Deciding on a brand new bed and bedding for your child can be a nuisance, I know as I myself am a mother of three; two girls and a boy. It came a time, when my two eldest reached about 2 and a ½ I was slightly over whelmed by the amount of choice there is, trying to find what is best for my children. Now that my youngest girl; Libby, is approaching that age I feel that I have a well-established understanding and can approach the situation of deciding on her first bed rationally and informed. It’s such a heartwarming experience when you have finally established a nice bed for your child, with all the mods and cons, toys and bedding and this guide aims to negate the nuisance so you can enjoy the experience.
Frames
I started with the frame, the structural support of the bed. It’s got to be sturdy but have some give, some flexibility for ultimate comfort. There is a variety available; the most affordable but least comfortable being the metal frames.
Metals framed single beds can come in various styles: football and blue for boys, cupcakes and pink for girls or they can be plain, but being metal the bars on the base of the frame offer little comfort and so it would be advisor to purchase a very comfortable mattress and pillows.
Most beds have wooden frames with a vast quantity of designs and a few different base types giving some choice on the degree of comfort for the well informed buyer. Wooden beds can range from luxurious carving styles, readily upholstered to basic and practical.
Bunk beds and cabin beds are a great space saving option for the parents of multiple children like myself, and parents with a child that has a lot of toys. Bunk beds can prove so useful, especially with two children and ultimately was my choice. Cabin beds have a lot of storage space; can come with desks attached, wardrobes built in and storage space underneath too. No doubt a cabin bed is an ideal choice for parents with an only child.
There are also lovely, upholstered divan beds which are relatively affordable. They come in two parts which fasten together with a bracket. They can also have built in storage space, i.e: drawers to store the child’s clothing or future school work and they also look stylish. Here’s a more detailed insightful guide that I used: http://www.mumsnet.com/reviews/nursery/childrens-beds
Bedding
Now for the bedding I would highly recommend buying a themed duvet set with matching pillow case, just to appeal to the child through their favorite characters, I think it’s more likely to give them comfort at night, especially if they are moving into their own room now.
The duvet itself, great value can be won whilst also achieving comfort and warmth for your child if you choose those that are 50% cotton and 50% polyester but if you want to spend more on a duvet that is 100% cotton I would advise it to give the best for your child.
The pillows main job is to support the head whilst the child is sleeping otherwise your darling could wake up with an ache in their neck which wouldn’t be great for anyone! So even though cheap, down feather pillows are not the best as the lack the support which you want to ensure.
When it comes to pillows for your child I would suggest is down pillows, they offer just the right amount of support, are relatively affordable when compared to other types such as latex pillows. However if you are willing to spend the money on latex or memory foam pillows I would highly advise it. Here’s a great guide to choosing the best pillow for your kid: http://pillowfocus.com/
The mattress is the most important part of the bed; it supports all of the body other than the head and must be soft to give comfort. When it comes to mattresses, the more you spend the better quality you are going to get. I would advise that the parent avoids open coil mattresses; you can literally feel the springs as you lay on them. The best option I can think of and is what I bought for my children is the zoned mattress as it supports the body in the middle of the bed whilst not being overly springy and hard.
I really hope I have been able to guide you in the right direction when looking to purchase the right bed and bedding for your child’s first bed. Whether they are boy or girl there are countless options out there, and you will feel as comforted as I did when you know your child is getting a great nights rest courtesy of your research. Thanks!
Frames
I started with the frame, the structural support of the bed. It’s got to be sturdy but have some give, some flexibility for ultimate comfort. There is a variety available; the most affordable but least comfortable being the metal frames.
Metals framed single beds can come in various styles: football and blue for boys, cupcakes and pink for girls or they can be plain, but being metal the bars on the base of the frame offer little comfort and so it would be advisor to purchase a very comfortable mattress and pillows.
Most beds have wooden frames with a vast quantity of designs and a few different base types giving some choice on the degree of comfort for the well informed buyer. Wooden beds can range from luxurious carving styles, readily upholstered to basic and practical.
Bunk beds and cabin beds are a great space saving option for the parents of multiple children like myself, and parents with a child that has a lot of toys. Bunk beds can prove so useful, especially with two children and ultimately was my choice. Cabin beds have a lot of storage space; can come with desks attached, wardrobes built in and storage space underneath too. No doubt a cabin bed is an ideal choice for parents with an only child.
There are also lovely, upholstered divan beds which are relatively affordable. They come in two parts which fasten together with a bracket. They can also have built in storage space, i.e: drawers to store the child’s clothing or future school work and they also look stylish. Here’s a more detailed insightful guide that I used: http://www.mumsnet.com/reviews/nursery/childrens-beds
Bedding
Now for the bedding I would highly recommend buying a themed duvet set with matching pillow case, just to appeal to the child through their favorite characters, I think it’s more likely to give them comfort at night, especially if they are moving into their own room now.
The duvet itself, great value can be won whilst also achieving comfort and warmth for your child if you choose those that are 50% cotton and 50% polyester but if you want to spend more on a duvet that is 100% cotton I would advise it to give the best for your child.
The pillows main job is to support the head whilst the child is sleeping otherwise your darling could wake up with an ache in their neck which wouldn’t be great for anyone! So even though cheap, down feather pillows are not the best as the lack the support which you want to ensure.
When it comes to pillows for your child I would suggest is down pillows, they offer just the right amount of support, are relatively affordable when compared to other types such as latex pillows. However if you are willing to spend the money on latex or memory foam pillows I would highly advise it. Here’s a great guide to choosing the best pillow for your kid: http://pillowfocus.com/
The mattress is the most important part of the bed; it supports all of the body other than the head and must be soft to give comfort. When it comes to mattresses, the more you spend the better quality you are going to get. I would advise that the parent avoids open coil mattresses; you can literally feel the springs as you lay on them. The best option I can think of and is what I bought for my children is the zoned mattress as it supports the body in the middle of the bed whilst not being overly springy and hard.
I really hope I have been able to guide you in the right direction when looking to purchase the right bed and bedding for your child’s first bed. Whether they are boy or girl there are countless options out there, and you will feel as comforted as I did when you know your child is getting a great nights rest courtesy of your research. Thanks!