The truth behind the safe use of bunk beds

The following is a guest post from BunkBeds.org that includes a lot of really interesting and useful information about bunk beds. It's sure made me consider getting our guys a bunk bed!

The truth behind the safe use of bunk beds

When you have multiple children, one of the biggest life savers for both space and convenience are bunk beds. These are amazing inventions that enable you to reduce the amount of clutter that you would otherwise have by removing an additional bed and instead putting one over the other, essentially maximizing the room that you have. This much is a given.

The trouble with this idea is that there are a lot of people out there who are afraid that using bunk beds with children will be unsafe, or lead to serious injury. If you are like most parents your children are your life and you want to do everything within your power to ensure that they are well taken care of. In the immortal words of Hamlet, "never doubt I love". This is why when you hear something like this you take pause and look for the answers as to what is the right direction. 

The truth be told, there is nothing completely definitive regarding whether or not bunk beds are unequivocally safe, at least in comparison to standard beds. There are many studies out there that point in one direction or another; however it is important anytime you look at a study that you keep in mind that there are typically dollars behind them. So with all this in mind, here is an unbiased summery of what is currently understood. 

Generally speaking, from what most emergency records show, there is not a large amount of bunk bed related injuries in comparison to standard beds, but there is still reason to be cautious. The experts for many years have indicated that children under the age of six should not have access to one, and those over the age of six should be sleeping in bunk beds that have railing that is at least 3 inches tall. 

Now ideas have changed a little bit, and the experts in the industry are starting to be even more cautious than they have been in the past. Now the standard age recommended to restrict usage is nine years old. Although this may make some parents cringe if they are already using them, because of the flexibility that space that they provide, the truth is it is more important to know and not experience something terrible than to benefit with risk. 

With that being said, for children over the age of nine that are utilizing these amazing beds it can really be a dream come true. Not only are they incredibly useful, they also come with a variety of accessory pieces that will enable you to get even better use such as shelving and desk add-ons. Having bunk beds can serve you and your family well, but only as long as you use them wisely.

In exchange for posting this article, Bunkbeds.org made a small donation to our effort to sell an awesome children's book that will fund Malachi's medical needs.