Toddler beds with pullout spare - views?

[sellotape12]

Parents of toddlers: anyone go for one of those cabin beds that have an extra little bed in the pull-out drawer? I guess it’s for when they get nightmares or want a parent. I keep getting them advertised to me from brands like Petite Amelie and Mon Lit Cabane, and this is all new to me as just planning ahead for the summer transition to a bed.

• has the spare bed been useful to you or did it prove to be a gimmick?
• what do you wish you knew before buying a toddler bed?

thanks. PS here’s an example https://monlitcabane.com/en/dakar/5923-33310-dakar-bed-70x160.html#/36-colour-natural_wood/104-drawer-with_1_trundle_bed/249-entrance-side

Doesn’t look long term proof at all. Almost 3YO DS has been in a standard single, with a bed guard since 18MO and we have a trundle underneath. This set up will see him through to sleepovers and I’m guessing until he reaches 6ft and wants a double so he can go diagonally. We’ve never used the trundle ourselves but big sister uses it when we we have a lot guests so that family can have her room (she has a double for this reason) or sometimes we plonk the trundle mattress in the office when teenage nephew stays over… Anyway lots of options, very future proof, because we’ve gone from normal single beds. Toddler beds are a silly waste of money unless you’re converting the cot you already own or the room is so small that a proper bed won’t fit.

A spare bed is handy. A toddler bed has very limited life span.

Doesn't your cot covert?

If I was going to do this I'd get a proper single

Yes lots of benefit to a single with a pull out. Not so much a toddler size.

We had the IKEA Hemnes day bed for this reason. Was worth its weight in gold, and a full sized bed. It's still in my office for guest use now DD is a little older.

This is really helpful thank you. The room isn’t huge, but it’s big enough for a single. I think I was just trying to protect my own feelings. Almost like I’m marking the end of his babyhood if I’m move him straight into a single bed. So a totally irrational reason, not a practical one.
Good to know that the trundle bed is quite useful, but appreciate only useful if you’ve got the big enough proper single bed!

@Calmdown14 he currently sleeps in a travel cot actually, so there’s no conversion option at all. He’s always preferred the mesh sides to the wooden bars of a cot. Terrible for my back but it helped him sleep through the night. So there’s going to be no loss – quite excited to get rid of the tacky plastic travel cot tbh