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Bunk Bed King - Guide to Bunk Bed Safety
If you are looking at this, chances are you are considering buying a bunk bed. Your kids have been begging you for a "fort just like Tommy's", your family has expanded (but your bedrooms haven't), or your lodge or summer house needs to sleep more without sacrificing precious space. Bunk beds have long been a practical (and, for many, fun) solution to space constraints. Like other furniture purchases, of course you want to consider style, color and price. But because your bunk bed has to serve a more important function than just looking great (after all, this is where your loved ones are going to be spending 1/3 of their day!), bunk bed safety and reliability must always be considered.
Bunk beds can be a great choice to maximize space in a fun way, but the elevated design comes with a certain amount of risk. To reduce the chance of injury, proper supervision (especially of children) when bunk beds are being used as well as proper use of the safety features most bunk beds come with is essential. Before purchasing a bunk bed, check to make sure that it conforms to all of the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) Safety Standards. According to the findings of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), most risk of injury associated with bunk beds (when properly used) has to do with compromised structural integrity that leads to the child (or person) becoming trapped in the structure or wedged between the bed and the wall.
All Bunk Bed King bunk beds follow the rules set out by the CPSC guidelines to minimize this risk. Those rules include the necessity for guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk, except for up to 15 inches at each end of the bed, with the upper edge of the guardrails being no less than 5 inches above the top surface of the mattress. Only the proper sized mattress as recommended by the manufacturer should be used. All bunk beds should come with a warning label that advises against placing children under 6 years of age in the upper bunk. Make sure that the room you plan to put the bunk bed in is tall enough to accommodate it. A bunk bed that is too close to the ceiling is inviting trouble. All Bunk Bed King bunk beds are a little over five feet to allow for enough room on the top bunk.
Once you have bought a bunk bed that conforms to safety standards, it is up to you to ensure that the bunk bed is put together properly and safely and to prohibit horseplay on or near the beds. Bunk Bed King also recommends that, for support and safety, either extra slats or a Bunkie board should be placed beneath each mattress. Bunkie boards can be purchased from your local mattress store and are basically a mini-foundation for the mattress (some bunk bed mattresses may come with bunkie boards already attached). A more economical alternative is to use a slat kit, which provides extra support in the form of wooden slats. Please check that for maximum support and safety, that the bunk bed you buy comes with a full slat kit of 26 slats (13 for the top bunk and 13 for the bottom bunk). All Bunk Bed King bunk beds are made out of solid Brazilian plantation-grown pine wood, rather than particle board or MDF, for additional safety and sturdiness.
So in summary - please follow these key recommendations:
- An adult should always supervise children's use of bunk beds.
- Children under 6 years of age should not be on the top bunk.
- Use guard rails on both sides of upper bunk.
- Use only the proper size mattress as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Ensure the thickness of the mattress and foundation combined is at least 5 inches below the top of the guardrails.
- Prohibit more than one person on the upper bunk
- Prohibit horseplay on or under the beds.
- Always use the ladder for entering and leaving the upper bunk.
- Never attach or hang items to any part of the bunk bed that are not designed for use with the bed. For example, but not limited to, hooks, belts and jump ropes.
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