Cheap first bed - will I regret it?

[sheeplikessleep]

We need to buy DS his first bed and I'm slightly overwhelmed with the choice! I'm tempted to buy just a basic wooden framed one, single size. I'm thinking that we may end up buying a cabin bed in a few years, so it isn't really worth spending hundreds and hundreds (although we do have ds2 on the way).

Anyway, I need to stop websurfing and just go and buy one and I just wondered if anyone had had bad experiences with buying a cheap bed? Any recommendations on any good value beds?

Thanks!

I think the mattress quality is more important than the bedframe so if you plan to get a cabin style bed in the future, getting a cheaper frame now sounds sensible but try and spend what you can on a good quality mattress to give DS0s back the support it needs.
Can't help with specific beds though I'm afraid

thanks - yeah, we'd buy a decent quality mattress, i was just wondering if it matters if the frame isn't top quality.

there's so much choice!

thanks for posting

Can you go for the cabin bed straight off?

Look how much fun this one is or a mid-cabin sleeper which isn't so high.

I'm too nervous he'll fall out . Our bed is quite high and he can't climb on that. He's a very determined little boy, that I am not expecting an easy transition, so I thought a full size single, not too far from ground might be best option?

heated - that link goes to home page - which product is it? you realise it's taken me months to get to this point and now i'll be considering other types of beds

Don't think link worked, try this or this one

DS1 had a cheap frame for his first bed but we bought a really decent mattress and it was fine. He still has the mattress now and he's 9

If you are thinking you may change the frame at some point in the future ie to bunk beds (as we did) or a high sleeper/cabin bed then you'd be daft to spend a fortune on a frame.

Are ds and new baby eventually going to share a room?

How old is ds?

We put down the old cot mattress at the side of the bed for a while so if ds did fall out he'd have a soft landing; they soon teach themselves not to, don't think dd's ever fallen out actually. Ds did a few times, but never woke up, used to find him fast asleep, half in half out!

Removable bed rails are good when making the transition to a bed too, makes it more difficult to fall out and makes the child feel more secure too.

getting a good quality mattress now means you can use it on the cabin bed when ds moves into that when he's bigger.
FWIW all 3 of my boys fell out of their beds a LOT when they first got one and we put pillows on the floor to soften the falls to begin with so if you think the cabin bed is too high for him at this stage then go with your instincts, you're probably right!

thanks for posting. i think we're on the right tracks really - i'm too nervous to get a mid sleeper yet i think! ds is 2 years (and 2 months) and they'll end up in separate bedrooms

At just over 2 I would definitely follow your instincts and get him a normal height bed, it will be safer for when he wants to get in and out as well, I would worry about him getting up and down a ladder.

we got this low sleeper for ds when he was 2 1/2. We use an ikea bed guard which doesnt come very high up the side of the bed but seems to be enough to keep him from falling out.

that low sleeper looks great - thanks for posting

seona - can i ask then, is that low sleeper just 60cm high? they seem a really good price at the moment (and furniture too).

The headboard and baseboard bits are 60cm - the height of the sides are only about 45cm's so is easy for them to get in and out of bed.

We got our DD the Ikea Sniglar toddler bed which is less than £50 and got the best mattress we could to fit. It is very sturdy and whilst small enough for toddler i could sleep in it (just!) comes with a side guard too.