!

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FATEdestiny · 31/05/2017 12:31

I would imagine the age restriction on single beds will be the height and the risk of rolling out.

Similar thing to the restriction on high sleepers for under 6 year olds.

Toddler beds are much almost floor level, much safer if sleeping child rolls off. Solvable with a bed guard if you have a child who stays where you put them at night. A child who moved around a lot may well end up at the wrong end of the bed, where there is no bed guard, and fall out.

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InsaneDame · 31/05/2017 20:18

We did single bed with bed guard for both our DC, no issues at all.

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Ecureuil · 31/05/2017 20:19

22 month old DD2 is in a single bed with bed guard.

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MiniMummy576 · 01/06/2017 08:54

Thank you all Flowers
I think we'll definitely go for a single bed. I remember having full length guards on my bed when I was little (some years ago!) DS is a bit of a wriggler, so I might see if I can find some of those.

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Ecureuil · 01/06/2017 08:56

I find if you put the standard bed guards in the middle there isn't room either side of them to wriggle out. DD2 is a proper wriggler and hasn't fallen out yet, she's been in a single bed for about 2 months now (she's 22 months)

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Crumbs1 · 01/06/2017 09:00

Aren't toddler beds just another way to fool parents into buying an additional and unnecessary item? My six all went from cot to big bed, if they rolled out they didn't come to any harm but I don't recall any of them doing so.

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coldflange · 01/06/2017 09:02

DS was straight from cot into single bed. He only fell out once.Grin

He was a tall baby so a toddler bed wouldn't have lasted long.

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Babymamamama · 01/06/2017 09:08

We bought a good quality single bed which we used from age of four upwards. It's a trundle so we could have started with the lower part but in fact there was no need. I'm hoping it can be used right through the teenage years. I think those toddler beds are a waste of time.

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EnergeticMartian · 01/06/2017 09:12

We have an extendable bed from Ikea. Starts small but turns into single bed.

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Ginmummy1 · 01/06/2017 09:13

Single bed should be fine, but make sure you get a soft mattress, as children don't weigh a lot!

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ASqueakingInTheShrubbery · 01/06/2017 09:41

We went straight to a single bed. I couldn't see the point in buying something that didn't offer an immediate advantage and would have to be replaced in a couple of years anyway. We got a nice wooden frame which will last until she leaves home, and a moderately priced mattress that's comfy enough for an adult to sleep on if we have to play musical beds for visitors. The very helpful lady in our local independent bed shop advised that mattress quality isn't so important for little ones, because they don't weigh much and don't need the same support, so as long as DD thought it was comfy, it would be fine.

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ASqueakingInTheShrubbery · 01/06/2017 09:42

Oh, and we didn't use a bed guard. We put cushions on the floor for the first week or so, and even though the bed is quite high, falling out of it once was a bit of a shock but no harm done.

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junglebookisthebest · 01/06/2017 09:47

We went straight to single bed. Intention was to have a bed guard but she was so excited the day the bed arrived that she wanted to sleep in it and we didn't have one yet. Put a spare duvet on the floor but she never fell out and never ended up buying one.

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amousehaseatenmypaddlingpool · 01/06/2017 09:54

We bought a mattress and moved DS onto that after his cot. Eventually we'll get the bed to match.

At the moment he thinks that the reason he has no monsters in his room is because there is no bed for them to hide under Grin

Toddler beds are a con.

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NotCitrus · 01/06/2017 11:02

Single bed, single duvet turned sideways and half of it under the mattress, so it holds child in. And some pillows on the floor just in case.

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kel1234 · 01/06/2017 21:11

I personally prefer toddler beds as they are nice and low, and my lo can climb in and out. I would worry about the height of a single bed.

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PoohBearsHole · 01/06/2017 21:15

We had toddler beds, BUT they came from my dsis had she not offloaded I'd have gone straight to single as it was really only 18 months before we did that! Don't bother unless someone gives you one which will give financial breathing space!

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MaryWortleyMontagu · 01/06/2017 21:16

My daughter has a toddler bed but that's only because it's what the cot bed turned into when you take the sides off. The cot bed itself was a great investment - still going strong at 4.5 years but if I didn't have a cot bed there's no way I would have bought a toddler bed and then a single bed. My daughter has quite happily been in single beds on holiday and when staying with relatives without any issues.

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glitterglitters · 01/06/2017 21:20

Our toddler went straight into a double 🙊 but we coslept a lot so she hadn't fallen out at all and loves it. Makes it easier when she's been poorly etc and means we never have to get a grown up bed lol

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Heatherbell1978 · 01/06/2017 21:31

We bought a lovely toddler bed from John Lewis partly because it looked cute and partly as we knew we'd get the use from it as DD will be the age to inherit it when DS moves into a single bed. I'm more comfortable knowing it's closer to the floor.

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Ecureuil · 01/06/2017 21:44

My 22 month old doesn't have any trouble climbing in and out of our full size single, and it's quite a high one. She was climbing on to the kitchen table at 8 months though!

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