I Tested Every Kids’ Beds at IKEA — Here Are the Ones Actually Worth Buying

While parents get to choose our babies’ cribs to suit our own taste and budget, when it’s time to move to a big-kid bed, we often have one more very opinionated voice to consider. Not that we have to give in and buy them a race-car bed or a four-poster with a fairy-tale-worthy canopy. But if you want your child to sleep well in their own room, it’s a good idea to make it a place they love. When it comes to finding bedroom furniture that’s functional, budget-friendly, and appeals to children, there’s hardly a better place to look than the IKEA kids’ bed section.

I recently spent the day in the IKEA showroom in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, closely examining and testing the brand’s kids’ beds to bring you this installment of Personal Shopper. 

An important note before you keep reading: These beds are all clearly made for children — if you’re considering buying them as guest beds for your own home, keep in mind that the weight limit for all of them is 220 pounds. 

You want your child’s furniture to be safe, comfortable, and practical, but you don’t necessarily need to spend the money you would on adult furniture, as kids grow up and grow out of things faster than you realize. IKEA beds are a great way to strike that balance, while also coming in a variety of sizes and styles to suit both kids’ and parents’ tastes. Of course the Swedish brand is known for its Scandinavian style, but it also makes traditional beds made of solid wood, as well as a steel bed frame with a whimsical design.

One of the ways IKEA is able to make its furniture relatively inexpensive is its famous flat-pack method, meaning it’s up to customers to put almost every single piece together themselves. This can be a burden for some, but it also means these beds are convenient to order online if you don’t live near a good furniture store. It’s also usually not too hard to find someone to assemble the furniture for you on TaskRabbit or Thumbtack, for a small fee.

In lieu of ordering every single IKEA kids’ bed to my own tiny apartment for my son to sleep on (his NORDDAL bunk bed, a discontinued style, is still alive and well), I examined them at my local store — spending so much time there that I was mistaken for an employee. I sat and laid on the beds, attempted to wiggle them with all my might, spoke to some very patient sales clerks, and evaluated each of them based on the following criteria:

• Appearance: I considered each bed’s aesthetic appeal for both kids and adults, and how well it would fit in with other decor styles. I thought about whether a kid would love spending time in it, as well as whether they’d outgrow that style too quickly.
• Size: I looked at whether the bed’s height was suitable for a young child just recently out of their crib or toddler bed. I also thought about whether it would fit a rapidly growing tween or teen.
• Adjustability: Some beds are designed to grow with kids, making it a solid investment for parents. Others are either a little too big for a young child at first or will be too small within a few years.
• Safety, durability, and stability: Beds with built-in or optional railings are great for children just coming out of their cribs. I tried to shake and wiggle the beds to check for instability. I also looked over the material at every angle to see if the model was damaged — keeping in mind that hundreds of people come through that showroom every day, exposing it to much more wear and tear than a typical child’s bed would go through. Finally, I read customer reviews to find any reports of instability or damage.
• Assembly difficulty: I spoke to the store clerks, read through each bed’s instruction manual, and reviewed customer feedback to identify whether the beds are particularly difficult or confusing to put together.
• Storage capacity: I measured under-bed clearance and took into account various options for drawers, shelves, and trundle beds.

I have spent more than five years professionally testing, evaluating, and writing about products for babies and children. I’ve always considered my own experience as a mother, conversations with other parents, and the latest research on child safety — especially where safe sleep is concerned. I was also raised by an interior designer mother, whose discerning voice is still in my head whenever I look at furniture that’s too fussy or cheaply made.

There was a time when my whole apartment looked like an IKEA showroom. My husband and my first adult bed (not counting the futon frame we had for five minutes) was an IKEA model we purchased secondhand, and it lasted us 20 years. Now, it’s just my 13-year-old son’s bedroom that’s all “IKEA-n,” as he once called it, but the three of us still love to visit the Red Hook store just for fun on a rainy Saturday. It was a school day when I tested these beds; otherwise, I would have made him weigh in on them too.

What impressed us: At first glance SLÄKT is a rather plain bed, but it’s a blank slate for both practical needs and a child’s ever-changing tastes. Sure, it only comes in beige or white, but you can accessorize it with a cozy quilted headboard or a gray felt headboard attachment that turns the bed into its own little playhouse. It also goes with all kinds of bedding your kid wants. An optional removable side rail makes this suitable for very young children ready to graduate from a toddler bed. Then there’s everything that can go underneath: matching storage boxes on casters, a trundle bed with drawers, or built-in shelves and drawers (note this latter option is a slightly taller frame). Kids’ rooms need all the storage space you can get, and this bed makes that possible.

Specifications:

• Styles: Frame alone, frame with trundle, frame with built-in drawers; white or Vissle beige
• Materials: Particleboard, fiberboard, plastic edging, honeycomb structure paper filling, acrylic paint, paper foil, layered wood veneer base slats 
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: Standard bed frame: 77 1/8″ (L) x 40 1/2″ (W); headboard height: 30 3/4″; footboard height: 22 1/2″; clearance height under bed: 14 1/8″; frame with built-in drawers: 77 1/8″ (H) x 40 1/2″ (W); headboard height: 35″; footboard height: 28″; recommended mattress size: 74 3/8″ (L) x 38 1/4″ (W)
• Adjustable: No

What impressed us: This bed looks like the stuff of many a childhood fantasy. For children under 6 years old, it’s a low-to-the ground bed they can easily transition to, even as toddlers. The frame up top can be left as-is, or you can purchase a curtain to create a special play space inside. When your kid is 6 years old, you can flip the whole bed over to make it a mini loft (just under 4 feet tall) with an even bigger play/rest/study space underneath. (I love the yellow cheese panel you can buy to decorate that space, too.) The solid pine frame gives reassurance about its durability, while the white panels can either have a clean look or you can embellish them with stickers.

Specifications:

• Styles: Just one option
• Materials: Solid pine, adhesive, clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, solid pine slats
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: 78 3/8″ (L) x 41 3/8″ (W); x 45 5/8″ (H); height under loft bed: 32 5/8″; recommended mattress size: 74 3/8″ (L) x 38″ (W) x 5 1/8″ (maximum thickness)
• Adjustable: Flips from low to loft height

What impressed us: With its curved side panels, this bed will be comforting for little ones making the transition to a big-kid bed (and parents worried about them rolling off). The fact that it extends to a medium, then a standard length means it’s worth the investment to grow with your child. While it’s got a contemporary look, the curves evoke the lines of an old-fashioned sleigh bed, too. Fun fact: Busunge is Swedish for a child prone to mischief. Fortunately with it this low to the ground, they won’t be able to get into much trouble.

Specifications:

• Styles: Just one option
• Materials: Particleboard, fiberboard, acrylic paint, plastic foil, paper foil, solid pine base slats
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: 50 3/8″-78 3/8″ (L) x 42 1/8″ (W); headboard height: 39 3/8″; footboard height: 23 5/8″; clearance height under bed: 5 7/8″; recommended maximum mattress size: 74 3/4″ (L) x 38 1/4″ (W)
• Adjustable: Yes, three available lengths

What impressed us: SUNDVIK is another option to take you from toddler years through elementary school (at least). This is for anyone who wants a more traditional look or who prefers solid wood to plastic and particleboard. Similar to BUSUNGE, it has curved side panels at the head and feet, and although these are lower and less crib-like they should help prevent a new bed user from rolling off. It’s also slightly higher off the ground than BUSUNGE, so it offers a bit more space (just under 8 inches of clearance) to store stuff underneath. It’s available in gray or white — not a huge variety, but the gray may fit better with classic, subdued decor.

Specifications:

• Styles: White or gray
• Materials: Solid pine, stain, clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard, paper foil, layer-glued wood veneer slats with adhesive resin as coating
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: 50″-77 1/2″ (L) x 42 1/2″ (W); headboard height: 31 7/8″; footboard height: 26″; clearance height under bed: 7 7/8″; recommended maximum mattress size; 74 3/4″ (L) x 38 1/4″ (W) 
• Adjustable: Yes, three available lengths

What impressed us: This bed evokes a vintage metal bed frame, but it’s actually more practical than you might assume. The decorative spindles and sunburst side panels are definitely going to thrill some kids — especially because it’s available in pink and gray-blue, in addition to white. I tried to wiggle it quite a bit and found that it’s much sturdier than I imagined a steel bed could be (and when you consider how much wear and tear an IKEA showroom bed can get, that’s saying something). This is also an extendable bed, allowing it to grow with your child, and there’s a nice bit of room underneath it for storage.

Specifications:

• Styles: White, gray-blue, or pink powder-coated steel
• Materials: Steel, epoxy/polyester powder coating, layer-glued wood veneer base slats with adhesive resin as coating
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: 50″-77 1/2″ (L) x 40 1/2″ (W); headboard height: 36 1/4″; footboard height: 28 3/8″; clearance height under bed: 8 5/8″; recommended maximum mattress size: 74 3/4″ (L) x 38 1/4″ (W)
• Adjustable: Adjusts to three different lengths

What impressed us: While there’s nothing particularly exciting about this bed from a kid’s perspective, it’s a solid wood option that they won’t quickly outgrow. I appreciate the fact that it’s made from sustainably sourced pine, beech, and birch, according to the brand, with a pleasant wood-grain texture visible beneath the lacquer. The spindles give it a traditional look without being too fussy or uncomfortable, but you’ll have to accessorize it to make it appeal to a younger child. Matching under-bed storage boxes are a huge plus, too.  

Specifications:

• Styles: Bed frame alone or bed frame with storage boxes
• Materials: Solid pine, adhesive, stain, clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard and acrylic paint bed end), solid birch and beech spindles, solid pine base slats, particleboard and paper foil storage boxes with plastic edging
• Size(s): Twin
• Dimensions: 78″ (L) x 40 1/2″ (W); headboard height: 36 5/8″; footboard height: 26 3/4″; clearance height under bed: 10 1/4″; recommended mattress size: 74 3/8″ (H) x 38 1/4″ (W) 
• Adjustable: No

What impressed us: This adorable piece is an extremely well-priced option for a first bed, a shared bedroom, or a guest room for visiting (small) kids. The frame is made of solid beech, with the clean lines of the Scandinavian design that made IKEA’s name. The side rail can go on either side of the bed or be removed, but that’s the extent of this bed’s ability to grow with a child, as it doesn’t extend beyond the junior 65-inch length. Despite its size, it does hold up to 220 pounds, so you don’t have to worry about sitting down on it for bedtime stories and snuggles.

Specifications:

• Styles: Just one option
• Materials: Solid beech frame, fiberboard with paper foil headboard and footbed filling, acrylic paint, beech veneer and birch veneer base slats with adhesive resin as coating
• Size(s): Junior 
• Dimensions: 65″ (L) x 30 3/8″ (W); headboard height: 22 1/2″; footboard height: 14 1/8″; clearance height under bed: 8 5/8″; recommended mattress size: 63″ (L) x 27 1/2″ (W) 
• Adjustable: No