Working in the children's furniture industry means we have to pay special attention to safety. We make sure to do everything we can to manufacture the safest and most sturdy beds that we can since we know the users can be, shall we say, less than cautious at times.
One important part of keeping kids safe on our bunks is informing parents about what to look for in a mattress. We often get asked about mattress sizes for our beds.
Generally speaking, a standard mattress will fit into a bunk or loft bed. Twin sized bunks take twin sized mattresses, etc. We make beds in the following standard sizes:
The main thing you need to look out for when purchasing a mattress for your bunk is the thickness. Mattresses of all sizes can range from 8-14 inches thick, but if you're going to be using it with a bunk bed, it's important to make sure that there's enough space between the top of the mattress, and the top of the railing of the bunk. If the mattress goes higher than the frame your child can roll off without being caught by the railing.
We always recommend using mattresses that are 8 or 9 inches thick on the top bunk, regardless of the size of the bed. Safety regulations require that there be at least 5 inches between the top of the mattress and the rail.
Keeping the mattress under 9 inches in thickness also allows you to change the sheets on your child's bed with much less effort. Our beds are designed to fit the mattress snuggly, so a very thick mattress will make bending the corner up to place a fitted sheet corner harder than it needs to be.
The answer to this question is more of a judgement call. Just because your child is a toddler doesn't mean they must use a toddler sized mattress. In fact, using a larger sized bed than the minimum size for your child's age will help make your bunk bed last longer. Twin sized beds are often suitable for a child all the way up until they're ready to leave the home. However, if the room has floor space to spare, the bigger sizes always provide a bit more comfort.
We also have the option of creating a bunk that uses two different sizes. A popular option for different sized bunks is twin over full: