We were going to do a custom built-in loft bed for our daughter's room. We got as far as sketching out the design and determining the supplies and materials we'd need, but we decided that at 3 she might jump or fall off the top of the bed. If your child is under the age of 5 or 6, I'd probably stay away from a loft bed. In fact, bunk beds generally are not recommended for children under 6 because young children can fall off the top bunk or off the ladder.

In my humble opinion, a loft would stand the test of time for a child if it had ample built in storage that would work for a younger or an older child, and if the area underneath the loft could later fit a computer desk or perhaps a comfy seating area for lounging with friends and playing video games. In addition, the upper portion of the loft would need to have a light source for reading in bed and some sort of small storage space for an alarm clock, a book, etc.

I am really wanting to build one for my 6 year old daughter. Does anyone have any feedback that actually has one for their kiddo? I am concerned about her getting up in the middle of the night if she has to use the restroom, or has a bad dream. We had bunk beds when I was a kid and we never got hurt, but I'm still a little wary.

I think the appropriateness of loft beds depends on the kid and the family. A child I know, who will remain nameless, jumped off one on a dare and broke both her ankles. It wasn't her bed, it was at a friend's house. Luckily, her mom isn't the litigious type.

I had bunk beds as a kid too, and we never got hurt, but they seem lower in my memory than most of these beds. I was the lower bunk, as the younger sister, but I remember my older sister couldn't touch the ceiling from hers, when lying down.

oh i love this idea. i like the play area open for when they are little. i would definatly make it into a work space for later.

alicia13z , let them spread there wings a little, perhaps starting with a bunk bed? :) small stairs/steps might be easier or even a little slide.

My dad made a built in loft for me that is very similar to the one pictured. I loved it. It was a little bit of a pain to make up, but not as bad as a bunk bead, since there was a platform to sit on. We took it down at some point when I was in high school, so even a built in feature can be removed or reworked. Of course, my dad is the type to move a window if he decides it needs to be 6 inches to the right. I would not recommend this type of bed for a very young child, though. They would need to be able to climb the ladder by themselves if they were sick or frightened. Oh, and don't foret to include a lamp they can reach from the loft.

thanks jackied...a slide sounds fun. I think we might even have enough room.

I wonder if there would be a way to safely run rope light down a permanent loft ladder. It would light the way down from the ladder, make a great but subtle night light and look really cool. You could also paint the ladder in glow in the dark paint.

I love loft beds. Unfortunately my three year old is a very restless sleeper and still seems to fall out of every bed without rails (and some with). I would really worry about the height of this. Maybe it will get better when he gets older? Otherwise I would totally need to cage it in..haha!