Children's beds today are undergoing a huge number of design changes and adaptations for greater convenience. Boxes, sections, sides - all these elements have one goal - the comfort and safety of the child's sleeping place. In this case, the playing space of the room is significantly freed up.
Features:
Standard sizes for baby cots are 140 * 170 or 150 * 80 centimeters. The need to fence a child's sleeping place is necessary, since babies spin a lot in their sleep, and the least that can happen is the loss of a blanket and pillow. Worst of all, the child may end up on the floor and even be injured. Therefore, bumpers for children are more of a necessity than a design excess.
The sides can be:
- Removable - can vary to the required length and be located only in a certain part of the edge of the bed: in the middle, not reaching the middle of the length, angular.
- Fixed - usually low - about 3-5 centimeters from the edge of the bed and are located around the entire perimeter.
Drawers can be located both from the bottom and from the side. They are usually designed to store bedding - blankets, linen, pillows, and baby essentials.
These cribs have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Pros:
- Safety - the child is protected from falls;
- Ergonomics - expanding the playing space, due to the compact arrangement of the boxes;
- Beauty - the design of boxes and sides allows you to hang your favorite toys, stickers and pictures on them;
- Convenience - if a child is suddenly cold, he will not have to run to his parents, but simply look into one of his drawers and get the necessary things.
Minuses:
- Danger of hitting the side;
- A child's hand or leg can get stuck between the slats of the lattice sides;
- A solid side creates a feeling of isolation, which not all children like;
- In the locker, the child can store things that distract from sleep - books, toys, as a result - a long bedtime and lack of sleep.
Materials
The bed can be made of different materials:
- Solid wood - eco-friendly breathable material, takes first place when choosing children's furniture. It retains heat well and is easy to wash. Curious children who check everything for a tooth will not harm it due to its naturalness, unless, of course, it is covered with paints and varnish. The best breeds are alder, birch, maple, beech. But you will have to pay more for high quality.
- Chipboard choose for a low price. But the material contains formaldehyde, the fumes of which have a detrimental effect on the child's body - headaches, shortness of breath, tearfulness and irritation. It is better to ventilate the crib first. For safety and odor protection, the pressed wood is covered with a thin layer of plywood or laminate. They are water-repellent.
- Plastic has a high thermal conductivity. Plastic is harmless only with high quality processing. Therefore, when choosing such a bed, forgive the seller for a quality certificate.
- Iron - the material is rare, but also used. It is easy to attach the sides to it, but this material is not suitable for a child's bed - it is dark and cold and repels and brings the child a feeling of discomfort.
Types of beds and sides on them
1. Single-tier - classic simple bed with built-in sides.
2. Bunk - for two children. In such a bed, the sides can be both for both sleeping places, and only for the upper one, here the side is a prerequisite. This includes pull-out beds. The second berth is located under the main one and rolls out, so a low and safe design is obtained.
3. Loft bed - a comfortable corner for a child. The bed itself is located above the cabinets and the table, which saves space in the room. The sideboard for such a bed is the main component.
4.With boxes - boxes are located under the bed. They can store bedding or children's toys.
5.With a chest of drawers - located on the side and is well suited for teaching a child to order. The chest of drawers can be used to store both baby's clothes and favorite toys.
6. Sliding - “grows” with your child. Despite the high price, this is savings. With this crib, you don't have to purchase multiple beds as your child grows.
Types of sides
In addition to the fact that the sides can be removable and non-removable, they differ in material and design.
Material: wood, plastic, fabric, mesh. Wood and plastic are cooler to the touch, but easy to clean. But the fabric can accumulate dust in itself, which is dangerous for the occurrence of allergies.
When choosing such a side it is important that it is removable and that the fabric cover can be easily removed and washed if necessary.
Design:
- With cartoon characters. Perhaps the children's favorite option is cars, princesses, animals.
- Grilles are a classic option. The lattice can be either transverse or longitudinal. To avoid injury and jamming, it is important to consider that the gap between the slats should be 4-6 centimeters.
- Bumpers in the middle of the length - the side holds the child, you can hang your favorite toys on it, make a fabric shelf-pocket.
- Corner - an option for older children. The child does not feel closed, but at the same time the restraint device performs its function.
Tips for choosing
Having picked up the necessary eco-friendly material, examine the corners of the bed. A child's bed should not have sharp and rigid outlines.
When choosing a side, be guided by the age of the child and their functionality. The older the child is, the lower and simpler the side can be.
The number and location of boxes depends on your desire and need.
Don't forget about the right mattress. Ideally, this is a rigid base without a pillow or with a slight rise made of hypoallergenic materials.
As for the design, it is better to choose a bed that is suitable for the design of the room, because his taste and outlook on life depend on the space in which the baby is. Your child will still be the main choice: no matter how safe and beautiful the bed is for your taste, it may not seem so to him.
Where to place
The location of the crib depends on the size of your nursery and its type. If there is not enough space, then it is better to place the crib against a free wall and purchase it with built-in drawers and a chest of drawers.
Your choice fell on a loft bed - you can place it in the center of the room, but for a nursery with babies it is unsafe, the child can hit it while running.
Do not equip a sleeping place near windows and heating systems. In the first case, the danger of drafts and bright light in the morning will disturb the child's sleep. In the second case, overheating and high temperatures will not allow the child to sleep peacefully, and he will wake up in a depressed mood.
A children's bed with drawers and a side is a safe and ergonomic option for furniture for a nursery. Therefore, more often the choice of parents falls on these models.
We suggest watching the following video, which presents several more options for cribs with drawers.
