high sleeper mid sleeper cabin bed argh!

[bigbadbarry]

We are just about to decorate a room for my nearly-9-year-old DD (up until now she has been sharing with her sister). The room is (significantly larger than the room I had as a child) medium sized - maybe 2.5 x 4m, that sort of size. I think a bed that we could put something useful underneath would be grand but I am utterly befuddled by all the choices out there. Has anybody done this recently and has words of wisdom to offer? High (hard to make in the mornings and change sheets?) vs mid? How is a cabin bed different? Bookshelves/futon for a friend/wardrobes...the only decision I have I think made is that we should pop a little desk under there. But if there is a brilliant one that has other things, the desk could be separate.

Ds has a mid sleeper with a slide from Argos. It's really well made and he loves it, but it's a pain in the backside when they're sick. Changing the bed covers is a pain, but a top tip is to use a double sheet on the single mattress and tuck it round - much easier.

Ah, magichamster, so somebody actually bought the slide version. My DS would be so jealous of yours. LOL!

Thanks - glad to see some people don't hate them!

We have had both a high and a mid sleeper and they were both a PITA. Have found the best option is a normal bed but higher legs like this www.warrenevans.com/beds/?fgid=12 but with storage boxes under. we used these www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80098516/ much cheaper.

Marking place

My dd has a mid sleeper, one a bit like this but without the tower: www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Kids-Room/Beds/Pink-and-Lilac-Tent-Mid-Sleeper-Bed-Frame-with-Slide(0065156)

I have to say it's worked really well for us. I'm tall and it comes up to chest level on me, so pretty easy to lean over for cuddles/ reading/ bedmaking. I have the slide, which both my children absolutely love but which can easily get removed when they get older. I have got rid of the cheap and nasty tent that came with it, and made my own curtains from nice vintage fabric.

Underneath we have some storage drawers, and strings of fairy lights, and one of those fold-out seats that converts into a single bed. So it's a lovely place to sit and read and play - like a fairy cave - and also gets used for sleepovers. Children love sleeping under there.

Yes, all the clutter gets thrown underneath, but I think it's FANTASTIC to have somewhere you can hide your mess in a hurry, so no complaints from me there

I've just ordered this one because when we went in to look, much as I really liked the one with the proper stairs, they did make it rather huge and were fixed at one end (ie you couldn't reverse it)

My DD2 has the mid sleeper with the slide. We have strung fairy lights on the slats under the bed which gives a really good light to read/play by. It is the right height to lean over and give a little hug and a goodnight kiss. I do have to climb up to change the sheets.

DD1 has bunks. Nightmare. She has to change her own bedding and has done for a couple of years now.

DD has had a mid sleeper since she was 2.5, she's now 5.

It's fine. Changing the sheets is fine and I'm only 5ft3. I potty trained her at night in this bed, so had to do a few middle of the night changes of bedding and it was ok. Luckily she's never been sick

I can still read to her in bed and cuddle her, I just climb into bed with her I've even slept in it myself and it's very comfortable.

The under bed space is brilliant, and it means she has some floor space to actually play with her toys. And there's somewhere for her cousin to sleep when she comes for a sleepover.

Mids sleeper fine, high sleeper nightmare (for reasons listed).

2kidsintow that's just reminded me of another good point of high sleepers. Because they're a pita to change, it encourages you to get the kids to change their own beds sooner than you may have done and therefore gives them greater independence at an earlier age

Dd age 9 has high sleeper as her room So small it mean Only a bed otherwise . It's fine she loves it cuddles in my bed story wise she rather read to herself

She strips her bed and does try to put sheet on but her big brother often called into help . Vomit wise she just takes bowl up with her

Loving the idea of fairy lights strung though the slats, we just bought a second hand mid sleeper for DD who is nearly 4, so much younger than your DD but she totally loves it, we built it on Sunday afternoon and by 5 she was in pj,s and asking to brush her teeth. I had been thinking fairy lights in the den underneath would be lovely but had been imagining some major mishap could occur, but I will try the bed slat idea. Hope your DD likes her new bed

We got a set of the LED low voltage ones and have fastened them to the slats with cable ties. They are secure and don't touch any fabric. And as they are low voltage LED then they don't warm up either.

We have a mid-sleeper for our smallest bedroom simply
cos it's the only way we could fit clothes/books/toys into the room. At the same time as the bed. We had a kind chippy friend build it for us, and DD1 loves it. It's not superhigh, prob does make the room look even smaller but it did solve the storage issue really well and short of moving house we wouldn't get more space in there any other way. It's got 8 drawers, 3 small shelves and a double toystore area.