Children Furniture

Bunk Beds with Trundle is a Solution for When Your Kids Friends Sleepover

Do your kids have friends who sleepover?  Are you looking for a way to accommodate those friends?  A twin over full bunk bed with trundle bed can easily sleep three or four kids.  One child could sleep on the top bunk, one or two more children could sleep on the bottom bunk, and the third or fourth child would sleep on the trundle bed.  Just a friendly reminder to help prevent serious or fatal injuries from entrapment or falls, never allow a child under six years of age on the upper bunk, and be sure to use guardrails on both sides of the  upper bunk.

A trundle bed is defined as a low bed that is moved on trundles, or little wheels, so that it can be pushed under a higher bed.  Trundle beds are a great space-saving idea, which allows for an extra separate bed, but doesn’t require for the additional space to be available constantly.  Some say that when you no longer need the use of the lower bed, if you remove the mattress, you could use the trundle as a storage drawer.

Probably the best feature that this one piece of bedroom furniture offers is that when you are done using the trundle bed, you slide it back under the bottom bunk, and just like magic that space that was once occupied as a bed is now open for your children to use as a play space.

The following are Consumer Reports’ shopping tips in regards to bunk beds:

1. Look for one with a smooth finish, sturdy construction, rounded edges, and hardware that doesn’t protrude.  It should have no sharp points, and the headboard and footboard should not have cutouts or protrusions of any kind.
2. A new industry standard specifies that corner posts and the tops of ladders should not be more than 3/16-inch above the upper rail of the bed.
3. A federal standard also require that the mattress surface   be at least 5 inches below the upper edge of the guardrails.
4. Bunk beds intended for children and manufactured since June 2000 are federally regulated.  Those in compliance are relatively safe, but you should still take some precautions:  Don’t make any changes to the structure, purchase one with a sturdy foundation, and check the bunk bed frequently to be sure that the ladder is securely attached.

Consumer Reports also offer the following useful recommendations:

1. Place a bed safely in a room away from windows, radiators, or other heating units; wall lamps; and drapery or window-blind cords.  To avoid the risk of a toddler from becoming entrapped between a bed and a wall, place the bed with the headboard (and not the bed side) along the wall.
2. If you plan on continuing using a bed after your child goes off to college, consider buying a bed frame built with a material that’s made to last, such as a hardwood like birch, beech, or maple.  Pine tends to splinter over time.

There were a couple incidents/injuries that were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in regards to trundle beds.  Following is a brief description of the reports:

Release #10-258

Hazard:                 The headboard has a storage bin that poses an entrapment to young children.

Incidents/Injuries:           A 4 year-old boy’s head became entrapped in the opening of the storage bin of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” Twin Trundle Beds.  The boy had sustained bruises on the back of his left and right ears.

Release #08-323

Hazard:                 The lid supports on the toy chests fail to prevent the lid from closing too quickly, posing an entrapment and strangulation hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries:           A 22-month-old boy of Roseville, California died after he was strangled when the lid of the toy chest fell on the back of his head and entrapped his neck on the edge of the chest of a LaJolla Boat Bed.

Trundle beds can be such a fun piece of furniture for your children, but remember to always play it safe. As you have read above, one child got injured on one and another lost his life.  Do your homework and make sure that the trundle bed you are planning on purchasing does not have any safety recalls for it.  A little bit of research now, could prevent your child from getting injured or even dying.

About the Author

Not all trundle beds are created equal.  Find a safe bunk bed with trundle at specialtybunkbeds.com!

Aloha my name is Colleen Antonio.  After having my daughter I wanted to find a job that allowed me to work at home and be able to spend time with my daughter and raise her.  I knew that I wanted my business focused around something to do with children.  After doing all of my research, I found my niche to be “bunk beds” and that’s when I started my business Specialty Bunk Beds.com.

Like with all things that we give to our children, as a parent we always have concerns about their safety.  That certain toy may be a choking hazard or it may contain lead paint.  You’ll see in all of my articles that I’ll always try to include something of concern that I want all of my customers to be aware of, whether they’re parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, or guardians.  I want all children who have one of my bunk beds to have a good night’s sleep, have fun with their new piece of furniture and most importantly to be safe while having one of my products.