If your child has a small or oddly shaped bedroom, maximising storage and desk space is critical to making the most of it. The last thing you want is for your kid to have nowhere to study and settle down with a good book!
The best bed frames for maximising space are mid-sleepers and high sleepers, which raise the bed off the ground and have in-built storage.
Another option if you need to sleep two children in one bedroom is a bunk bed, provided your children are over eight (for safety reasons).
This article looks at the difference between high sleepers, mid-sleepers, and bunk beds, with practical advice to help you decide which is best.
Let’s jump in!
Bunk beds
- Sleeps two or three
- Minimal storage
- Some models have shelves
If you can’t accommodate two single beds or your kid’s bedroom is an odd or small shape, bunk beds are the perfect solution.
The beauty of bunk beds is they are suitable from the age of eight until your child’s teenage years, and there are various types available.
For example, you can get small double + single bunk beds like the Birlea Nexus and Naples WB2015 and novelty bunk beds like this London Bus.
You can also get bunk beds with shelves and nooks like the Julian Bowen Orion – ideal for young children with lots of stuff to stow.
Children love bunk beds, and depending on the age of your children, they work amazingly for sleepovers and as an occasional guest bed.
When buying mattresses for bunk beds, make sure the mattresses are of a depth so that the top bunk guard rail remains higher than the mattress.
You can find more bunk bed buying advice from our experts here.
High sleepers
- Sleeps one or two
- Maximises desk space
- Some models have a built-in wardrobe and drawers
High sleepers are the same height as bunk beds but have a significant difference – they have a desk underneath and sometimes drawers and a wardrobe.
Some high sleepers, like the Julian Bowen Eclipse, retain two single bunks and cram in a desk with drawers. Others, like the Julian Bowen Pegasus, strip out the bottom bunk for a desk, a slide-out wardrobe, and drawers.
The beauty of high sleepers is they are perfect for older children and teenagers, so your kid will grow into the bed with no qualms.
If you have a teenager or older child who loves gaming, the Nebula Gaming Bed is a brilliant option because it has space for a giant TV.
However, children under eight should not use high sleepers for safety reasons, and you should educate your children about the dangers of sleeping at height.
Mid-sleepers
- Sleeps one
- Around 3ft off the ground
- Shelves and cupboards
Mid-sleepers are standard single beds on small stilts, raised off the ground just enough to accommodate built-in drawers and shelves.
For example, the Julian Bown Stella (available in pink and blue) has side drawers and shelves, while the Julian Bowen Cookie also has a cupboard and a work desk with space underneath for a small office chair.
You can also get higher mid-sleepers like the Julian Bowen Kimbo and Saturn, which have more drawers and storage cubbies.
The idea with mid-sleepers is to take up a similar footprint to a single bed with significantly more storage space for books, toys, and bits and bats.
Another option is a space-saving mid-sleeper like the Julian Bowen Pluto, which has nothing underneath the mattress for toy boxes and stuff.
Which is best for your child?
Bunk beds are perfect for sleeping two children. Still, if the scenarios where this is relevant are limited to sleepovers, your kid’s bedroom will do better with a high or mid-sleeper due to the extra storage and workspace available.
If you enjoyed this article, read our piece on the best kid’s beds for sleepovers.
