Whatever your reasons for purchasing a bunk bed, it is always important to follow practical guidelines to ensure safety, especially if your children are the ones sleeping in the bunk. It goes without saying that it is possible to get injured by almost any type of furniture if you are reckless, but it is also important to note that today’s bunk beds are the safest they have ever been, due to improved government regulation. Children’s bunk beds are held to even higher standards, which should come as a relief to many parents with unruly children.
Bunk beds and loft beds are built in a raised design to maximize space, which means there are structural vulnerabilities and safety considerations that you need to be aware of. Designing for certain features or perks may mean tradeoffs in other areas, but as long as you keep this in mind, having a bunk can be almost as safe as having a regular bed. The general rule of thumb is that higher stacked furniture means better space optimization, but is much worse for stability (especially if you live in earthquake prone areas). The important thing is that you carefully assess your needs and minimize your risks, so that you can enjoy your bed for as long as your family needs it.
Following these simple tips can go a long way toward ensuring your family’s safety and satisfaction:
Buy only from a dealer or furniture store that sells quality products and offers some type of quality assurance or warranty
Follow the written instructions carefully when assembling your new bed.
Choose beds with rails that are higher than the mattresses, to prevent someone from falling out of bed
Only allow children six years and older to take the upper bunk
ยท If financially feasible, choose a ladder bunk over a ladder bunk to minimize tripping and increase foot safety.
Don’t try to fit the wrong size mattress into your bunk
If you choose a bunk bed with a ladder, make sure the spaces are too small for a child’s head or torso to pass through
Do not allow more than one person to sleep in the upper bunk, no matter how small or light they are
Do not allow rough play on or under the bed.
There are other less obvious considerations to think about when it comes to having a bunk bed. While young children are the biggest safety concerns, adults need to be aware too, as anyone can be injured if they are not careful. For example, one of the things that people tend to overlook is the fact that some screws can loosen over time. Even if you follow all the instructions carefully during assembly, they are still worth re-checking from time to time, at least to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Nobody is perfect and no accident is planned. Sleepless nights of countless twists and turns can loosen even the tightest screws, so don’t forget to check them every now and then.
Among the bunks, those with the best stability are usually double bunks over full bunks and full bunks over full bunks. It’s just simple physics – the wider something is at the bottom, the harder it will be to shake or tip over, which is an important consideration if you live in earthquake-prone regions or if you share your home with active people. Of course, you shouldn’t put in a full double bunk or full bunk if space is limited and your children are too young, but you can at least limit the chances of injury or rollover by making sure the person sleeping peacefully stays. in the lower berth or with a double berth over two with ladder.
In the end, nothing replaces communication, consideration, and knowledge. Just educate your kids on proper precautions and consequences, so safety and injury are never an issue.
