Archive for the ‘Bunk Beds’ Category

Bunk Bed Buying Guide

Friday, November 9th, 2007

Buying a bunk bed for your children can be rather daunting task as there’s such a wide range available. This buyers guide will help you decide which bunk bed will make you and your children happy.

The most important thing to think about when buying a bunk bed is your space restrictions. The first thing to do is to measure the room you want to put it in, especially the ceiling as buying the wrong height bunk bed could end up with your child waking up and bumping their head every morning.

A normal bunk bed will take up as much room as a single bedstead, however, make sure that you leave room for a ladder for the top bunk. Other variations of bunk beds such as study bunks will require more room, so before you purchase, check the measurements of the bunk. If there are no measurements given, give the seller a call. Never take a risk.

Then you need to think about what sort of bunk you would like. There are now many different variations of bunk beds in many different designs. One of the most popular designs of bunk bed is the study bunk, which just have 1 bunk bed and a wide array of furniture that can go in the space below, such as desks, chairs, futons and chests of drawers. Alternatively, there’s the 3 sleeper, which has a single bunk on the top and a double bed on the bottom.

Some bunk beds now have all of the bedroom furniture rolled into one, with computer desks, dressers, drawers and a wide array of other furniture attached to the bunk bed itself. Ask your child for their opinion on what sort of bed they would prefer, it could prove vital in your decision.

And finally, choose the design. Bunk beds come in metal, wood or metal and wood combinations and with a huge range of different colours and styles to fit into your child’s room decor. Whether your looking for something bold and bright, or looking for something a bit more subtle such as stained wood, be sure to have a good look at the pictures of the product and try to envision it in your child’s room before making your purchase.

For more information, see our guide to bunk bed safety measures so you can choose the product that’s right for you.

If you follow all of these points and still can’t decide, ring our sales team on 0870 232 5550, who would be more than happy to talk more in depth about your needs and recommend the perfect bunk bed for you.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Bed, Bunk Beds, Buying Advice | 1 Comment »

Bunk Beds - Safety Measures

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

Bunks beds were initially designed for children and was a primarily used as a natural progression from a childs cot. Some bunk beds can now be used separately as twin beds for older children or adults.

Due to the upper bed usually been a considerable distance from the floor, safety has to play a major part in the design on bunk beds. Many factors have to be considered for safety as there can be less obvious but potentially very serious hazards in the structure of a bunk bed.

1. Guardrail spacing - On some bunk beds, the space between the guardrail and mattress or the bedframe and mattress is large enough to allow a young child to slip through. Deaths have occurred when children became suspended by the head in these spaces and strangled.

Guardrails which are attached to the bed by hooks and remain in place by their own weight can dislodge, allowing a child to become entrapped under the guardrail or fall.

Attach additional boards to bunk beds to close up any gap more than 31/2 inches (89 mm) between the lower edge of the guardrails and the upper edge of the bed frame to prevent possible entrapment and strangulation.

2. Use of the bed without rails on both sides - Most bunk beds are used with one side located against a wall and are sold with only one guardrail for the upper bunk to prevent falls from the side away from the wall. Deaths have occurred when very young children rolled off the bed and became entrapped between the wall and the side of the bed not having a guardrail. This hazard is not unique to bunk beds. Regular beds can present the same hazard.

3. Dislodgment of mattress foundation - The mattress foundation an some bunk beds merely rests on small ledges attached to the bedframe. They can dislodge, particularly if a child, underneath the bunk, pushes or kicks upwards on the mattress. Suffocation deaths have occurred when mattress foundations fell on children playing on the floor or occupying the lowerbunk.

Fasten additional cross ties underneath the mattress foundation of both beds.

4. Wrong size mattress - The structure of bunk beds and mattresses come in two lengths - regular and extra long. Extra long is 5 inches (127 mm) longer than regular. Therefore, if a regular length mattress is purchased for an extra long bed, there can be a 5-inch (127 mm) opening between the mattress and headboard or footboard. Strangulation deaths have occurred when children fell through openings created between the mattress and headboard or footboard when a regular length mattress was used in an extra long bed frame.

Here are our safety tips for selecting, using, and maintaining bunk beds:

Selecting

a. Guardrails on all sides which are screwed, bolted or otherwise firmly attached to the bed structure.

b. Spacing between bed frame and bottom of guard rails that is no greater than 3-1/2 inches (89 mm).

c. Guardrails that extend at least 5 inches (127 mm) above the mattress surface to prevent a child from rolling off.

d. Cross ties under the mattress foundation which can be securely attached.

e. A ladder that is secured to the bed frame and will not slip when a child climbs on it.

f. A feature which permits the beds to be separated to form two single beds if you have children too young to sleep safety on the upper bunk.

And finally, choose a mattress that correctly fits your bed, whether regular or extra long.

Use

a. Always use two side guardrails on the upper bunk. Keep guardrails securely in place at all times no matter what the age of the child. Children move about during sleep and may roll out of bunk beds if guardrails aren’t used..

b. Do not permit children under 6 years of age to sleep in the upper bunk of bunk beds.

c. Be sure crossties are under the mattress foundation of each bed and that they are secured in place even if bunk beds are used as twin beds.

d. Emphasize to children to use the ladder and not chairs or other pieces of furniture to climb into the top bunk.

e. Teach children that rough play is unsafe around and on beds and other furniture.

f. Consider using a night light so that children will be able to see the ladder if they get up during the night.

Maintenance or Safety Repair

a. If spacing between guard rails and bed frames is more than 3 1/2 inches (89 mm), nail or screw another rail to close the space to prevent head entrapment.

b. Keep guardrails in good repair and securely in place.

c. Replace loose or missing ladder rungs immediately.

d. Repair or replace loose or missing hardware, including cross ties immediately

If you’re looking to buy bunk beds online, bedstar has a great selection - so why not take a look!

Posted in Bunk Beds, Care And Maintainance | 1 Comment »