With many of us living in urban centers these days, with miles of concrete and steel, there is a refreshing glow that results from adding wood to our homes. Hardwood floors for example are much more cold and hard then say a carpeted area, however, everyone loves hardwood for the rich back to nature feeling that it provides.

In the bedroom, the same principles hold true. Wooden dressers, desks, headboards and pine bed frames all add to feeling of getting more involved in nature. Pine beds happen to be among the best value compared to other wood frames such as mahogany, oak, and birch. Pine is more readily available and cheaper for the manufacture and those savings are transfered along to you. If you do like the darker colors of mahogany for example, you are still able to stain the frame with darker stains. There are also many other tints that can be added to retain the wood feel but still mix it up a bit.

There should be no problems with durability of the actual wood itself, however, when you are buying the bed, double check the joints. Pine bunk beds, pine single beds, and pine double beds are all readily available and have great durability. Places such as Ikea which sale many different types of pine bed frame and other pine furniture are notorious for having problems with their joints. The best thing to do is add some glue to the dowels during construction to keep things tight as time goes on. Pick a day and write it in your calendar to check and tighten all the bolts and screws 6 months to a year from purchase. Wood will have structural problems, only if irregular stress is put on the wood. This is often caused by loose joints which will carry all the force at the bolt or screw. The frictional forces of the wooden dowels, or tongue and groove connections ensure that the wood does not have solely bearing stress. Keep all the screws and bolts tight especially on the pine bunk beds as it can be a hazard for one to come loose.

If you buy a quality pine bed,  it should last you for many years to come. Good luck in your hunting!

There are a few different designs that should be noted:

The classic duel twin and the twin over full size is the cheapest models available and will not help much in maintaining some degree of organization aside from promoting a bit more floor space for playing. This design is of course the the classic one bed on top of the other with a ladder on the side. This model is only recommended if you cannot afford a better design. If two kids are in a single room, it will be difficult to find adequate space for toy boxes, dressers and desks to keep the toys/activities at bay.

Nowadays, there are a several childrens bunk beds that have drawers built into them. Every nook and cranny of the bunk bed is filled with necessary drawers and spots to organize, be it toys or clothes. This model attached has drawers designed into the stairs to the upper bunk, in addition to under the lower bunk. There are many beautiful woods and colors that the beds are available in and are great for adding some storage to the room.

Desk attached bunk beds for kids are also available, and are useful for a lots of different activities like  lego,  drawing, coloring, homework and others. New generation children are quite computer savvy and a cheap computer can be great for reducing noise in the rest of the home. The shown bed has the attached desk and as a bunk bed with a full size bottom bunk.

Another style of bed is the hidden lower bunk with a computer desk built into it. If you have only one child using the room, but have frequent visits from cousins and/or friends for sleep overs, this is a great asset for adding more sleeping places. There are many drawers, cupboards and spots for storage which will maximize the bedroom floor space for play areas. It is fundamentally a full dresser and desk built into the bunk which similar to a captain’s bed. The lower bunk pulls out and is easy to tuck away when not in use. This makes it really easy for having kids for sleep overs. For a teenager and adolescents, this is a great design to give them their own functional space for alone time.

Bunk beds is a great way to add bedroom space and open up many available activities for your children or teenager. A bed the last example is a great kids bed and transforms well into an adolescents captain bed. Which ever childrens bunk bed you buy, ensure it is easy to dismantle and set up, but remains structurally sound. Children are well suited to find the Achilles Heel of everything they own and a well built bed will eliminate many headaches for the parents.

Good luck!

Let’s look at the best prices for cheap bunk beds on the internet. To buy a new bunk bed, the cheapest you are going to find is around $200 with most costing $500 or more. Ikea has a cheap bunk bed called the Mydal which costs $159 for the bed frame only. The Sultan Snarka is an accompanying mattress for this bed, each mattress costing around $35. This would mean a total cost of $230 for a complete set.

Most cheap bunk beds are going to be closer to $500. These will be better quality and probably last longer, and if you can really afford it, it might be worth it. However, if you can’t the Ikea Mydal will last you for a while. If you have some handy skills, cheap Ikea furniture can last with some minor repairs, but these pieces of furniture should be inspected on occasion to ensure that no problems will be caused due to parts becoming loose.

Another good option is to find a quality used one. There are many second hand stores like the Salvation Army which often have furniture. If you have time but not so much money, finding a quality bed in these stores is often possible. Expect to replace the mattress however as these are often worn out being repair. The Ikea mattresses (which are relatively low quality and rather uncomfortable) can provide a place to sleep in a pinch, however if you can afford a bit more, get a better mattress. If you do buy a low quality mattress, you will be able to upgrade with an additional foam or mattress cover which can add a significant amount of comfort at a later date.

There are also sites like Kijiji which is making it much easier to find quality used furniture for reasonable prices. Often times you can get excellent prices simply because the previous owner no longer has room, needs to move, or the children have outgrown the old bed. You’ll even find free stuff being given away if you can pick it up fast. The mattresses may even be salvageable, but expect to at least need new mattresses. If you are on a tight budget, find a bunk bed which may be more then you are willing to spend in the advertisements. Take a look at the bed in person and offer them a little less then you have to spend. Research how to dicker and you will be surprised how good of a deal you can get if you ask for it.

Found on Kijiji for $50.

God knows it is tough to make ends meet and provide everything your children needs as they grow. Almost everywhere you look online will expect that you have loads of disposable cash or are ready to go into debt. I’ve had to go through periods when I was scraping enough together to buy a kid’s bed. If you are on a tight budget, your best bet is to buy it used. The Ikea furniture, although some higher quality are good, their cheap products do not last long. There are lots typically available on buy and sell websites like Kijiji, sometimes even for free. Expect to pay $50 for a good used bed, plus the cost of mattresses.

Good luck and God speed!

Let’s look at a couple of the different designs:

The first of the bunk beds is the classic duel twin and the twin over full size. These are the cheapest models available and do not help much in the maintaining some degree of organization within the bedroom. It is the classic one bed on top of the other with a ladder on the side. I would only recommend this bed if you cannot afford a newer design. With two kids in a room, you will have a difficult time fitting in adequate toy boxes, dressers and desks to keep the toys at bay.

There are a number of bunk beds for kids that have drawers built into the designs. Every aspect of the bunk bed is filled with useful drawers and spaces to put things, be it toys or clothes. The model shown here has drawers built into the stairs up to the upper bunk as well as under the lower bunk. This are great for adding some storage to the room.

There are also many desk attached bunk beds for kids, which is useful for a myriad of activities like playing with lego, coloring, drawing, homework and many others. The new generation is also quite computer literate and having a cheap computer can be beneficial in reducing noise in the rest of the house. This bed has an attached desk as well as a bunk bed with a full size bottom bunk.

The last bed I would like to show is a hidden lower bunk with a computer desk built into it. If you have only one child but have frequent cousins or friends that sleep over, this is a great bed for adding additional sleeping places in your home. There is a ton of drawers and spaces for storage which will allow a lot of additional space within the bedroom for play areas. It is essentially a full dresser and desk built into the bunk which could almost be classified as a captain’s bed. The pull out lower bunk is easy to tuck away when not in use and very convenient for having kids over for sleep overs. It is also a great bed for a teenager as adolescents often like to have their own functional space for alone time.

A bunk bed is a great way to maximize bedroom space and can open up many opportunities for your children or teenager. A bed like that last one is a great kids bed that is easy to transfer as the child becomes an adolescent. Whatever the bunk bed you buy, make sure you get one that is easy to dismantle and set up, but is still structurally sound. Children have a way with finding weaknesses in everything and a well built bed will eliminate many headaches.

Happy hunting!

#1: Are you going to have the bottom bunk convertible into a futon couch?

#2: What sizes will the top and bottom bunk be?

Futon bunk beds are a great choice for kids and teens alike. The nice thing about the futon is that it provides great support for growing people and they are relatively cheap. The convertibility factor of them is pretty handy as well since kids turn into teens and for some reason they just don’t like the same things anymore.

If you look at a model like the one below, it has the ability to transform the lower bunk into a full size futon chair. So, as the kids turn into teens, they will love the ability to turn that over. Video games (should you have it in their room) are also better to play with some back support, or reading a book, doing homework, listening to music, self loathing, whatever it is that teenagers like to do, it gives them the opportunity to do it without having to buy a new bed.

Futon Bunk Bed

The other thing, is that kids typically don’t get the master bedroom. So, to save on space, futon bunk beds are a great addition to their room. It gives them the flexibility to modify the room for “individuality” purposes as well as be functional as well.

Your teen might not like the lion stuffed animal on the bed, or perhaps not even the camouflage. Fortunately, futon covers are also available to modify and customize the futon for pretty cheap.

This bed is great because it allows the bunk bed to grow up with the kids. I call this, a win-win situation because my teen is expensive enough. He eats more than the rest of the family combined and his need to be an individual costs a fortune.

Although my son does not have a futon bunk bed himself, it would have saved me earlier on. I ended up buying a futon couch for his room instead which is working really well.

I highly recommend futons for teenagers in specific. If you can get one when kids are younger, I would strongly encourage that. It’s really been a good choice for us.

Good luck.