What is a cabin bed?
A cabin bed is a child’s bed that is raised up off the ground. It uses otherwise ‘wasted’ space above the bed for something useful. They’re a clever idea that allow you to use this extra space that’s created underneath for a range of useful purposes.
The space under a cabin bed can be used for things like:
- Having a study space
- More handy drawers & storage space
- A cool den for younger kids
- Even full on wardrobes
- A seating area of sofa
- Sleepover space or pull out bed
When’s the best age to get a cabin bed?
As long as your child is 6 years old, they will be fine in a cabin bed. Many parents will opt to get one for younger children however, as the raised guards around the sleeping area make it very hard to fall out and hurt themselves.
No room for a wardrobe? Think again! Above: Mrsflatpack High Sleeper, Amazon UK
Who will get the most out of having a cabin bed?
Because they take up the same space as a single bed, but offer an extra space underneath, children’s cabin beds are a great buy for a ‘box room’, or any house where space is in short supply.
Do you have to buy a premade cabin bed?
No! A lot of parents opt to hire a carpenter to build a really cool cabin bed for their child. The advantage to this approach is that you can ask for pretty much anything you want. You can get the wardrobes you need or a desk built to match any purpose. Using this approach means you’re not tied to set sizes and can have a bed that stretches fully between two walls, for example.
The downside is, of course, cost. It might be more expensive to hire a carpenter but that’s not always the case. It’s definitely something people are doing and something to think about.
It’s amazing what you can fit underneath a cabin bed!
There’s some ingenious cabin beds on the market today. Some have excellent desks that offer real work spaces for kids to do home work. Others conceal trundle beds that have a real sleeping space for friends or cousins coming to stay over. And there are beds with James Bond levels of gadgetry when it comes to storage. As mentioned, you can even get full sized wardrobes under your bed, although this pushes the bed from a mid-sleeper up to a high-sleeper.
This fab cabin bed has a slide and a den under it . (Noa and Nani – Midsleeper Cabin Bed – Amazon UK)
What’s not so great about getting a cabin bed for your child?
There’s a few things to consider when getting a cabin style bed.
#1 – You have to stop little ones climbing the ladders
If you’ve already got little ones in the house, it’s important to stop them from having an accident on the stairs or steps of the new cabin bed. Kids tend to gravitate towards danger so you’ll need to supervise them when they’re near the cabin bed.
- One TIP is to get the owner of the cabin bed to police it carefully. Make it his or her special job to keep the smaller ones from climbing unsafely.
#2 – How easy will the bed be to change?
As we all know, children’s beds need changing a bit more frequently when they’re younger. Especially when they’re learning to move to big boy / girl pants during the night. One of the problems with cabin beds is they can be a bit tricky to change. Check the height and remember that a higher bed will be more awkward. You might end up climbing onto the bed to get it changed! Just something to consider…
#3 Clearance on the ceiling
Another thing that’s worth bearing in mind, and this only applies to very high beds – or very low ceilings, is how much clearance there is above the bed. The child should be at least able to sit up. It won’t be much fun if they have to slide into a tight space with no room to move. Always measure up and leave plenty of room.
#4 They’ll have to climb up and down the steps at night
When your little one needs the toilet, they’ll of course have to climb down the steps during the night. This isn’t usually a problem as the steps on mid sleeper cabin beds are generally wide and safe (some beds even boast a mini set of stairs).
The Ye Perfect Cabin Bed (Amazon UK) even has it’s own staircase
GOOD LUCK choosing your child’s cabin bed. There’s some fantastic choices out there in 2024. Let me know if the comments if you decided to go for a mid-sleeper cabin and which one you picked!
