Bunk beds save space, children love them, and set up properly they're safe. Most problems come down to a handful of things: the wrong mattress, the wrong child on top, or something hanging where it shouldn't. We've spent years helping parents choose children's beds, and this is the checklist we'd run through before anyone sleeps on the top bunk.
The mattress
- Stay at or below the maximum mattress line. Bunk beds made to BS EN 747, the standard for bunk beds, have a line marked on the frame. The mattress must sit at or below it, so the guard rail stays at least 16 cm above the top of the mattress.
- Count everything under the sheet. A topper, or a thick protector, adds to the depth. If it lifts the surface above the line, leave it off the top bunk.
- Fill the frame. The mattress should fit the inside of the frame without gaps at the sides or ends, where small arms and legs can get stuck. Most UK bunks take a single mattress, 90 x 190 cm, but shorty and European bunks are different sizes, so measure each one.
- Check the fire safety label. Mattresses for UK homes have to meet fire safety rules, and the permanent label on the mattress should mention BS 7177.
Our bunk bed mattresses each list their exact depth, and everything in our thin mattresses range is 16 cm deep or less.
Who sleeps where
- The top bunk is for children aged 6 and over. BS EN 747 says the upper bed isn't suitable for children under 6, who are more likely to fall or misjudge the ladder. Younger brothers and sisters belong on the bottom bunk.
- One child on the top bunk. Keep sleepovers to one child up top, and keep jumping and rough play off the top bunk altogether.
- Check the weight limit. Each level of a bunk has a maximum load, usually given in the instructions. An older teenager or an adult can go over it.
The frame and the room
- Guard rails on all sides of the top bunk, including the side against the wall. A child can slip down the gap between a mattress and a wall.
- Tighten the fixings. Check the bolts and screws a few weeks after assembly and every few months after that, because frames settle with use.
- Keep cords out of reach. Place the bed well away from blind and curtain cords, which are a strangulation risk for young children.
- Don't hang anything from the bed. Ropes, strings, cords, hooks, belts and bags shouldn't be tied to or hung from the frame or the rail.
- Leave headroom. A child on the top bunk should be able to sit up without hitting the ceiling, and the bed shouldn't sit right under a ceiling light or fan.
- Add a night light near the ladder. It helps older children climb down safely in the dark.
The ladder
Fit the ladder exactly as the instructions show and check that it doesn't move when a child climbs it. Teach children to climb down facing the ladder rather than the room, and to use it every time rather than jumping down.
Replacing a bunk mattress
A mattress that's lumpy, sagging or no longer fits snugly isn't doing its job on any bed, least of all a bunk. When you replace one, measure the frame and the depth to the line rather than copying the old mattress's size. Our guide to measuring your bed takes two minutes, and the same goes for high sleeper and cabin bed mattresses.