Metal vs Wood bunk beds

HonesttoGod

Mon, Oct 02 2017, 11:29 am

amother wrote:

Absolutely! Our table, chairs, crib, and bookcases are all from Ikea. But the one bunk bed model we saw on display didn't seem especially sturdy, and most of the twin beds were very wobbly.

of course the display won't be sturdy do you think when they set up the furniture they sit and tighten each and every screw properly? It is display. Not for sleeping and jumping yet kids and people in the showroom do it anyway. 100s of people a day. So of course it won't feel sturdy LOL

I have this one
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....2451/

Took my husband a while to put it togther but its great, my kids love it and I have slept on it too - no issues with it.

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Oct 02 2017, 11:34 am

HonesttoGod wrote:

I have this one
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....2451/

Took my husband a while to put it togther but its great, my kids love it and I have slept on it too - no issues with it.

Of course I look at the ones in the store! My kids are going to be climbing and playing on them, and for more than the year or two that they keep the models on display. I hadn't thought about the fact that they might not tighten screws, though- the other furniture we have does feel sturdy in-store, and the sofas feel sturdy (though the cushions tend to be saggy) though people and kids are definitely sitting and climbing on those. Asking for real, no sarcasm whatsoever- you think they really don't tighten the screws properly on the display beds as opposed to other furniture?

ETA- that bed does look better than most of their twins, but I'd personally be wary. My kids are a bunch of little monkeys when it comes to anything that can be climbed...

seeker

Mon, Oct 02 2017, 12:12 pm

I would assume that they do their absolute best on the display models precisely because they will see a lot of use specifically by people checking out their quality.

Someone in my neighborhood is selling a supposedly slightly used Ikea metal one for $60. I'm considering taking it and if we don't end up loving it then for $60 I can consider it a learning experience. It's the $150 ish one that we liked ok in the store. (There's a cheaper one that I didn't love)

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Oct 03 2017, 8:52 am

We bought the cheapest white wood one from Walmart.com. Saw it at someone else's house and liked it. I think it was $100. We've had it for about a year. It's sturdy enough- if you shake it, the whole thing shakes, no wobbling or movement or creaking in any of the individual joints. A couple of scratches in the white wood finish but otherwise looks brand new. Ladder is very comfortable to climb with flat smooth planks.
Agree with Ruchel that metal is really for camp or dorm. And ladder is painful barefoot!
I grew up in a Katz and the Cradle Formica type bunk bed that my parents still have in mint condition. So I think you can't go wrong either way.
Then again, I would not have bought a used Walmart type. I would be afraid of unknown wear and tear to the piece. In my house, I know how hard or light my kids are on their stuff. And for that price I wouldn't make myself crazy to save the few bucks. But I guess if my parents were selling theirs used now, it might be stronger than mine brand new.

HonesttoGod

Tue, Oct 03 2017, 8:55 am

amother wrote:

I can't imagine they do but then on the flipside like seeker said maybe they do it extra well but again the amount of usage these things get they'll never feel sturdy.

My kids are real monkeys I can count on my hand the amount of times they have used to actual ladder to get to the top bed. They jump climb swing, the works. My husband regular hops onto the top bunk to sit with my kid there and the bed barely shakes when he does.

seeker

Tue, Oct 03 2017, 9:50 am

On Ikea's website I'm not seeing info regarding weight limits. Does anyone know that information or how to find it? Looking at the $170 metal one that the person in my neighborhood is selling. I'm not into the uncomfortable metal rung idea and wonder if it can be hacked, but I think it's my best bet being that it's local, seems to be in good condition, I felt it to be solid in the store, so it seems like a better bet than a cheap Walmart attempt (though it's nice to hear that went well for amother)

Next question is where to buy mattress. Product page says needs to be under 5 1/8" to leave enough room for the rails on top. My mattress from previous bed is 7", so is that ok for the bottom which doesn't have rails? And any advice where to get a comfortable 5" one for the top? Back to Ikea?

amother

Powderblue

Tue, Oct 03 2017, 11:20 am

seeker wrote:

I think our mattress (Ikea) is about that thin- I can check the model/thickness after YT if you like. It's less than a year old, though it does have a toddler climbing and jumping in it nearly daily since I put one kid to nap in there to separate them from siblings who aren't (supposed to be) sleeping.

HonesttoGod, it sounds like it must be better than I gauged it to be- it was a couple of years ago that we looked at it and I just figured with the ladder sealed off there was no way to tell how it would hold up to kids' shenanigans. I'd say I might go for it in future except that we since found a local carpentry that I like that isn't crazy-expensive.

seeker

Tue, Oct 03 2017, 7:28 pm

Yes, I know Ikea sells mattresses that are the correct thickness, I was just wondering whether anyone has personal recommendations of either those or others.

I bought the Ikea metal one from the person in what turned out to not be that close to my neighborhood, and assembled it tonight with quite a lot of help from a friend. It feels extremely solid, not one bit of wiggle, and it's heavy enough that it is definitely not going anywhere. My kids are generally not wild but this will handle whatever they can put it through. Now I just need to quell my anxieties about them getting on and off safely. And get a top mattress.