EXTENDIBLE (OR SHORTY) TODDLER BEDS. Anyone regretted it? What are the disadvantages? What are the Ikea ones like? Are there any other cheap options?

[DontNeedAnything]

DD3 is ready for a big bed, but a full size in her bedroom would block her wardrobe so we have 3 options.

1. Move house so she has a bigger bedroom
2. Adjust the door on her built in wardrobe so that it concertina's or is a stable door so it can still be opened with a full sized bed
3. Buy a shorter bed

Are there any disadvantages to them?
How long do they last (in the short configuration?
What are the Ikea ones like? They don't seem to do the original fold down ends one any more. They all seem to have a sliding base.
What are the Ikea Matresses like? They all seem to be in 3 parts to accomodate the extension - don't they slide about?
Do you have to buy Ikea bedding to fit it?
Are there any other shorty/extendible options out there for less that ~£100?

ds's first bed was a toddler bed (from Argos, they don't sell them any more), like this one. You'll have to have a look around for a cheaper one. It took cotbed sheets. It was nice for ds, he rolls around in his sleep so it wasn't far to fall onto the floor. It lasted until I got him a bigger one. It doesn't grow though, he had it for 4 years then I freecycled it. The matress was basic though.

www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000TENYS2/sr=1-38/qid=1219611329/ref=sr_1_38/203-3021277-0193527?ie=U TF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core

Opps. Forgot the link.

i am actually selling an ikea vikare bed atm. its been great, and idea for small rooms.

even when 1 end is stll up i can sleep fine on it.

Thing is I wonder if a bigger bed is actually a benefit to a wriggly toddler that is prone to falling out (i.e. they can roll further before they fall out).

I am not sure that I want a shorty/toddler/extendible bed. But I am not sure that I want to mess about with her wardrobe door either IYSWIM.

Is the Ikea Vikare the original one with fold down ends that have the soft mattress bits in the headboard/footboard?

Thats another thing I need to make sure that an adult can fit in, for when she needs comforting in the night.

We have an ikea one, dd is 3.5 and still fine in the short configuration. It's a nice bed fairly sturdy and dd was very happy going from her cot into it when she was nearly 2. We went for the most expensive mattress, the cheaper ones were just lumps of foam. You'll need to buy the ikea fitted sheets but could probably get away non-ikea bedding otherwise. We bought an ikea pillow & duvet & they are fairly crap quality.

yes the vikare one is the one you are thinking off. its been good and sturdy for us.

They don't seem to do the Vikare any more. They all seem to be sliding versions, although much nicer to look at.

what did you do re bedding Misdee?

We have the Ikea "Kritter" bed for DS2. It's a great little bed and at 160cm long (well over 5 foot) we are hoping it will last well past toddlerhood, at least until they are old enough for high beds. This is longer than a lot of toddler beds.

(I'm not sure it would accommodate a lot of bouncing, but the foam mattress isn't really bouncy so they don't bother, preferring DS1's traditional divan.)

You do need to buy Ikea fitted sheets but I use full size duvets and tuck the end under at the bottom.

We took the view that extending beds are so expensive, better to get a reasonable toddler bed and then a decent full size one that will go the course.

We had the Ikea one that has the ends that fold down to eventually make a single. It was great, and lasted through 3 children.

we bought the ikea lenn sheets for it, but just used a cot bed duvet on it. once we dropped one end down we used the normal duvet.

its pretty wide.

I saw the Critter and thoughht it looked like a full sized bed from the measurements.

Recalculating though it looks like ot is 40cm shorter, I need to measure the gap but it could well fit the bill.

Thankyou

Sorry to be coming in on your thread but i'm also looking for a todler bed at the minute but don't have an ikea near us. Was looking at this one from argos. Does anyone know if it is any good?

We had a Mothercare extendable bed for ds1. At 5 years old he was still sleeping in it at the shortest configuration, and he is not a small child. We bought a junior bed for ds2 when he was 1. They are much cheaper than extendable beds. and it was so long as the extendable when this was at the shortest, so we figured he had YEARS and years in a cheaper bed.

we have kritter beds for our 2yo and 4you. they are fab - they are quite long at 160cm, so a small adult could sleep in them , let alone a child. they are quite low if they fall out. the more expensive matresses are much better quality than the foam

they allow us to have the two beds end to end alone one wall, so there is still soem floor space to play

Why dont you try ebay? I sold both the beds (mentioned below) on ebay. The junior bed sold for £29 including materas, so they got themselves a bargain!

We bought a Vikare bed a month ago. I asked because they didn't have it in the showroom or catalogue but they still had quite a few in stock. It was very cheap too and DS loves it! We have got side guards on as DS is a wriggler.

We have the Ikea Minnen (would have gone for a full-sized bed but don't have the room) and are very happy with it. We're still in the shortest configuration, but I don't think the mattress parts wouls slide around once you've got a mattress on (I'd probably get a conventional single bed mattress once we get to full extension, though).

Many thanks for your advice.

We went for the cheapest fixed length toddler bed in Ikea (Skinang or something). Cost £50 all in.

BUT when we put her a single duvet on it is far too big. We have turned it sideways and it just about fits head to foot ways. Half of the duvet is bundled up under the bed, which is not ideal. But her cotbed blankets and sheets are too small......

The bed is the perfect size in her room though. we have 20sm clearance fo teh wardrobe door.

It is amazing how small it looks in the huge store compared to how huge it appears in her bedroom though.

We have just bought the Kritter for DD2, she has the white one. It looks lovely in her (very small room). It doesn't dominate the room. It should do until shes 8 or so. It has a little matching bed guard that clips on the side. We bought ikea bedding.

I couldn't seem to get Ikea bedding - with the exception of the fitted sheet.

All the duvets/blankets were either for a cot or a single bed.

don't need anything - a cotbed duvet is the perfect size for the Vikare toddler bed ( I don't know the size of the one you did buy) We have 2 vikare extendable beds and they are great - dd1 and dd2 in them at the moment. (3 and 6) Bought our cotbed duvets from John Lewis. Normal singles would be far too big

sorry...yes we just bought single bed ikea bedding and fold over/tuck under.

The one I bought is a little longer that the Vikare in the shortest configuration.

Ours is 160cm*70cm I think.

The Vikare is 135*70cm in shortest configuration I think.