Bunk Bed Standards

Standards and specifications for bunk beds.

When choosing the right sleeping solution for your child, you want something that lets them rest safe and sound. When it comes to bunk bed standards, there are a few important safety matters worth knowing before your purchase this type of bed for your child.

Let’s take a look at a few of the key elements of safety put in place by industry-wide bunk bed standards.

To start with, all bunk beds must meet and pass the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) in order to be sold to consumers. The CPSIA ensures that all products are safe for the general public to avoid any accidental deaths or serious injuries. In addition to passing the CPSIA, bunk beds must also pass an additional safety measure in the form of Children's Product Certificate (CPC) which requires the product to be tested by an outside third party at a CPC approved laboratory. Both of these guidelines of CPSIA and CPC require certain measures to be put in place to ensure a safe bunk bed for children to use. Here are a few of the main requirements worth knowing:

  • Bunk beds must have at least two upper guardrails with one placed on each side. This will help prevent falls from the top bunk. An additional guardrail may be required of the lower bunk if the bed sits higher than 30 inches from the ground.
  • The tops of guardrails must be no less than 5 inches from the top of the mattress. Again, this measure is to prevent falls.
  • Guardrails must be fastened with fasteners and the rail must not be removable without first removing the fasteners. This ensures that children will not be able to remove the guardrail on their own.
  • When testing with a wedge block, there should be no space in between the headboard or footboard where the wedge block can pass through. This ensures there are no spaces of entrapment where a child may become trapped and suffer serious consequences up to death.
  • Bunk beds specifically sold for children cannot have more than 90ppm or 0.01% lead in their coating. Lead can lead to serious health risks when used in high amounts.

There are additional guidelines regarding the safety of bunk beds, but these are the basics most parents worry about. The more you understand about the safety measures in place, the more confidence you will have when choosing this type of bedding solution for your little one!