Junior Beds

What a junior bed is

A junior bed sits between a toddler bed and a full single, both in size and in how it is used.

• Longer than a toddler bed : it takes a child past the point where a 140 cm frame runs out.

• Lower than an adult bed : still close enough to the floor to get in and out unaided.

• Often with a guard rail : a raised edge on one or both sides for the first year or two.

• A step towards a single : the same shape as a grown-up bed, at a smaller scale.

• Built for wear : a bed at this age gets climbed on as much as slept in.

When to move up

The move is usually prompted by the child rather than by a birthday.

• Feet near the end : the clearest sign the current bed is finished.

• Climbing out easily : a low toddler frame stops containing them.

• Wanting a proper bed : the change often matters to them more than to you.

• A shared room : matching beds for two children is simpler at this size.

What to check

A few measurements decide whether a junior bed is worth the intermediate step.

• Mattress size : check what size the frame takes before buying bedding for it.

• Guard rails : removable ones let the bed grow with the child.

• Height from the floor : low enough that a fall is short, high enough to store underneath.

• How long it will last : some children go straight from a toddler bed to a 90 x 200 single.

Making the room work

The bed is only part of it; the room around it does the rest.

• Storage underneath : a drawer under the bed saves a separate chest.

• A bedside surface : somewhere for a lamp and a glass of water.

• Room to play : at this age the floor matters as much as the bed.

• Bedding they chose : the fastest way to get a child to like a new bed.

Many families skip this size and go straight to a full single. Our single beds run at 90 x 200, and our toddler beds cover the stage before it.