Guidance & Reviews for Kids Beds
Kid’s beds not only make the room look inviting but also add a certain charm to the space. These also help in developing good sleeping habits for the kids. There are a lot of choices available for kid’s beds, today. There are a lot of designers and a lot of manufacturers who make beds in all kinds of shapes, sizes and themes. Therefore, it is a bit difficult to buy the perfect bed for kids without a little help. In this buying guide for kid’s beds, we will discuss everything you need to know about kid’s beds.
Kid’s beds are very important for sound sleep of kids. As mentioned above, the beds and mattresses do affect the sleeping habits of the kids. Therefore, it is essential for the parents to pay close attention while deciding on buying the perfect bed for their kids. As described above, there are many different kinds of beds available today and parent should pick up a bed that is perfect for their kids.
The first goal of any kind of kid’s furniture is that it should meet the expectations of the kid. Take our word; if your kid does not like the bed, it is going to be a big problem for you. Ultimately, your kid should be happy with the choice. Other than kid’s preferences, a kid’s bed needs to be chosen based on the height, weight and age of the child.
Types of Kids Beds
As mentioned above, there are lots of choices available today. Also, many people use beds as an additional storage space. The most popular types of beds available for kids today are:
Captain’s Beds
Almost all of us have seen the bed with lots of drawers underneath the mattresses for storage. This design is known as Captain’s bed. Again, this is available in all kinds of different shapes and sizes. These are available in both adult and children’s sizes. These can have multiple drawers all around the perimeter or drawers on only one side.
Additional rows of drawers can always be added to the adult versions for greater storage but that adds to the overall height of the bed. Most of the children’s versions of this type come with one row of drawers and are of normal height. There are also some versions available in the market with a height of 4 feet or more and have up to 4 rows of drawers.
Loft Beds
These types of beds are best for rooms with limited space. These can be thought of as a variation of a bunk bed. The only difference is that the lower bed is replaced by a storage space. The sleeping space is still on the upper side with a ladder to get to it. The lower area can be used for various activities such as a work area, play area or as a storage space.
Another advantage of this design is that it works well even for grown-up kids. However, one needs to keep in mind in various considerations such as size of the mattress, bed height and ladder style, while deciding on a particular type.
Frame Material
A wide variety of material is used to construct the frame of a bed. Most of the people like the frame to be made of metal, wood and leather. Wooden bed frames are very popular as these suit both the contemporary and the traditional surroundings. Most of the bed frames make use of pine, maple, oak, mahogany, walnut and other types of woods. Also, these woods are available in different shades and textures.
Metal bed frames are also quite popular with buyers. These are very sturdy and are usually bought for their durability. These bed frames are available in a number of finishes.
Leather bed frames are made from both faux and genuine leather. These are also available in a wide variety of colors and the popular color options in leather bed frames include black, brown and beige.
Types of Wood
The simplest categorization for wood can be done between hardwood and softwood. However, these terms have nothing to do with the actual hardness of the wood. In simple terms, flowering trees are hardwoods and conifers are softwoods. It is true that most of the hardwoods are definitely harder than the softwoods but softwoods are more readily available as the trees grow faster.
Softwoods
As mentioned above, the softwoods grow much faster and therefore, are more readily available as compared to hardwoods. Ready availability also makes them cheaper. These are also easier to work with. Some of the most common softwoods used for bed frames are:
Cedar: Cedar is often used for decorative panels. It is available in colors ranging from brown to white. It is the preferred wood type for outdoor furniture and the Eastern red Cedar is known for its natural moth repellent properties.
White Pine: It is really easy to work with and is readily available. One of the biggest problems with this type is that it warps, swells and shrinks easily. Also, the older pieces made of this type of wood show early wear due to the softness of the wood.
Yellow Pine: Since this type is grainy, it does not offer a good finish. It is mostly used on the inside. It is available in various colors ranging from yellow to orange.
Hardwood
On a comparative basis, hardwoods are much more durable and also more expensive than the softwoods. Therefore, buyers highly value wood furniture made of oak, walnut, teak, maple, cherry and mahogany. Some of the most common hardwoods used for bed frames are:
Maple: It does not warp, shrink or swell easily and it is really hard. It is not easy to carve and can be dyed. It is available in both soft and hard varieties. Soft maple comes from silver or red maple trees and it is not as durable as the hard maple wood. However, it stains much more easily than the hard maple wood. On the other hand, hard maple is available from sugar or black maple trees.Cherry: It is very popular for decorative work as it can be easily carved but it does not shrink, swell or warp easily. It is usually reddish brown in color.
Oak: It is also easy to carve and is resistant to shrinking, swelling and warping. Its ready availability and ease in carving makes it a popular choice. It ranges from light pink brown to white in color.
Walnut: It is another easy to carve hardwood that is available in dark grayish brown color.
Composites
Other than the original woods, composites are also used for making beds. These are man-made and the prices and quality vary a lot. Most of the times, these are used for crafting the furniture backs as well as shelving. The two most common types of composites are:
Plywood: It does not shrink, warp or swell easily. It is made of huge number of layers of wood that have been glued together under heat and pressure. It is usually white to tan in color. It can be easily shaped and bent.
Particleboard: It is made from sawdust, resin/glue and small wooden chips. It splits easily and is usually employed under veneers or laminates.