When it comes to researching your child’s next bed, there are some important things that you may wish to consider, especially if you are looking for a quality bed that will last them through the years.
These are 5 indicators of quality when it comes to the specification of a child’s bed:
1. Check the bed materials
So you think you’ve found the bed of your child’s dreams? Take a look at the material specifications before you buy.
Some of the things to look out for are –
Check that the bed frame has been crafted from strong timbers. Not all wood is the same, so a bed made from a solid hardwood such as Beech or Oak will last a lot longer, be stronger and less susceptible to dents and scratches over time. Softer woods such as Pine are much more likely to mark and bruise easily (so the paint covering chips and cracks) and are less durable. Also a mattress base made of hardwood will support more and carry heavier weights – important as children turn into teenagers or even for grown ups to use.
Top tip >> Look for children’s bed frames that are made from solid hardwood. They are likely to cost a little more than a softwood bed, but the product will be a lot better value for money long-term. We are proud to say that all of our Little Folks Furniture bed frames are crafted from premium, sustainably sourced, solid hardwoods, because over the years we’ve come to know they’re the best choice for children’s beds!
2. Find out about the safety testing
But the children’s bed is on the market and being sold, so surely it’s already passed all the safety testing, right? Wrong! Children’s beds do not have to adhere to specific safety tests in order to be sold to the public. However, all brands selling ‘high beds’ (any bed from a mid-sleeper and higher) should be safety tested to withstand certain forces and weights, and that they are sturdy and won’t tip over. This means that it’s really important for customers to do the research and ensure that they’re happy with the level of testing completed on the children’s high bed that they are about to buy.
Here at Little Folks Furniture, we take children’s safety very seriously, and this is why we have our very own testing rig in house to bish, bash and bosh our beds. One thing’s for sure – they go through the mill here and if they don’t make it through the testing procedure, we simply won’t sell them.
3. Check the company credentials
You may have stumbled across a website that you’ve not ever found before. Stands to reason as you’ve never searched for children’s beds before… But before you buy, check the company credentials, or if they are a trading company only (so they don’t design the beds themselves) see if you can find the website of the brand who has designed the bed to check out any details that you may not be able to find through the third party.
Here at Little Folks Furniture, we design all of our own beds and do not buy any beds in ‘off the shelf’. So, you can ask us anything you like about our beds, and we will certainly know the answer!
4. Always buy a high bed safety mattress for high beds
When buying a bunk, mid sleeper or loft bed, you should always select a so-called “high bed” mattress to go in the top bed. Put simply this is a thinner mattress – usually 15cm or less – that will mean there is enough height of the safety guard rails above the mattress. This doesn’t mean that you need to scrimp on quality though – and a proper mattress on a high bed is just as important; after all they need a good night’s sleep regardless of the height of the bed. Look for mattresses that are fully specified and supportive, and that are designed to perform consistently over a long time and with plenty of use.
5. The mattress conundrum - look for mattresses with spring interiors
Whilst foam mattresses have become more popular in recent years there is a fundamental issue in that the cellular structure of foam begins to decline quite quickly. Many cheap foams are not really supportive enough in the first place, but inevitably the mattress will need to be replaced more often.
Children move more in their sleep and grow up and change shape. Therefore they need responsive and supportive mattresses, and preferably one that provide that level of support consistently over a long time. Internal spring units are a good answer – and the mechanical action of a good quality spring will do the same thing night in, night out for many years.
Other factors to consider include mattress “breathability” and air circulation to avoid moisture being trapped. Natural covers – such as cotton – are often better for this than synthetic materials. Mattresses have to meet Fire Regulations by law, and in most cases this means a chemical treatment to a greater or lesser degree. Again cotton is naturally fire retardant and so requires minimal treatment, and if used with other natural materials needs no treatment at all (so called “chemical free”).
All of our mattresses at Little Folks Furniture have spring interiors, and we never use foam inside them.
Need any more advice when it comes to finding premium children's beds? Why not give us a call on 01985 300588 - we love a natter!
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