Making sure that your children have a safe place to sleep is of critical importance. Beyond the pricing and appearance factors there are important safety concerns that you should be aware of when buying bunk beds for your children.
Children’s Bunk Beds start from as little as $200 and can go up to the low thousands for custom models and while you can compromise a little on price you can’t cut corners with safety for the interior design ideas. The number of bunk bed ideas related injuries continues to grow because parents are not making informed decisions about what they are buying and taking the appropriate precautions with their bed design ideas. The number of reported injuries is currently close to 40,000 in the United States alone; fortunately most of the injuries that children sustain from bunk beds are minor. Things like cuts and scrapes can be easily avoided though there are more serious concerns that have to do with workmanship, Installation and also the inappropriate use of the beds.
The more serious injuries involve from falling from the kids bunk bed and being caught between the bed or guard rail with extreme cases leading to death. It is important that you carefully consider the construction of the bed and its safety accreditations along with taking the appropriate care in assembling the bed once it gets to your home. When you are in the market for a children’s bunk bed you bear in mind the following safety indicators.
Buy The Right Mattress
This is particularly important for the top bunk for modern bunk beds. Getting a mattress that is too large or small for the bed will mean that it does not sit on the frame properly and as such will increase the likelihood that your children will get injured either by way of a fall or being caught between the bed frame or guard rail.
Get the Right Guard Rail
The size of the guard rail must be tall enough to extend a minimum of 5 inches above the mattress but should not be too high that a wedge block can pass freely underneath. The wedge block simulates the size of a child’s body and is what the safety certification board uses to test beds. The guard rail for the bed neednt extend for the entire length of the bed but it should cover approximately two thirds of the bed.
Use A Nightlight
Adding a night light particularly for the top bunk will add a measure of safety to the child sleeping above. The night light helps with getting in and out of the bed safely and ensuring that they do not lose their footing especially for boys bunk beds.
Space Saving
The biggest thing that you will gain from a bunk bed is the extra space. A typical bedroom has lots of space that it either cannot use effectively or has been overlooked. Having your beds directly on top of each other will free up lots of floor space which means that you can use more of the room and even fit an additional bed for large families.
Built in Storage
Children’s bunk beds often feature built in storage compartments meaning that there is less of a need to buy additional storage for your child’s things. A great example is the addition of shelving on the ends of the bunk bed or cupboards that are built into the stairs or ladder for the top bunk.
Desk and Work Space
You may also want to consider other styles of bunk bed for your children such as those which integrate desk or workspace with the bed above it. Loft style bunk beds such as these are popular with dormitories and colleges because they provide a clear and defined individual space in shared rooms.