Despite already having a full-sized bed, my son really wanted a bunk bed. We bought one off Craigslist, which was really great...more a loft bed, with desk area, closet, and a trundle bed underneath. He loved it, his baby sister insisted on sleeping on the trundle bed...but after a few weeks, he was so over it.

It was very difficult for him to make his bed (he's very into keeping his room neat & tidy) it was difficult for me to tuck him in (with lots of hugs & kisses because, that's what we do!) and worst of all, it was impossible for us to all snuggle up together for our usual bed-time story.

He asked us if he could go back to his 'big bed' (which, thank goodness, we'd kept in the garage 'just in case') and we sold the bunk-bed (at a small profit!) on Craigslist.

I've never been so happy to say goodbye to a piece of furniture; now we've upgraded him to a queen-size bed (he's very tall for a 9-year old) with big-boy dresser & nightstand.

So for us...bunk-beds? good in theory, in practice, fail.

As the oldest of 7 kids, I can assure you my parents felt bunk beds were worth it! My 2 brothers had one set (and were still using them during home visits through college years -- and both are over 6 feet) and three of my sisters shared a room with a bunk bed set that included a third trundle bed. Several of my nieces and nephews have also done bunk beds for most of their childhoods and survived.

Of course today, most houses are huge, and many children are a bit more spoiled.

I don't have kids that use bunk beds, but shared one with my sister growing up.

As for the fighting, designate a bunk to someone. I was always on top being the oldest and it very quickly became "my" bunk and became *very* annoyed if she got on it without warning me first, lol. I did trip on the ladder on occasion, but it was nothing major. At most maybe a bruise or something.

My boyfriend shared a room with his brother until they left for college. The same bunk beds from 5-20, and now if they need to stay at home. Just make sure it's sturdy enough to last.

I was looking into buying a bunk bed with an desk space on the bottom so I could use my spare room as a guest room and office. Win/win, right? But all the beds that were designed like this were too tall. The top bunk gave only about 7 inches clearance to get out of bed. The bottom was perfect but who wants to sleep with the ceiling so close to your face? Plus, they are a bear to make as the MADAME SUGGIA has already mentioned. If you have the space, I would get single beds or a bed with a trundel. Much easier to make. I had one for a while in my livingroom when I was renting. I had a cover made to fit it to look more like a sofa than a bed but it is deep so you are sitting with your legs on the 'bed'. Whatever you decide, I hope it works for you.

My college dorm rooms (back in the day) had bunkbeds that could be disassembled and become a pair of twin beds, so you had options. I knew someone who hacked the bottom bedframe to remove the spring and mattress and created his own loft setup before I ever saw them commercially available. I, myself, turned the bottom bunk upside down and used the taller bedposts( that were intended to support the top bunk high enough) to create a trundle bed by pushing the upper bunk under at right angles to the taller bed.

If you could find bunkbeds assembled this way, you have at least three options. Maybe even four, if you got one of those foam bridge fillers that convert twin beds into a king.

We have very small bedrooms in our house (about 9 ft. by 10 ft.) so for us bunkbeds have been the only way to go. I have a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old that use them. Fighting over bunks has never been a problem--I just tell my 4-year-old that he's too little. (Recommended age for top bunk is age 6.) The lower bunk has its advantages, anyway, with its "clubhouse" type of feel. The bunkbeds we bought were from momsbunkhouse.com and I love them--mission style solid wood, and they were $300. They're incredibly sturdy for my boys.

@Taurean OMG that's so cute! When my sister warned me first (read my above comment, haha), she's come and sleep in my bunk too.

My bedroom growing up was the size of a walk-in closet, which I shared with my sister. Our bunk bed was not optional - it was the only thing that could fit in the room. We used it until we left for college.

We have 2 small rooms for our 2 small girls. We got the bunk bed, and now they sleep in one room and play in the other. The 3 and 6 yr olds were fine going up and down, but only the 6 year old stays up there to sleep. The 3 yr old, when 4, slipped once and barely got hurt, it was more terrifying than physical pain. She's much more careful now. They are now 8 and almost 5 and they love being in the same room. Some nights they keep each other up, and other nights they are more comforted being in the room together. As time goes on they sleep more nights than keep each other up. The only one that wakes up early is when they come in to our room and yell at the top of their lungs to show me something, "Dad look I have five fingers!, On each hand!"

My sister and I had bunk beds when we were kids, and now my nephews are using them. I highly recommend doing what my wise parents did, and purchase bunk beds that can be disassembled to make two separate twin beds (basically, a set of stackable twin beds). That way, if/when the kids get sick of using them as bunk beds, they can each have a separate bed with no additional expenditure or hassle.

I slept on the top bed from age 5 to 12, one a lot like the one pictured in the article. It was the only possible solution back then, with my sister and I sharing a room. My thoughts:

Pros: really saves space and gives some privacy, great at night when I'd read into the wee hours and my sister would sleep. It's really makes the most vertical storage (the room literally grows up), and each sister had a little "own" space - our parents allowed us to hang drawings and things on the wall surrounding the bed, and I had my very own bookshelf--- so adult! Also, the height distance between both beds was large enough to accomodate an adult sitting, and instead of a trundle bed we had two drawers with shoes and bedding. As a sleeping arrangement for two kids, it was great.

Also, I became an expert climber and never used the ladder, and never had any issues going to the bathroom at night.

Cons: both beds were pretty difficult to tide and the shelves above the top bed were always collecting dust alarmingly fast. Also, we had two accidents with that bed: once the retaining bar fell without warning and (I think) it hit my sister, and another time I fell off (retaining bar included) and landed headfirst on my sister's mary janes buckles. I got a slight concussion and a neat scar over my left eye - for which I'm thankful, considering I could have lost the eye completely.

So my suggestions if you're thinking about getting bunkbeds:

1. figure out a very simple bedding system. Maybe just a down sheet, a comforter over it and good pajamas, or something of the like.

2. figure out a simple cleaning routine for all those high shelves (because you don't want those monster sized dust bunnies falling on your bed, do you?)

3. make sure it's in good condition and service it often (you know, if it cracks... maybe you need to repair it or change one piece, or maybe anchor it to the wall, or something like it).

Just that. After I fell I went back to sleep on the top bed (where else?), and I think I overcame a fear before it had time to root.

My sister and I had bunk beds as kids. Our room was large enough for twin beds, but we wanted bunk beds. My mom, fortunately, had the foresight to purchase bunk beds that separated into twin beds. We alternated who was on top, and were able to take them apart into twin beds when we didn't want bunk beds. Worked well for us.

Due to limited space in the home I live in now with my husband and son, we will probably eventually have to make use of bunk beds. I really love the Kura bed from IKEA, as it is a low loft/bunk -- we have angled ceilings on the second floor of our house, so the low height is a plus. I have seen the bed used as a bunk with a mattress set on the floor under the lofted bed.

I'm not the hugest fan but they are incredibly practical, especially for us. We have a bunk bed with a trundle underneath for three kids. It was truly the only practical option for us. My girls love them but I hate how awfully hard it is to make the beds! Yuck.

My kids loved theirs. Twice a year they switched between upper and lower. Be sure to get beds that come apart to be used separately later.

Bunk beds are great. My sister and I had bunk beds growing up. The older one always gets the top (or gets to pick). When we did get our own rooms, the bunk beds became two twin beds. They lasted forever!
It's pretty hard to fall out of bed with the new style of railings. Ours had a piece of wood that rested on the edge. I did fall out once, but only once.
Bunk beds are like having a tree house in your room. So fun! And you can make blanket forts. Great for sleepovers. I loved it when my mom would have to climb the ladder to kiss me goodnight.
I'm getting nostalgic now!

I slept in a bunk bed from the time my sister was born till I went off to college, where, of course, I slept in more bunk beds. I slept on the top bunk at home and at school, and I don't think I ever fell out while sleeping (when I was little I climbed up the end so I could reach the ceiling fan pull, bonked myself on the head with the fan and fell. So I wouldn't recommend fans in bunk bed rooms). I shared a room with both of my sisters all of my life, and it made the college transition extremely easy. All of a sudden I only had one roomie! We had two bunk beds in our room in HS, one with two beds, and one with a top bunk over a futon. It worked wonderfully for us, and I'm sure I'll use bunk beds for my own kiddos someday.

We had bunk beds when I was a kid, we loved them, because it gave us more space to play in our bedroom. I did fall out of the top bunk once, but it's a short fall, and I wasn't injured, and I never did it again!

I am planning on getting my kids Maxtrix beds. As they are still quite young (3 & 1), I am going to start with one bed, and add the other later to make "low" bunks, quite likely also installing safety rails on the bottom one for the youngest. We checked them out in store (and will order them from a local dealer - actually cheaper!) and they are extremely sturdy. I don't buy kids needing big huge beds. Dorm beds are twin XL and they can get that length in college. In my house, they will have twin beds.When we move from toddler bed/crib to bigger beds, I plan on upgrading my clouds & stars crib sheets for the twin ones. I LOVE THESE SHEETS. I am under 5 feet tall and they make changing the stupid crib sheets a snap.

If in the future we live in a place where the kids can have their own rooms (they are opposite gender), that's great, we'll separate the beds, get the lofting equipment, and they can have play area or desks underneath.

My son just got the firetruck bunkbed my carpenter father built for my brothers when they were 2 and 4...they are 38 and 40 now! It has been great for opening up floor space and he and his friends think its a playhouse so no need to buy one of those! Also, it has a toy box in the "engine" which increases its functionality even more. Will he grow out of the firetruck theme...of course, but for now it is totally worth it.

@Shelbo, I think we wouldn't have had any accidents if we'd had a different style of bed. I would consider getting one for my children seriously (so far I only have one), but I'd really check first for my points.

My girls, 3 and 7, asked for bunkbeds a few months ago and since I was looking for a way to make room for a piano, this seemed like a good way to gain some floor space. So far, so good. No one has fallen out, there has been no fighting over top and bottom bunk (big girl gets the top, little one stays below), and it is amazing how much more room we have now, with one bed out of the way.
Its true that bunkbeds- especially the top one- can be impossible to make. Our solution was to cut a twin comforter to the EXACT width of the mattress, then we took the twin duvet covers and basically sewed a pocket in them, the exact width of the bed and the newly cropped comforter. The edges of the duvet are just double layers of cotten fabric so they can be tucked in easily and this way the comforter stays in place and the kids can make their beds by just smoothing everything down. Sometimes I come and do a bit of extra tucking when I want things to look especially nice but otherwise, I find that this has been the perfect solution for us. You do need a sewing machine but not much skill, since you are just sewing straight lines.

I grew up with bunk beds. I shared a room with my brother and we just switched beds when the sheets were changed. There was no fighting over who got the top bunk. I now have similar bunk beds (my dad made them!) for two of my children. My boys share a room. They are too young now (5 and 3) so the beds are set up as separate twins. As soon as they are old enough and won't trapeze off the beds I'll set them up as bunk beds. Besides being a great small space solution for a shared room, they make some incredible forts!!!

I shared a room with my older sister when I was a kid, and bunk beds seemed to work out well for us. Being the younger sibling, I ended up on the bottom bunk, which I was bummed about at first, but I ended up really loving my designated spot down below. I always thought of it as my own cozy little nook or hideout. It also gave us a lot of extra space to play.

Notice how everyone says 'oldest on top, youngest below'. Generally, younger kids already are in an inferior role in most families, bunk beds carve it in stone. It may be subtle, but it's not imaginary. Our kid room is very small, but I'm immovable on the bunk beds. No way.

My younger sister and I shared bunk beds as kids (my older sister had her own room), I was afraid of the top bunch (spiders, falling, sleep walking) and liked the cocoon feel of the bottom bunk. I would hang curtains around the sides of the bed and it was my own personal retreat.

I wanted a double loft so that both of my boys could sleep near the ceiling and have room to play below, but someone gave us bunk beds and they are totally worth it. my youngest still sleeps with me, but the older one LOVE LOVE LOVES the top bunk and has had no problem with falling out .

My mom shared a bunk bed with her older sister when she was a kid, which is probably why my sister and I *didn't* have them. Biggest complaint: in the summer, my aunt kicked my mom to the upper bunk and in the fall the aunt switched again. So my mom was always either freezing or hot. These things are probably easily solvable today with the right heating/AC system. But they never worried about safety. I've never heard of a kid being hurt on a bunkbed. Oh sure, there are probably all kinds of stories about what can happen if you fall out. But in all my decades of being alive and knowing countless families who have had bunks, I have never heard of a single safety incident. Parents these days worry too much about stuff our parents never worried about. I still have one kid at home but if I had two who were the same sex and only a few years apart and limited room, they'd be in bunks, no doubt about it.

There is no worse task in the world than changing the sheet on the top bunk. Absolute torture!

Get a foam mattress for the top and you'll have an easier time.

My sister and I had bunk beds - we traded off on who got the top bunk on a semi-monthly basis. That way it was more "fair". The beds separated into twin beds so when we moved to a bigger home where we each had our own room, my parents didn't need to buy new beds.

We had them as kids without fighting over the bunks or growing out of them. However, when I was 8, I fell when climbing into the top bunk and got a compound fracture in my arm that necessitated several surgeries to fully repair. I'm not a fan.

We had 2 sets of bunk beds as kids. When we were little, my sis & I loved to play under it and make forts (it was the L shaped kind). My 2 younger sisters shared a room when they were a little older and had bunk beds that could be separated to make normal twin beds which is what I'd recommend. Over the years, they changed the beds from bunks to twins several times. I think if the kids will share rooms, it's a good investment. And no one ever fell off our bunk beds.

I just replaced the bunk beds in my son's room with a regular twin bed and I was glad to see it go. My biggest pet peeve was the difficulty in making the top bed and keeping it neat. Drove me nuts! Also, no one wanted to sleep on the bottom bunk. My son is an only child, so we got the bunk beds for sleepovers, but it usually ended up with both kids in the top bunk.

Used bunk beds are usually very easy to find on Craigslist. I recommend checking that out. Ours were used Ikea (the Kura bed), so I didn't feel too bad passing them on after a few years.

I grew up with bunk beds, and now use those same ones for my 5 year old daughter. They are extremely well built and are still in excellent shape. Our bunk bed separate into two twin beds so I love having the option of switching the room around whenever I want. I would definitely recommend getting bunk beds that can be twin beds. So far my daughter sleeps on the bottom bunk but in a year or two she'll may start sleeping on the top. She would really love to now, but we've taken the ladder off so she can't climb up. Although I didn't pay for our bunk beds I definitely would have. They're so well built and very versatile.

My sister and I slept in bunk beds made by our grandfather, until we got sick of sharing and my sister demanded that the study become her bedroom. There would have been barely any floorspace in our room without bunks, but the ceiling was very high, so it worked well. I had the top (being the eldest); never fell out, never fell down the ladder - although I did have the occasional dream about falling out of bed. Generally kids are very co-ordinated and the ladder shouldn't be dangerous at all.

My 8-year-old's bedroom is 7 x 9, so he has a loft bed, with the same advantages and disadvantages as bunks. I'm not a big fan--it's annoying to climb in and out of it during bedtime (up to read, down to let the cat out, back up to read, down to answer the phone, up to read some more, down to get a glass of water....ad nauseum). However, it's really the only thing that makes sense in a room that size.

I slept on the bottom bunk for 2 years during college. I preferred the bottom--too hot on the top, IMO.

You can always get bunk-beds that come apart into two separate beds.

LIZ30 described my childhood bunkbed situation to a T. I don't remember anyone falling off nor there ever being a guardrail but that was over 25 yrs ago when I was btwn 11 and 13. However, I did manage to lift the top mattress and platform off with my feet while my sister was lying on top leaving me sandwiched underneath. Oddly, I remember laughing as I layed their trapped and recall this event fondly but I'm sure my mom (who came to my rescue) feels differently about it. Today's bunkbeds have guarded against this from happening, I'm sure. I do own one now but it's currently in the guest room for several reasons. My boys who are 6 and 4 1/2 are still too young for the top bunk. The bottom bunk has a wall and bookshelf which has a couple of drawbacks. It's a pain changing the bottom sheets as I have to lift the (double) mattress out to tuck them in. Also my first born would bonk his head on the shelf while shifting in his sleep causing him to wake up several times a night. I wished I had bought one that you could make two separate twin beds out of, in retrospect and skipped the fancy storage.

Oldest on top, youngest on bottom... mmmh... my sister was only 3 so it made sense she slept there. A former boyfriend was a middle child and with the oldest had sent the youngest up and kept the lower beds for themselves, so I guess it is a power play and it doesn't always translate the same way.

my daughters - 4 and 7, share a fairly small bedroom, so bunk beds are a necessity for us. They love them, and there is no fighting about who sleeps where. I keep a small step-stool in the room to stand on to say good-night to the top bunk daughter.

My brother had a bunk bed with both a ladder AND a slide on it growing up, which was AWESOME, although like the minute he hit middle-school the slide portion was banished to the attic. I like the idea of testing one out off of craigslist, especially if you might consider upsizing homes at some point and wouldn't end up necessarily keeping it.

The best way to keep kids from fighting over the top bunk is to get creative! My mom let me put up sheets that turned the bottom bunk into an awesome private fort whenever I wanted. I thought it was the bees knees, and it was the best way to share a bedroom with a sibling ever. It's such a wonderful experience.

We are a family of 6 in a three bedroom house, so space is limited. My younger daughters have bunk beds in their room, while my older daughters do not. Their rooms about the same size, but there is just so much more space with the bunk beds. The older girls actually spend more time in their younger sisters' room because there is more room to spread out. It is definitely difficult to make up the top bunk, though.

I dont agree with the pp who said the younger child takes second place and bunks cement that. I'd rather the bottom bunk to be honest, but I am the youngest and did have a bottom bunk. We had them set up in a L shape with a cubby made of cloth in the void which I *loved* I think fondly of our bunks and am currently coveting the Oeuf Perch bunks for my own kids, currently a little too young at 1 & 3.

I remember falling out of the top bunk and cracking my head on the cement floor more than once as a kid.

I'm an only child but had bunk beds because I was always having sleepovers with girls in the neighborhood, and I LOVED IT. I had it until the last semester of senior year of high school! Of course by then I was really ready for my full sized bed, but it was so awesome as a kid. I would definitely get one for my kids! It also had built-in shelves on both levels which was awesome for storage. My room wasn't small at all, but it still worked really well for me and our needs.

Oh and I got it when I was 6 but never fell off or slipped on the ladder, I should add.

my girls (ages 3 & 6) just got a bunk bed. Their room is small so this freed up some play space. We put a little extra money into it and purchased ours from Room and Board. The bunk bed splits into two separate beds should we have a house that gives the girls their own rooms. The beds become pretty timeless looking twins that are great for any age.

My boys(almost 10 and 7) have been using a bunk bed for awhile now. At first the oldest was on top but they ended up switching. They each have the walls around their bed decorated with their own personal stuff and they love it. They are boys and very rough and tumble so there is a fair amount of jumping from the ladder to the sofa but no one has gotten hurt yet(knock on wood).

As SherryBinNH mentioned, if you can get a set that reconfigures from twins to bunk to trundle, that would give you lots of choices.

In our youth, my sister and I shared such a set and we used all three configurations. We both grew up to be fine, upstanding citizens with only a few places on our heads where you could tell that the springs from the upper bunk pulled out tufts of hair when we were trying to stand on the lower bunk.

We also have the Ikea Kura bed for our 3 and 6-year-old daughters. They love it and we love the low height of the top bunk -- perfect for chatting with our big girl at bedtime and kissing her goodnight. The lower bunk being on the floor meant we could move our little one into it when she was 2 without fear of her falling out. For story time, we all crowd into the bottom bunk or sit in the playroom. (We have 2 kids' bedrooms but opted to have the girls share both -- 1 room for sleeping and the other for playing. The bunkbed means the smaller room can be their bedroom and the larger room can be all about playing. Works nicely -- the girls love sleeping in the same room and have plenty of room to play inside on bad weather days.) The little one likes to play on the top bunk with her sister but has never asked to switch for sleeping. They're accustomed to their assigned bunks and prefer to stay put.

We have an Ikea Kura bed in our 7 yr old's room. The lower bunk is meant for sleepover guests, and his 3 yr old sister has her own room. Last weekend we had company, so little sis bunked with big brother. They enjoyed it so much that they're still in there, with no talk about when she'll go back to her own bed. I doubt it'll last too much longer, but it's nice to think about taking the 3rd bedroom and making it a play room/library. Hmm...

I thought long & hard about this when buying the "big bed" for our older son (now 4). I chose Room & Board's Riley twin as it can convert to a bunk or continue to be a simple beautiful twin bed that everyone (um, me) will be happy to have in our home 30 years from now. We'll buy the second twin when the younger is ready for a bed, have them as twins until they're ready for the beds to be stacked as bunks. It was a huge investment, but went with it for the versatility and quality. Now I look at Craigslist for the second bed as R&B has been making the Riley for 10+ years.

I bought bunk beds with a built in dresser on one end and a desk on the other from my older brother when his children out grew it. He is 6ft tall and so is his wife which means tall children at a young age. My family on the other hand is on the shorter side and my kids will probably be able to use it much longer. It's my son's bed but the best part for us is when we have guests. My daughter thinks it's great to sleep on the bottom bunk which leaves an emty room for out of town guest. It's been great for our family and will see many more years of use. I would recommend buying one used if possible. One other bonus the beds sit purpendicular to each other and I made an old sheet into a curtin just the right size for the bottom opening and my kiddos have a fort! They have spent more hours playing on the bottom bunk than they have sleeping on it!

We found a full-over-full bunk bed on craigslist. It was pricey but totally worth it - I do not understand why the previous owner was getting rid of it. You aren't going to "out grow" this - it converts to 2 freestanding full sized beds. It has steel pegs to anchor the upper to the lower and finials to cover the holes when beds are separated.

Best of all worlds - 2 beds without giving up floor space, can accommodate guests easily, and will grow with the kids.

In 2 years, the kids have used it as bunk beds. They easily doubled up when the guests came to town (depending on the couple, we give up our room and bunk with the kids). Then, we had an intern live with us for 1yr so I gave up my home office and we separated the beds -- my younger one was still small enough to fit, barely, in a toddler bed that we got for $15 on craigslist. The intern has left, they are bunked again and I have my office back.

I would like to add, I much prefer when my children are in bunk beds (we only have 2 bedrooms so they have to share) over non-bunked beds. They seem to feel like they have their own space -- they upper one is high enough that it has some privacy and the lower one can, and often does, have blanket walls. But more importantly, they are far less likely to keep each other up talking (or poking each other) because they can't see each other.

As an only child, I still had bunk beds growing up, though the bottom bed was convertible from a couch to a second bed for sleepovers - my cousins came to stay a lot! I loved it - it made a special area just for sleeping. We used a duvet with cover instead of a top sheet, and just washed the cover each week with the sheets, so it was easier to make, though still a bit if a hassle.

My only child has a high loft bed, which doubles his play space! Maybe because I'm used to the loft, I don't mind climbing for goodnight cuddles. A hood reading light is key!