What bed to get for 3 year old?

[SEGirl]

Hi

Would love any feedback or advice on buying a bed for my 3 year old. He currently still sleeps in his cot, but think the time has come to put him in a bed. I'm just not sure as to what kind of bed to go for, in terms of size eg. toddler, junior or full size single bed. Any thoughts please?

Ta very much

[hazelnunhead]

I would go for a full size single bed - we got one (I think from mothercare) as it was one of the lowest ones available! YOu can always use one of those bed guards if necessary, but I am not sure its worth it to get a toddler bed that you have to change again at some point. (and duvet covers etc)

[womanofdulwich]

def go fullsize- esp . if you like to lie next to them and read stories etc etc

[oimissus]

we're going to go for a toddler bed as I really want eventually to get Miss Oi one of those raised bunks with a den bit underneath - the first time I saw one I so wished I'd had one as a child! But she's too young for it right now. More money I know, but she's a one-and-only. Her room's not massive either so it will give her more space later on. We have a sofa in her room for stories.

[SEGirl]

Thanks for the replies.

So is there much of a difference between a junior bed and a standard single bed?

[duchessofdulwich]

we got a small single for our nearly three year old

[lucyA1308]

i couldn't find anywhere which sold small singles, we just went to Mothercare and dot, what they called a child's bed, but it was in fact a normal single bed. My 2 1/2 yr old was a bit daunted, but I imagine a 3 yr old would be fine. it means that you always have it. No need to change later on, or try to find specific sheets / duvets / matresses to fit now.

[nunheadmum]

If you have the space, get full singles. We went with a toddler bed for our 2 girls and while they are nice when they're little, I can't help but think of the money we've wasted now we're about to upgrade. And the bedding for smaller beds is less common and so more expensive.

While we had toddler beds, kids slept at Grandma's in normal singles with bedguard and never complained.

[Pickle]

If you do get toddler beds, try not to get sucked into buying toddler bed sized linen, it's really expensive! When we converted our sons cot into a bed I bought a special duvet, duvet cover etc, but in the space of a year he moved into s proper single bed and we had to buy more bed linen. With our daughter we also converted her cot, but used a normal sized duvet on it - it was big, but at least it meant saving money, and there are a lot more nice duvet cover options for a single bed.

[civilservant]

We went for a full single as well, with a full-size single duvet.

We tucked half the duvet under the mattress, both to stop it falling off in the middle of night, and not to lose the toddler under it. No bedguards, but she only fell out of bed once!

It also helped with night-time waking as I could just climb in with her and cuddle her back to sleep.

[blondelle]

A 3 year old kid will be fitted to a toddler bed or junior bed. Check out http://www.beds-bed.co.uk/ because they have that kind of beds, I bought also for my 3 year old daughter. They offers affordable furniture and free shipping around UK.

[shaunag]

I think that warren Evans does a really low single bed you could get. We bought a very sweet girls single bed from aspace-amazing but pricey-but figured it was cheaper than going for a toddler bed plus bedding and another less expensive bed. She loves it-there is a truckle bed that you can get for underneath-I'm sleeping on that while she gets used to the single bed and she can have it for sleepovers when she gets a little bigger. Good luck with your choice whatever it is.

[Ole]

We got out then 2 year old the John Lewis Boris toddler bed but now I wish I had gone for the full sized as he is 3.5 and we are starting to think of a normal sized single bed.

Actually might consider selling it as it is in such a good state

M

[Mrs TP]

To oimissus - we have a high bed with a den underneath, which is v cute and space savvy but it is a pain in the bum to change the sheets and to have the duvet look tidy in the day. The guard frame around the bed bit means you can't let the duvet drape over the sides like you would a normal bed.

[oimissus]

oh, that wouldn't bother me - I have reached my fourth decade without ever regularly making my bed!

[blondelle]

For a 3 year old, I think toddler bed, junior bed or single bed would be okay at that age. Visit http://www.beds-bed.co.uk/ because they have that kind of beds and it is affordable and they also offer free shipping around UK.

[alieh]

We got the extendable Ikea bed, which is great. It is the wood one (but I painted it white). It can be set up as 3 different lengths. The mattress comes in 3 pieces (a large main mattress, and two small bits that fit at the end for the 3 different sizes). I didn't buy the Ikea mattress and ordered a proper sprung one from one of the custom baby mattress places - they are made for the size of the Ikea beds and include the two extra mattress bits.

This one has been perfect for us because in our last house a full single wouldn't fit, but in our new house it will. Great that we don't have to replace the bed as he grows.

[AarenAce]

you should buy a Toddler bed for your 3 year old kid.

[alieh]

They don't seem to have the same one anymore but it is like this: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S79931867/

[nikki73]

we also have an ikea extendable - minnen i think but it's a girlie one. At first I bought the ikea sheets but now i just use standard singles at tuck it all in to avoid having to replace all the bedding when we extend the bed. also second idea of buying a single duvet. We didn't and almost regretted it immediately.

[blondelle]

Junior bed would be better for a 3 year old.

[nicolemodesti]

We bought a single bed for our son after we had converted his cot into a cot bed and he wouldn't sleep in it. Once the single bed was put up with guard rails on he loved it! We invested in a really good mattress too. There is a shop in Streatham called A-Z Furniture, where we got ours, who were really helpful and had some good designs. Their delivery charge us quite reasonable.

And agree with above with cost of bedding etc for cot bed - costs a fortune for something used for short period!

Good luck - a grown up stage for your child!

[pommie]

we went straight to bunk beds as our little one is 1 and will be moving into the bunk beds soon. our 4 year old loved her new bed and has slept in it every night with no problems.

The problem will be when she moves up to the top bunk when the little one is sleeping on the bottom!

[Trish]

My little one went straight into a full size single bed - which is a godsend when she is ill and needs cuddles through the night. Either I sleep in her single bed with her, or she sleeps in the big bed with one of us and the other one can sleep in her single bed.

[srisky]

We went straight to a full size single at the age of 22 months without problems. The main thing is that they are taught to safely get down from the bed so if they try to escape they can do so safely.