Bunk Beds and Age

6 is the minimum age and that's the age we waited for.

What's the safety bar like? One of my younger brothers slipped between the mattress and the bar when he was little - I think he was 4 at the time. His chin got caught on the bottom of the bar and he was hanging off the bed. My mom is a light sleeper and heard him struggling so she was able to save him but otherwise, he would have hanged to death. My mom pushed for a recall of this so I think the bars have changed so that there is not space between the bar and the mattress but be very careful. Freak accidents happen.

Sorry but I do believe that bunk beds are dangerous. I would wait until they were way older. Two and a half and four are too young. Accident waiting
to happen. Do not mean to be a downer, but safety always came first.

My son was five and a half, but he was the kind of kid who is pretty calm, in play and in sleep. I was very nervous, make sure there is no way he could fall out. How high is it if it is lower than the standard height? I know they make loft beds for little kids that start out pretty low and can be raised as kids grow.

The problem is not the 4 year old but that whatever the oldest child does the younger one will probably try. I have also heard not to use until age 6. My 3 year old could climb up to a top bunk pretty safely. But my 6 year old still doesn't have the good judgment not to fool around, push or try and jump off the top bunk. That may depend a little on personality of your kids.

We got bunk beds from a relative and decided to set them up as twin beds because it is safer. My husband had bunk beds as a kid and his brother did fall off and break his collar bone when he was around 8.

How high are they? I started my oldest on the top bunk at age 5 but he is very agile. He climbed before he crawled. I might not do the same with my youngest child. How does your 4 yr old handle getting out of bed to go pee in the middle of the night or to find you after a nightmare? On occasion I find my 3 yr old on the top bunk with her brother and I promptly move her back to the lower bunk. If it became a habit for her, I would take action. Maybe even put her in my room for a while. I am grateful she has not yet. When was the last time your 4 yr old fell out of a bed or off a couch while sleeping? Just some things to consider. Good luck!

Mine slept on the top when he was barely 5 and my other one was 2. They did fine---If you feel comfortable with it, then go for it. But if you have any fear of them rolling out of bed or not remembering that they are up high-during the night, then I would wait. GL

My daughter was 4 1/2 when I got ours.

My brother and I had bunk beds at that age, and never had any issues...

Then again, I know of one kid who was 10 and broke his arm falling off the top bunk...

I say, it depends on your kid.

My friend lost her elementary school age child when he fell off the top bunk. He was around 8 I think. He was on top and went to move and missed putting his hand right or something. Anyway he fell off the top bunk and fell onto the carpeted floor just a few feet away and died.

I won't budge on them, my kids will never have them in their home nor will they spend the night where the kids have them.

I was 3 when I moved to the top bunk. But I would not recommend that nor would I do that for my kids. I also think the railings for bunk beds have gotten kind of skimpy since I slept in one. My parents pushed the bed against the wall and then used both railing pieces on the open side of the bed. The railing seemed twice as high as the ones I've seen lately. And there was no way that I could have gotten my body between the bar and the bed.

I never fell off the top bunk, but was close once...but that was only after I considered myself "too old" for railings and took them off. I was probably around 13.

I would consider bunk beds but only after I can be confident that my kids are ready and if I could find one with a railing that I consider tall enough to be safe.

I believe they recommend six, but my older son started at five.

My son and daughters were 4 1/2, a bunk bed for the girls and loft for him since they all shared a room. Dressers were placed under the loft. We never had a problem and the top bunk was actually higher than usual. However, the safety rails were pretty high. My son could roll against it and be stopped, no fear of him going over it. A friend of mine had her son in a bunkbed and used plastic storage lids tucked in the sides to make sure no chance of his falling out.