Kids Beds: Bunk Beds vs. Captains Beds

As a mother to 7 kids, I've bought a lot of kids beds. There are many things you should consider before buying a bed. I wish I would have had the internet readily available before making my purchases. Instead, I learned the hard way-through trial and error. When my childre were young, I was afraid of getting bunk beds for them for several reasons. Before buying any product for your child, you should always consider their personality. If your child is calm like my daughter, you don't have to worry too much. If they are active like my son, think everything through and then think again!  Why?  Read on..

Kid's Furnishings for Small Spaces

When you're furnishing a small space for chidlren, most people think: bunk beds.  However, these might not be the best choice for hyper active or spcial needs children.  There are other alternatives such as trundle beds which are much safer.  Bunk beds can be dangerous for daring children.  Consider this: Will they be able to resist the temtation of juming off the top bunk?  Could they get mad enough at a sibling that they may push them off the top bunk?  I'm giving you these things to think about as a mother to an autistic child. 

When I was decorating my sons' room, I decided to purchase captain beds. The reason I chose these beds over bunk beds was because I knew my sons would not be able to resist the temptation of jumping off the top bunk. Captains beds would be more convenient because it provided storage under the bed. That would leave more room for their TV, video game equipment and sport equipment. However, it didn't turn out the way I planned.

The bed was pretty sturdy, but the drawers were another story. The constant opening and closing of the drawers made them come off the track. One of the screws came off the track and it couldn't be repaired-the hole had become too big. The actual beds lasted for several years until my son decided to do a backflip-on the bed. He broke the wooden posture board-in half. That wasn't the end of the bed. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that they sell this piece. Apparently, my son was not the only one that broke the posture board! It saves having to replace the entire bed. However, I did replace the bed because the drawers were also damaged. That brought me to the purchase of bunk beds. No worries of injuries anymore, since my sons are teenagers.

One more thing, one of the beds I bought for my oldest son came with a bookcase built into the headboard. This is a great feature because they can put their stuff like ipods, cell phones and handheld video games there for easy access.

Since my son was older and now each child had their own room, I let him choose his own bed.  He chose a bunk bed, so that he can have his friends sleep over.  The ended up buying the metal black bunk beds.  These are great because they have a lot of run underneath that can be used as storage space.  (You can find rolling bins that are made especially for bunk bed storage.) 

At first I didn't think that the bunk bed would be able to handle the weight of a teenager.  My step son came to visit and he slept on the bottom bunk, while my 14 year old slept on the bottom.  Surprisingly enough, it was able to handle the weight without a problem.  (The model we bought has a twin size bed on the top and a full size bed on the bottom).  The bunk bed is black and the paint job is superb.  It doesn't have any chips or scratches on the paint job.  I'm really happy with this purchase and am currently considering buying a wooden bunk bed set for my youngest daughter.  She wants the wooden bunk bed set that has two beds, drawers and a desk.  I'll be sure to write a review after my purchase. 

One more thing, I don't recommend buying the model with the futon on the bottom bunk.  My aunt bought one for her sons and it didn't last a year.  The futon used in the model is not sturdy.  (I'm writing another article about the different futons I've purchased and the nightmares I've experienced with them.  Stay tuned...)