What is a High Sleeper Bed? Pros and Cons Explained

As children grow, the furniture in their bedroom also needs to be updated. You need to plan for a desk, wardrobe, chest of drawers, toy storage, and of course their bed.

If your children’s bedroom is small and doesn’t have room for all of this, then a great solution would be to get a high sleeper bed.

What is a high sleeper?

High sleeper beds or loft beds are multifunctional pieces of furniture, which allow you to maximise the space you have in your kid’s room. High sleepers come with a high-placed bed at the top, which leaves the space underneath free for a desk, cabinet, or wardrobe for example. Others have open space on the underside, giving you the freedom to use that space for whatever you see fit.

High sleepers are made with small bedrooms in mind, and offer a lot of perks when it comes to their space-saving capabilities and versatility. Many high sleepers come with an organisation set and have a desk included, allowing for a cozy workspace in addition to a comfortable bed.

Now look at some of the pros and cons to owning a high sleeper bed:

Pros:

• Frees up a lot of space in the room.
• You can use the space under the bed for storage
• Or you can place a desk under and create a workstation.
• Your kid’s bedroom will look bigger.
• Kids find high sleeper beds cool and love sleeping there.

Cons:

• Harder to change the bedding.
• Kids age 6 and up can use a high sleeper due to safety reasons.
• The bed is close to the ceiling and may feel claustrophobic.

What age are high sleeper beds for?

High sleeper beds are best for younger individuals, including children over the age of 6 and teens. This way they can safely climb up and down the ladder and will be more careful when playing and sleeping there.

Children who are younger than 6 years, may have difficulty getting up and down the ladder. This is especially true if it’s late at night and they’ve suddenly woken up and want to use the bathroom, or they’ve dreamed a nightmare and want to go to their parent’s bedroom. It’s best to have your child turn 6 years old and then move them to a high sleeper, in order to avoid any accidental injuries or falls.

How high is a high sleeper bed?

High sleeper beds are usually 140cm-180cm high, however you need to check the exact dimensions with the manufacturer. Once you’ve checked the dimensions, measure how high your ceiling is. This way you can determine how much head room there is on the top bunk. Ideally you want your child to sit up straight and not have his or her head bumped on the ceiling.

Image credit: Noa and Nani

Here you can see the Una High sleeper Cabin Bed, by Noa and Nani. The height from the floor to the top of the siderail is 180cm high. Here the mattress shouldn’t be more than 13cm thick.

There is an approximately 144cm clearance from the floor to the underside of the bed. So if your child is below that height, he or she can sit up straight without bumping their head.

An alternative to a high sleeper would be a mid-sleeper or a cabin bed. They are usually only 90 high and have a one or two step ladder. They also have a large free space underneath, which can be used as a play area or to have a pull-out desk for studying.

Can you put a bed under a high sleeper?

Depending on the model of high sleeper you purchase, you may be able to place a bed underneath. High sleepers with space underneath that isn’t already being used for storage and organization, such as a built-in closet, can easily be designated to another bed.

This is perfect for when your child is having a sleepover and needs space for someone else to sleep. Given how high up high sleepers are, another person can easily sleep underneath without having to worry about hitting their head on the underside of the top bed.

Can adults use a high sleeper bed?

High sleeper (loft beds) are designed and safe for kids to use, but if an adult wants to sleep there, you’ll need to check a few things. You will need to check what is the maximum weight limit allowed on the bed. Keep in mind that it also includes the weight of the mattress.

For example, some retailers may say that the “maximum user weight is 100kg” and that it’s  “suitable for adult use”. So as long as the adult sleeping there doesn’t exceed 100kg (including the mattress), then it’s safe for him or her to sleep there.

As you know a high sleeper bed fits a UK single size mattress (90cm wide x 190cm long). If an adult is planning on sleeping there, you may want to get a double size loft bed. It will measure 120cm wide x 190cm long if it’s small double, or 135cm wide x 190cm long if it’s a double size.