Bunk Beds - Fort Worth,TX

Over the years we did use bunk beds but I do regret using them with the kids when younger. They are not safe, the kids climb on them ( good luck keeping toys on the top bunk ) and they played half the night with one on top and one underneath. There is the putting feet on top of the bunk above you, swinging from the top, etc. It is very entertaining. We've had both wood but one was twin over twin and one was the L shape with a dresser. Actually I think the twin over twin is best and you can rearrange the room if you need to or if you move. The twin over full takes up space and if you aren't going to sleep two kids to a bed why have one? I would do 2 twin beds though and skip the bunk. Or get a nice captains bed for each with drawers under it and you wouldn't need a dresser, or do a trundle bed. Just my thoughts on it.

Please just wait. My friend lost her elementary aged child when he slipped and fell off the top bunk. When he landed he hit his head and died.

It was an accident, she was right there and he wasn't doing any roughhousing or wrestling around or anything. He was simply moving around and misplaced his hand too close to the edge.

If a school aged child can fall to his death on a bunk bed a 3 year old has no business on them at all. Nor does a 4 year old or a 5 year old or any sort of elementary school aged child.

Don't like bunk beds (especially for younger children)..they have ground level pull outs for two kids (twin size)....still can save space and much safer for your kids.

If they are too young to use them, I would reconsider getting it now. My parents have a bunk bed in our room at the cabin and I HATED it when my boys were younger. It was just a big jungle gym to them and we were lucky to avoid any serious accidents, although we had some close calls. It sounds like you already know this, but FYI the manufacturers' minimum recommended age for the top bunk is 6.

As to your original question the one at the cabin is twin over double, which is one aspect of it I liked. It is metal, but I don't know if there is a big difference between metal and wood, other than looks.

It is also challenging to change the sheets on a bunk, IMO. I'm in charge of that at the cabin. ETA: Now that I looked at other's answers I recall that the metal bunk at the cabin squeaks. I didn't realize that maybe it's because it's metal.

The difference between wood and metal is that after a while, the metal ones will squeak every time someone moves...at least that has been my experience and the experience of the 3 other people I have known who tried the metal ones, we all switched to wood and no problems. (the three people were all older relatives who had had them for their children and were warning me not to get them, but I just couldn't listen, lol! Plus, at free, the price of the metal frame bunk was right!

http://www.sears.com/bedz-king-stairway-bunk-bed-full-ove...

This is kind of like the bunk bed we just got my son, except on my son's bed the pull out drawers are on the side of the bed instead of in the front.

It was $800 at a Sleep Concept/Amish Rustics store near us. We love it! The drawers on the stairs are awesome, and we use that trundle area under the bed (In the picture there is a 3rd mattress in it) to store his toys. LOVE IT!!!

Our son just turned 2 so we block off the stair case with baby gates, but he still loves it.

As to your questions, definitely go with wood. I had a metal bunkbed/futon when I was a teenage and refused to sleep on the top because it felt so flimsy (And I only weigh 120lbs). Wood is just so much sturdier :)

We have a twin over twin, wood construction, and instead of a ladder I opted for a staircase (three large stairs, each with a drawer in it, which comes in handy) and then there are shelves under the stairs.

I don't know why I didn't think a bit harder...of course my toddler could climb the stairs, just as easily and she can scale a ladder. We had to construct and swinging door, hinged onto the door frame, that locks onto the stair railing, to keep her from going up. It works...except that now that she's almost three, she knows how to unlock it and is tall enough to do so. Fortunately, she has also now learned that she isn't allowed up there without an adult present...it all worked out in the end.

Safety aside, I do love the bunk bed we bought. You can check it out on bunkbedking.com - just look up staircase bunk beds.

However...for young children...just not safe. I will not allow my youngest on top until she as at LEAST five, and probably not until she's six or seven, because as others have mentioned, the potential for an accident is huge. They have to understand that the top bunk is absolutely NOT a place to play...it is only for sleep.

If I had the room to have two separate beds, I would never even consider a bunk bed. Changing the top sheets is the bane of my Mondays. ;)

We have a wood one and love it. My best friends daughter has a mostly metal one and when stepped on wrong part of the rail bent. My son was trying to help make the bed and stepped on it and bent it and he was not even 80 lbs. And since you have boys like I do I highly recomend wood. They are MUCH sturdier!!!!!!!!!!!

We have wood twin over twin. Ours has drawers underneath the bottom bunk for extra storage. It is very sturdy, and the ladder easily detaches so I can hide it when there are little kids around.

you really need to wait until they are older. bunk beds are really dangerous and a 3 yr old is not going to see it as a danger he's going to see it as a jungle gym.

my 5th grader has a twin over futon bunk the futon stays folded out and it does nothing but catch stuff. and she leaves it that way because she can still sleep on it with the stuff on it cause there's enough room. Don't go for the twin over full. That bottom bunk will be nothing but a catch all.

We bought a stairway bunk bed from Bunk Bed King. I liked the idea of stairs with a railing vs. a ladder. We love this set! We bought ours in white for our two girls. (Ages 4 and 2 at the time.)

http://www.bunkbedking.com/bunk-beds-stairway

When I was researching bunk beds, I posted something similar and a few moms posted on the safety of bunk bends. Just use common sense.

We have strict rules about no rough housing on the top bunk and we explain that to all friends who come over.

I highly recommend the kind you can take apart into two beds. Often you can find local craftsmen (and women) who make sturdy ones out of oak that you can stain or paint to your liking.

We have a wood twin over twin bunk bought from Ikea. Sadly, our model is no longer made, but they have some really nice ones.

I really love it for my kiddos, but even before the official bunk, my husband built a loft style twin for my then 3 yo to sleep in. We only had 2 bedrooms and with a crib, dresser, etc. needed some play space in the room. worked great. He loved it and was safe:)
Everyone "knows" someone with some sort of injury. But check the facts.
A quick search shows that the reason for DEATH in a bunk bed is suffocation/entrapment of head caught and that is at 10 a year. And falls (not death from falls - injury from falls from a report that cover 1990-2005) occur when the railing is not higher than the mattress. so look for a good, snug mattress fit and that the second level railing is high enough to contain a rolling sleeper
Good luck with your decision.:)

If you really have to have bunk beds, hide the ladder. Way too many bad accidents happen with bunk beds. Also make sure there is nothing that can be used to climb on.

I got wood because I was scared of it bending or not being as sturdy the heavier they got.....also, my bff's son has a metal one and it wobbles more than I think is ok when I shake it.
Ours is twin over twin, which I think is more "fair" (both have the same size bed) and it saves space. Ours is a T shape (beds are perpendicular), has a dresser of 5 square drawers, 3 rectangle drawers under the bottom bunk, 3 or 4 bookshelves behind the dresser for the child on bottom bunk, the bottom bunk also has a headboard with 2 shelves and a hold to put the cord for his alarm clock. On the other side of the T is a desk with 3 drawers and a cork bulletin board all built in. We got it for my son when he was 4 1/2, and threw the ladder up on the top bunk until he was 5 and showed us he was mature enough to start sleeping on the top without us worrying about him doing something daft. He was made very aware that dangerous play would result in the ladder and top mattress disappearing, and there's NEVER been a problem. I got the bed (which costs $2500-3000; I priced it for 6 months at stores) on craigslist for $250. A little scuffed up, but nothing a coat of stain before we brought it in couldn't fix. It covers all his needs so no other furniture in the room except a chair for the desk, and plenty of room to play relax left over in the room.
We ALL love that bed, it was a great investment.

We had a twin/full metal bed when I was in high school (I graduated nearly 13 years ago.) My little brother still uses the bed--so, it is at least 17 yrs old.

If you are going to use the top bed for storage until the kids are older, I'd probably remove the ladder for now so the kids don't climb up there and jump off.

Twin over twin will give them more space and be equal if/when you split them later. I think wood holds up best. We had a wood one that we split later when we were in HS and used it all the way through graduation. I could probably pull it out of storage and still use it.

My SD had a twin over full that was bulky and she ended up not using the top for sleepovers as intended. It basically became a catch-all and I would not get that style again.