Which bunk bed set would you buy?

[staceyobu]

Set #1 - from walmart. Costs around $200. No frills. Wouldn't take up much space, but wouldn't provide extra storage. But there would be more room for extra storage.

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Elise-Bunk-Bed-Soft-White/10575812?findingMethod=rr

 

 

Set #2 - from amazon. Costs $925. Has the staircase with a pull out drawer under each step. Has shelving in the sides of the steps. Has storage drawers underneath. Obviously way more expensive, but has lots of storage.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EACK9C/ref=sc_pgp__m_A2CGRTGL7E393K_10?ie=UTF8&m=A2CGRTGL7E393K&n=&s=&v=glance

 

Thoughts?

[kroe1]

I am too afraid to buy furniture online, nor would I be able to assemble a bunk bed. But I like the Amazon one based on looks and size.

[Kirch]

We recently got a bunk bed similar to number 2, but we intentionally found one where the drawers pulled out from the side (where the shelves are in your pic). I was afraid that the drawers pulling out over the stairs could be a tripping hazard if they didn't get pushed in the whole way or for some reason were left pulled out, especially at night.

[macmacmoo]

We recently bought this twin over full with steps from Badcock. If you have a Badcock in your area I would highly highly recommend them.

 

They have a twin over twin one as well. I really like how the bed are made, instead of needing a wooden bunkie boards it has metal rails.

[mom2att]

We have something similar to bed #2, though it's a twin over a double. It's ginormous and takes up the whole room it's in. The storage is great, though--lots of drawers for the 8-year-old pack rat's stuff.

 

But we got it off Craigslist for way less. I wouldn't pay $900 for it.

[ClassicalTwins]

We have this brand for our twins. Very high quality and they have many ways to "grow" with the kids

 

http://www.maxtrixkids.com/bunk-beds.html

Edited April 22, 2012 by ClassicalTwins

[SonshineLearner]

I wouldn't do storage under steps... I'd be afraid of them not in all the way and tripping...

[ClassicalTwins]

I forgot where I heard it when we bought our boys' beds, but be sure the mattress is I think 9inches lower than the top rail of the top bunk to ensure there is no rolling over/off, especially while sleeping.

 

Check the mattress itself for a good fit around that top bunk so no arms or legs can get caught in between walls or the side rails Some of the cheaper manufacturers meet the bare minimums, but sometimes depending on the size of your child's extremities the minimums are still too much.

 

Also remember unlike adults kids do more than sleep in their beds therefore buy quality over price so that you are not buying another bed/mattress sooner than if you had looked for quality. I had never considered that children are rougher on their mattress & beds than adults.

[aggieamy]

Have you looked on Craigslist? Lots of bunk bed sets there. I would be wary buying anything I haven't personally looked at yet.

[She Reads a Lot]

We own the boy version of the first bed you posted a link to (same bed in a brown finish). Bought it almost 3 1/2 years ago and it has held up nicely against daily assault from my two boys :lol: (now 8 and 10). The bottom bunk is pretty high off the ground, so we bought a bunch of fairly large Sterlite plastic bins to hold their toys. It has room for at least four large rectangular bins underneath.

 

That said, the set on Amazon looks really nice, so if money isn't an issue, I'd lean toward that set.

 

But the Walmart set has been surprisingly durable for the $189 we paid, and I have no complaints at all. If you want to save almost $700, the Walmart set has been sturdy and has served us surprisingly well.

 

HTH,

Christina

[staceyobu]

Have you looked on Craigslist? Lots of bunk bed sets there. I would be wary buying anything I haven't personally looked at yet.

 

We live in a smaller city and the closest next cities are 2 hours away. That said, our craigslist isn't very good because there just aren't that many people here.

[Butter]

We got one like #2 (for about the same price for the bunkbed frame itself and then we got mattresses and paid extra for delivery and set-up) from a little local furniture store a few months ago. The shelves in the staircase are on the end rather than in the stairs and there are three drawers underneath the bottom bunk. Ours is a twin over full. They delivered it and set it up. I was amazed at how fast they set it up. It would have taken us 5 times longer. So my vote would definitely be #2, but I'd look at local places because that set-up was totally worth the few bucks it cost us.

[Jennifer in MI]

Do you know anyone who works with wood? My dad made my ds a loft bed that was exactly what he wanted. It has TONS of storage and a built-in desk under the bed. It was perfect for him. It cost around $100 in wood. My dad did the labor for free. But, I bet you could get something of much nicer quailty (and cheaper too!) than either of those by having someone custom build it for you!

[ktgrok]

I would not pay that much more for that amount of storage, unless you just really like the look of it more. You could get a LOT of storage for $700.

[BlessedMom]

My preference would be the first set you posted from Walmart.

I like the simplicity and the flexibility to choose other storage options.

[abacus2]

I would not pay that much more for that amount of storage, unless you just really like the look of it more. You could get a LOT of storage for $700.

 

:iagree:

[jackson'smama]

we purchased the walmart one about 3 or so years ago for our boys, now 7 and almost 5. there is plenty of room underneath and we have 3 rolling bins from target that contain all of oldest's clothing. then there's room for a huge rolling bin of legos.

it was 189 i think and while it was not fun to assemble, it has felt safe and sturdy and the finish still looks the same. dh has and i both have spent a few nights in it as well while playing musical beds with the kids over the years!

when we move, i plan to turn it into two twins b/c i'm sick of trying to make the top bed (changing sheets on a top bunk is for the birds) - only drawback to bunks, IMO.

[Tap]

I would not pay that much more for that amount of storage, unless you just really like the look of it more. You could get a LOT of storage for $700.

 

:iagree: This is my thought as well. AND with bed #2, you have to leave it in that configuration. With a dresser and bookcase, you have options to move furniture around as you need too. #2 looks very cumbersome to me unless you have very large bedrooms.

 

 

I would measure bed #2 before you buy it (if you start to lean that way). Then go into the room where you want to put it, and tape out on the floor with masking tape the exact dimensions of the bed. Allow a foot of walking room around all the edges (for shoulders to pass by) and make sure you still have a clear path, a couple of feet wide, all around. Make sure heating vents in the ceiling won't be in the top bunks face and light fixtures/ceiling fans won't be a problem. If you have floor vents make sure that it willl not be covered up with the drawer section. Check to make sure your placement allows for access to the storage you are buying.

[tori@thehomefront]

Depends on how much you need the built-in storage. FWIW, we have very similar bunk beds from wal-mart (just a different color of wood, I believe). they have held up to a series of rambunctious boys for 4+ years now, and you wouldn't believe how much we can store underneath. :D It's not as pretty/neat looking as having the built-in type of storage, but could probably be dressed up/covered with a curtain of some kind, etc.

[SailorMom]

I would go with #1.

I like that the beds can be used individually, and I think tubs under the beds are a better bet then a $700 set of drawers ;)

We've bought a few pieces of furniture from Wal-Mart and while it isn't wonderful wood and heirloom quality workmanship - there certainly isn't anything wrong with it structurally.

For $200, the darn thing could be disposable after 10 years and you won't care. Also - from reading the reviews on Amazon, the wood is really cheap and soft - which mean that lovely finish would be all marred very soon.

[KidsHappen]

We had a set like your #1 with two dressers and set of shelves all of which was cheaper than your second option and it allowed more configurations than the second set would. I especially liked that we could turn them into two twins once they were older. You could still get bins that slide under the bed as well.

[Dustybug]

We own the exact set in your first set from Walmart and it is very sturdy and it was easy to assemble as well. It has plenty of room to put things under, we store toys and crates filled with the kids' shoes under there and still have plenty of room.

[Shellers]

I wouldn't buy bunk beds from Walmart. They are made cheaply. It doesn't look like there is enough space between the bunks to be able to sit up straight on the bottom bunk. That would really bug me.

 

I like bunk #2, but think the stairs would get old and they take up a lot of space.

 

My DD16 still uses the bunk beds she shared with my DD14 when they were little. It's a basic set made out of solid wood. There is enough room to sit up on the bottom bunk. We ditched the ladder when the older was 9 or so, she just climbed up the end.

 

I really like the look of these bunk beds. They have great reviews too! I think they would take up less space than #2, thanks to the ladder. They are half the price and you would still have the full size.

[piraterose]

We ordered from here. The wood is brazilian pine and the bed is rock solid and sturdy.

 

They also have beds like your Amazon bed for $200 -$300 cheaper.

[Starr]

We have one room with plastic storage under the bed and the other child has our old bed from our city days. It's a double with drawers built in all around. I love the built in drawers! It is tidier and you don't have to worry about pulling everything out to clean.

[Laurie4b]

Your best bet for quality and price is to buy used.

 

The Walmart furniture I have seen is not well made, often using particle board, etc.--that's why it is inexpensive . And for bunk beds, I would want well-made .