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Not only does the size of your kid's bed matter, the shape and model you use makes a big difference too. Some beds can last a lifetime, while others are better suited for younger children who may outgrow a bed in a few years time.
This guide will cover the best styles of beds for your children, going over the numerous benefits each specific kind brings to the table. Let's get started by covering the various types of beds you'll come across:
You may be surprised to discover just how many different kinds of kids beds there are. With such a wide range of options to choose from, it can be a little bit daunting to decide on the best fit for your kid's room. Luckily, modern modular designs allow nearly every category – ranging from toddler beds to twin sized beds – to be customized to fit your child’s needs.
That being said, you’ll want to start by getting to know the names of the most common types of children’s beds:
Cribs and toddler beds
Junior beds
Single and platform beds
Bunk beds
Loft beds
Daybeds
Trundle beds
Murphy beds
Sizing: Crib - Junior Mattresses
Chances are, your kid's crib or toddler bed is low to the ground – not only are they safer this way, but they can also easily fit in your room if you prefer to sleep in the same space as your child.
We’ll be discussing when a small child should move from a crib to a larger bed further down, but most children will first require a high-quality crib in their early years. Junior sized beds are 10'' longer than standard toddler beds, giving you a couple more years of use as they're quite comfortable for kids up to around 7 years old.
Casa Kids has two specialized kids cribs and junior beds:
Cabina Crib, a baltic birch wood crib with plenty of customization
Marino Junior Bed, a low to the ground big kid bed designed with 2 to 8 year olds in mind
Sizing: Junior - Twin Mattresses
Single beds include all sorts of different styles, including platform beds and standard beds like twin sized beds or larger. These are some of the simplest and most affordable bed models you’ll come across, making them an easy choice for parents looking for comfort on a budget or for those designing a bedroom for an only child.
The great thing about single beds is they often have lots of room underneath for storage drawers, and are super easy to take apart or move if needed. A twin bed is the standard size that most parents opt for when it's time to upgrade from a crib, as they can be found in a pretty varied assortment of designs.
Our two top recommendations for single beds:
Cabina Twin Bed, our minimalist twin bed design with plenty of storage room underneath
Marino Bed, our signature platform bed – perfect for any kid's room
Sizing: Twin Mattresses
Bunks are a classic for a reason, you may even have fond memories of sharing a two-bed bunk with a sibling before you outgrew them – these beds are perfect for families with two or more kids. Bunk beds usually come with attachable or built-in ladders, allowing for an easy and safe climb up to the top bunk. Depending on the ceiling height of your child’s room, you may want to consider getting a bunk bed with storage space beneath the lower bunk.
In terms of safety regulations, beds that include mattress supports above 30'' from the ground are considered bunk or loft beds – and your child should be 6 years or older if you're looking to upgrade to one of these. With that in mind, you may want to consider holding off on changing your child's furniture until they're over the age of 5.
Check out some of our popular kids bunk beds:
Cabina Bunk Bed, our tried and true essential bunk bed model with clean lines
Capsule Bunk Bed, a cozy space-themed bunk bed that sits low to the ground
HiHi Triple Bunk Bed, the tallest bunk in our collection – perfect for rooms with tall ceilings
Lolo Bunk Bed, our compact twin bunk bed that converts into two separate beds
Marino Bunk Bed, a super sturdy bunk with five different modules
The miniBUNK, our shortest bunk bed for parents who prefer their kids closer to the ground
Sizing: Twin - Full Mattresses
Loft beds are similar to bunk beds, the difference is they're even better at maximizing your child’s storage and workspace. If your kiddo is the type who loves to read, hideout and game with their friends, or simply just has a lot of stuff that needs to be stored – a loft bed might be the best option for them.
Here’s our complete line of kids loft beds:
Cabina Loft Bed, our classic, essential loft bed frame
Dumbo Loft Bed, one of six different loft bed variations available
Marino Loft Bed, with an optional daybed loft attachment
Aspen Loft Bed, designed for teens and young adults
Sizing: Twin - Full Mattresses
Perfect for sleeping or lounging, daybeds are an example of multifunctional furniture – daybeds can be converted into comfortable couches when they aren’t being used as a bed. Perfect for your kid’s room or other areas of your home, daybeds are decent options for older children who like to hangout in their rooms with friends or siblings.
When converted into a couch, a daybed turns into the perfect lounge area for console gamers, bookworms, and night-owls who spend time exploring their hobbies.
Here’s our favorite kids daybed:
Cabina Daybed, our essential modular daybed that fits an optional trundle bed pull-out
Sizing: Twin - Full Mattresses
A trundle bed, which may also be called a roll-away bed, is a great option for families that need to maximize their floor space – or simply just dislike clutter. Usually fitted underneath twin beds or daybeds, and able to be rolled in or out as needed, a trundle bed could work nicely in a guest bedroom where space is limited.
Here's our signature trundle bed model:
Sizing: Twin - Full Mattresses
Murphy beds are very similar to trundle beds; one difference is that they’re able to be rolled up vertically and stored against your wall, sort of like a cabinet. While your child can sleep in a murphy bed, because of their more complex design they can be dangerous for younger kids and aren't usually the ideal choice.
If you want, you can even combine a roll-away murphy bed with a desk, cabinet, or other pieces of furniture to create an interesting and unique space saving design in your kid’s bedroom.
Casa Kids has a few unique kids trundle bed and murphy bed options to choose from:
Tuck Bed Vertical, our vertical-folding murphy bed frame
Tuck Bed Horizontal, our horizontal-folding murphy bed
Kids beds can be made from a huge variety of materials – the quality of which will affect things like how much a bed costs, how long it may last, how easy it is to put together, and even the length of time required for shipment. Most of the time, a bed will be made from different kinds of wood, metal, or plastic. Let’s talk about the positives and negatives of these different materials:
Wood used in bed frames comes from species found all over the globe. Not only does the type of wood being used matter, wood often comes processed and put together in many different ways. The major kinds you’ll come across are:
Solid wood, which will be either hardwood or softwood – hardwood timber is strong, dense and tends to be pricey, softwood timber is less durable but more common
Plywood, a type of manufactured wood made from thin layers that are then glued together in a stack – while not solid wood, plywood still very durable
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), also known as engineered plywood, MDF is essentially made from composite wood fibers glued together with adhesive, and it's less durable than both solid wood and plywood
Out of all these options, using plywood for a bed frame is the most common and practical option. Not only that, but in many cases it can be quite sustainable as well. Solid hardwood grows more expensive by the day; this sort of wood is harvested from older, more valuable trees – many of which are endangered and threatened by illegal timber operations commonly found throughout the world.
Plywood, on the other hand, is often made from wood species like baltic birch. These kinds of trees are fast growing and harvested at a younger age after being grown on monoculture tree plantations. Not every plantation is sustainably managed, but organizations like the Forest Steward Council (FSC) do certify a sizable number of them. These kinds of environmental organizations audit plywood-bound timber operations, and are a reasonable solution to rapid deforestation of rainforests in the search for hardwood.
Easier to shape into longer or unique shapes and resistant to warping over time, baltic birch plywood is the material we use at Casa Kids when manufacturing our sustainable kid’s beds.
Less common than wood, bed frames can also be made from metal or various types of plastic. Metal is harder to scratch, and may look nice in some bedrooms depending on the overall aesthetic. However, some kinds of metal are prone to rusting if exposed to moisture, and are usually weaker than wood frames. Being a weaker material, metal framing won’t support your mattress as well as a high-quality plywood frame, and worst of all – metal squeaks!
Plastic isn’t usually used for the weight-bearing parts of a bed frame, but can be used for specific purposes, cheap decorations or detailing, or even as a petrochemical-based varnish, stain, finish, or coating depending on the brand.
Your child’s mattress quality matters; in general, sleep disorders are pretty common among adults, and sleeping in comfortable beds tends to improve our ability to sleep. Children in particular need lots of rest, and one of the better ways to promote restorative sleep cycles and a healthy quality of life for your kids is to make sure they’re sleeping on a mattress that works for them, comfort wise.
Kids grow up fast, so picking the right mattress size will help you save money by avoiding unnecessary spending and provide them with a comfy place to sleep as they navigate their childhood. The size of your child’s mattress is going to limit which bed you buy – if you want more specific details you should read our guide on choosing the best kids mattress size.
When it comes to kids bed sizes, they tend to follow the same names of mattresses sizes. For example, a twin size mattress usually requires a twin size bed frame if you want a perfect fit. To summarize, most of the time you’ll be choosing from these sizes:
Cribs or junior sized
Twin or Twin XL sized
Full or Full XL sized
Queen sized or larger
You’ll also need to decide on the material you want your child’s mattress to be made from. Tons of options exist, and each one comes with a few pros and cons which can make it a bit difficult to choose. Here are the main types available:
Memory foam mattresses: mattresses made entirely from foam, with a super comfortable memory foam layer on top of thicker layers of denser, durable polyfoam
Spring mattresses: some mattresses have coiled springs inside, giving them quite a bounce and a bit of support while sleeping – this may also be called a box spring mattress
Hybrid mattresses: mattresses that use both coiled springs and foam are considered hybrids, and vary quite a bit
Latex mattresses: foam made from latex can be fashioned into a comfortable mattress, which can be more resistant to pests like dust mites or bed bugs
Other mattresses: mattresses that can be inflated with air or filled with water do exist as well, but aren’t as popular as most other kid’s mattresses
If you care about sustainability, you may want to avoid synthetic mattresses made from materials like polyurethane foams, polyester, nylon, and other plastics.
Latex mattresses are made using foams that originate within rubber trees, making them one of the more comfortable sustainable designs out there. Aside from latex, mattresses made with organic cotton, wool, and other natural or plant-based materials are better for the environment and produce fewer microplastic fibers over time.
If you want to protect your child’s mattress beyond their sheets, you do have the option of using a mattress protector. If your child is going through a phase of bed-wetting, using a waterproof mattress protector could be your best option, especially if you don’t want to end up replacing a stained mattress a few months after you first purchased it.
Here are a few good reasons to use a protector on your kid’s bed:
Protects them from allergens like dust
Prevents spills or other messes from leaking through
Blocks permanent odors and stains from bed-wetting
It’s generally recommended to transition your child from a crib to a toddler bed or larger between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Of course, this all depends on your kid in particular – the main idea is to switch beds when your child begins to explore their surroundings more, most likely attempting to climb out of their crib in the process.
Because falls are so dangerous for small children, transitioning them to a real bed once they’ve started to climb out of their crib is the usual route for most parents!
Most kids' beds are close to the ground, and are relatively safe. If you're truly worried about your child falling out of their bed or bumping their head, the best options would be a single or platform bed, daybed, or trundle bed. These types of beds are usually either sitting on the ground, or slightly raised allowing for storage space underneath.
Here are some common bed safety features:
Guard rails, safety rails, or side rails
Sturdy construction, preferably made from wood
Fastenings and screws that are metal-on-metal
A high weight capacity so parents can read bedtime stories
You could avoid buying a bunk bed, loft bed, or murphy bed if you want to avoid any accidents, but even these beds are safe when constructed right. Of course, the top bed of a bunk bed is more dangerous than the lower bed, so if your kid tends to jump around you may want to avoid bunks.
We take safety seriously at Casa Kids and construct all of us our beds in accordance with a safety-first, policy that prioritizes your child's health. If you have further questions, visit our bed safety page.
Based in Brooklyn, NY – we offer home consultations for curious parents, as well as delivery and installation services for any bed of ours may have caught your eye. Most of our products are made to order, and it’s important to us that your child's room includes a bed that's properly installed and situated for maximum sleep comfort.
When you find the perfect type of bed for your kid, you'll fall asleep with ease every night knowing they're doing the same. Your search for the perfect model isn't in vain, as sleep is one of the most important aspects of childhood development. So rest easy, and make sure to check out the rest of our content created specifically for parents looking to fix up their kid's bedroom.
