6 & 4 too young for bunk beds?

[Eastie77]

We are finally sorting out the DC's bedroom and I've spotted a bunk bed I really like. Their room is not huge so I'd prefer this to 2 separate beds. However a few friends who have had negative experiences are warning me off. One friend who purchased a bunk bed when her two were the age mine are now said they were "far too young", her younger child ended up sleeping in her bed and it was all an expensive mistake. Her DC now sleep happily in single beds.

I've heard tales of DC falling out/jumping off the top bed, the top bed becoming a place where toys & clothes are hidden and so on. No-one seems to have anything good to say.

Does anyone else think 6 & 4 is too young?

Mine were 5 and 3 and I never had a problem at all.

Mine had cabin beds at 5 and 4. As long as there’s a side rail they’ll be fine.

I had similar worries on account of the fact that I accidentally dropped my younger sister from my top bunk when I was testing how strong I was we were playing. But it turns out most children, and thankfully this includes my children, are less feral than I was when I was little.

I think the advice is to wait until the youngest is 6, but I had pur dc in bunk beds at 3 and 5 I think.

I think it's recommended to be 6 for a top bunk. The lower bunk is fine for younger kids.

My nieces have been in bunk beds since they were 1.5 and 5. Youngest went straight from cot to bunk bed.

Mine are 6 and 4 and in bunk beds. There isn't really any other option though.

Ours were 3 and 5 and we never had any issues.

Can you still get bunk beds which split into two singles? That way if it doesn't work out, you can seperate them.

Agree with previous poster get Bunk beds that can be split... Just in case need to early on. We also got Bunk beds that would take an adult weight... Just in case ended up bed swapping in night due to sickness.
You might also need a nightlight in case eldest needs to climb down for toilet in night...

Mine were 2y5m and 5y2m
When I put them in bunk beds.

I used the mattress from the cot that she had just moved out of and put it on the floor beside the bed incase she fell out but she never did.

Bensons for beds has splitable ones in sale for £320

Mine were in bunk beds with steps rather than a ladder from about the age of 3 and 4. They're now 6 and 7 - only issue we've ever had is the top bunk owner dropping books onto their sleeping sibling's head (bunks are staggered so the bottom one sticks out slightly) to wake them up to come play!

The factors I find most annoying - bedding changing, and the top bunk puke factor - but it's the only way to really get good space for them to play in their bedroom. I've been a right royal dragon about not arsing about on the top bunk through.

Mine were 2 and 5 and have been fine. The bids I chose had large guards though to prevent rolling out. 2 year old was taught to never go up the ladder

Mine are 6 and 4 and it's perfect. More room to play and it's easy to make a den in the bottom bunk

Mine were 4 and 2 but didn't like them. 4 year old found it scary on top.

Mine had bunk beds on holiday at 1.5 and 3.5. Were fine for a holiday but might be different if permanent.

If you can though - try to get one with steps to get to the top bunk rather than a ladder - much easier on bare little feet trying to get to the loo in the middle of the night. Ours has cupboard space in the steps as well which makes a load of storage for board games and stuff as well - also has a bookshelf built into the lower bunk which is handy as well.

Thanks all...I'm looking at a couple on Bensons Bed. I like one called the Stompa but it doesn't seem to split into two. I think the eldest will be fine on the top bed and she never wakes in the night - I honestly think she could sleep through a monsoon - but the 4 year old gets up a least twice a night for the loo or water. Just have to mentally prepare myself to get this all organised!

My littlest had a mid-sleeper just before his third birthday, the ladder is at the foot end rather than the head end, and I always make sure he knows he's in bed (so if he fell asleep in the car for example, I would make sure he was woken up and climbed into his bed). Never fallen, no problems getting up for a wee in the night, and it frees up a lot of space in his teeny tiny box room.

Avoid Bensons! The worst company I've ever dealt with and refused to repair a bed that fell apart in a month!

Ours actually came from Amazon - paid extra to get the guys to build it in situ and it's rock solid.

Mine were 6 & 4. They were from Steen's, expensive though, however we have since moved and been able to buy extension kits so now have a mid sleeper and a high sleeper.

The other thing that is good is to be able to actually sit up on the bottom bunk.

Thanks for the tip Kuponut. There is a Bensons's store close to us so we'll go in there to look at the Stompa but perhaps order from elsewhere if the service is that bad!

Cactus - Steens beds look good and I've just seen one online that can be converted into singles. Fairly pricey but £££ reduction in the sale at the moment. I do want to actually see the bed before purchasing so hopefully there is a store selling them locally.

DD has a Stompa bed (I thought it was a make not a design?), it is very well made. But it comes with a 'swedish' length mattress, so I can only get sheets for it in Ikea. So just check the length is standard before you buy.

We got DD's bed from ebay. Have you thought of looking there for a bargain?

IKEA do a set that are really low, the bottom bunk is about 6inches off the floor which in turn means the top bunk isn't really high. Plus they are cheap!

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tuffing-bunk-bed-frame-dark-grey-00239233/