7 best kid’s beds to ensure that everyone gets a great night’s sleep

We love the fact these bunk beds give you lots of sleeping options and will see kids through from primary schoolers all the way into adulthood. Made primarily from solid beech hardwood with slatted mattress bases, the bunks are incredibly sturdy when built and a great option for siblings. Our bottom-bunk tester, who shares with a very wriggly top-bunk dweller, was particularly happy that the beds didn’t move about every time she rolled over above him – a complaint with some of the other bunks we tested.

The bunks come with a very solid rollaway storage drawer underneath, which you can either fill with bedding or toys, or use as a sleepover bed if you buy the trundle mattress separately (£146.15, Littlefolksfurniture.co.uk). The whole thing took us about an hour and a half to assemble and we had a lot of fun testing it with all three beds in use for a sleepover.

The bunks, which each take a standard single mattress (you’ll need a high bed safety mattress for the top bunk, which is suitable for age 6+) break down into two adult-size singles, and the simple Nordic-inspired design blends in beautifully to all sorts of interiors. We tested the pure white option, but we were very tempted by the dove grey. It’s a solid, versatile bed that’s built to last – plus, it’s a great price for such a high-quality item that can sleep up to three kids.

Ikea’s reversible kura bed has built up quite a following, to the point that there was a bit of an online panic when it was rumoured that it had been discontinued (it hasn’t). It’s largely down to how easy it is to customise this basic wooden frame with a few power tools and a bit of imagination. Google “Ikea kura bed hacks” and you’ll see what kind of creative things are possible.

Even fresh out of the box without any creative input, this is an all-round excellent bed. It’s reversible in the sense that you can build it low – with the mattress at the bottom for younger children – or flip it round with the mattress in the top position for ages 6+, which creates a den area underneath. We customised ours with some handmade curtains, and our little tester was thrilled with the play area underneath. It also doubles up as storage once your child gets too big to use it as a den. And, crucially, the bed in the top position isn’t annoyingly high when it comes to changing the sheets.

The frame is easy enough to assemble, particularly if you’re familiar with IKEA instructions, and the cube-shaped frame means it’s really sturdy in either position. You can combine it with a kura bed tent (£40, Ikea.com) to create a canopy over the top, or a kura bed curtain (£30, Ikea.com) to make a very cute den underneath. Even with a continental sized mattress factored in, the price is incredibly budget-friendly and the versatility means this will last your child a long time.

We love the look of Feather & Black’s Oliver bed frame, which strikes the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary design. Plus, it went down a treat with our mini tester. Metal with a powder coated matte finish, it’s available in choice of seven bold colours: classic white, industrial black, bronze, navy, ocean green, mauve and our personal favourite, rust, which is actually more of a muted coral.

The frame was incredibly easy to assemble and nice and sturdy, taking us just 30 minutes to put together with nothing but an Allen key. Initially, we did find that the metal bed was a bit creaky but this was quickly rectified by tightening the screws, and it hasn’t made a sound since. We also really like that the height of the bed is adjustable with a choice of two measurements, which means it can grow easily with your child. Even on the lowest setting there’s a decent amount of space underneath for storage, too, and the headboard is great for hanging fairy lights or bunting from if you fancy giving it a decorative twist. While we tried the single size, the Oliver bed also comes in double and king.

It’s hard to find a child who doesn’t enjoy making dens, and our five-year-old tester loved trying out this bed. As well as feeling like a ‘king’ (his words) with his raised bed and great view out of the window, he loved climbing up (and down multiple times!) the ladder.

Available in white and grey, this compact single bed is a great option for those looking to save space, or with a small space to fill, as bedside cabinets, book shelves, storage baskets and toys can be stowed away underneath. We tested this bed with a Dunelm rolled open coil mattress (£99, Dunelm.com) with an open coil spring and quilted top. Combined, the bed and mattress provided plenty of comfort – so much so we found ourselves drifting off while reading bedtime stories.

The bed itself is great quality for the price, especially given it’s made from solid pine wood and is slatted for additional support and comfort for little sleepers. We found it relatively straightforward to construct, taking two adults approximately two hours to put together. Overall, it’s a great offering for the price – particularly if you’re after a stylish space-saving solution made from quality materials for an affordable price.

Our favourite high-sleeper of the bunch has to be the Stompa uno 5. This clever loft bed has a built-in desk and shelves underneath, plus a chair that pulls out into a handy sleepover bed. We found it easy to build in around an hour and a half, although you can also pay an extra £99 to have it assembled. We liked the fact the desk and shelf unit can go on either side of the bed, which meant we could get the right configuration for our room.

It’s quite a climb to the top, so this bed is best for older children – the minimum recommended age on the website is six. Our nine-year-old tester found the flat ladder rungs made getting up and down nice and easy, which is also helpful when changing the sheets. Speaking of which, the bed takes a continental-sized mattress which you’ll need to buy separately – Stompa offers a discounted mattress when you buy it as a package with the bed. Our tester found the Stompa S flex air flow mattresses really comfy.

We tested the bed in white, and liked the fact there are lots of options when it comes to cushion colours. We went for blue but there’s also pink, black, red, grey and aqua, plus a new grey version of the bed with a grey cushion set. Stompa’s range of children’s beds is huge – the uno range alone also includes a mid-sleeper, bunk bed and cabin bed with lots of extra functionality.

If you’re looking for an option for sleepovers but don’t have the space for a trundle bed, this foldaway cushion is a great solution. Our tester found it far more comfortable than the overly squishy blow-up beds we tried, and it functioned as a very pretty pouffe when not in use.

Unfolded, it’s long enough to accommodate an older child or smallish grown-up – perfect if you’re in need of an occasional place to crash next to a poorly child, or a toddler who refuses to nod off unless you’re in the room (we’ve all been there). The mattress itself is foam and wadding, finished in natural linen with a very pretty blanket stitch detail around the edge and buttons that keep it “closed” when it’s folded up.

Bear in mind it’s not particularly easy to clean, so a waterproof sheet might be wise for younger sleepover guests. And if you need something more substantial for older guests, Loaf’s flip-flop floor mattress (Loaf.com, £395) is another great option.

Our seven-year-old tester really liked this playful mid-sleeper bed, which has a little house-style den underneath. It’s the only bed we tested that has the ladder on the end panel, rather than the front, which could come in handy in a long, narrow room. You can position it at either end of the bed depending on the layout of your space.

The MDF bed frame comes with two panels for the ends, and another with a window cut-out for the front. Again, this can be positioned on either side depending on where it works best in your room. You can also build it without the front panel and use the space underneath for storage – another handy feature if you’re tight on space.

It’s recommended for kids aged six and over due to the height and takes a reduced-depth continental mattress on a slatted base. We found it quick and easy to assemble, but you can pay an extra £179 for home assembly by Room To Grow’s partner, Screwdriver, if you don’t fancy tackling it yourself.