The best bunk beds with under bed drawers combine a rigid frame with deep, full width drawers that run on castors or smooth runners, sit low enough to clear the floor without catching on carpet, and leave enough room in front of the bed to pull them out completely. When those basics are right, the drawers become the most used storage in a shared bedroom, holding bedding, clothes and toys without taking up any extra floor.
Drawers at the base of a bunk make use of a space that is otherwise wasted and quickly fills with dust and lost socks. Our modern bunk beds UK sale range includes frames with integrated drawers as well as designs with a trundle, so it helps to know which suits your room before you choose.
Some bunk beds have storage drawers, others have a trundle, and a few include both. A trundle is a pull out bed frame that holds a third mattress for sleepovers. Storage drawers are shallower boxes designed for belongings. Both slide out from the same space under the bottom bunk, so you generally have to choose one.
If friends and cousins stay often, a trundle earns its place. If the bigger daily challenge is keeping a shared room tidy, drawers are usually the better choice. Think about which problem you face most weeks of the year rather than which might be useful occasionally. As part of a wider scheme, our bedroom furniture UK collection has chests and bedside pieces that work alongside either option.
Look at the internal measurements rather than the outside of the drawer. A drawer that looks generous can lose several centimetres to thick side panels and a raised base. Deeper drawers hold duvets and winter jumpers. Shallower ones suit books, art supplies and small toys. Two drawers that each cover half the length of the bed are often easier for children to open than a single long drawer.
Drawers usually move in one of two ways. Some sit on castors and roll freely across the floor. Others run on fixed runners attached to the frame. Castors handle heavier loads and are simple to remove for cleaning, but they can drag on deep pile carpet. Runners keep the drawer aligned and closing neatly, though they can stiffen if the drawer is overloaded. On thick carpet, a runner system or a drawer with larger castors tends to work better.
Cut out handles or recessed finger pulls are safer than protruding knobs in a children’s room, where someone may climb down the ladder in the dark. They also keep the front of the bed clean in appearance and stop small fingers from being trapped.
The most common mistake with drawer bunk beds is forgetting the space they need when open. A drawer that is 50cm deep needs roughly that much clear floor in front of the bed, plus room for someone to kneel or stand. Before ordering, mark out the frame on the floor with masking tape, then mark the open drawers. Check that they will not hit a radiator, a wardrobe door or the edge of a rug.
In narrow box rooms, consider a frame with drawers on the long side facing into the room rather than at the foot. If the bed must sit against two walls in a corner, make sure the drawer side is the open side.
Storage is only useful if the bed itself is sound. Before comparing drawer sizes, check the basics of the frame.
A solid wood frame, often pine or a hardwood, tends to feel stable and handles years of children climbing up and down. Engineered wood frames can be sturdy too, especially when the storage is built into the structure rather than added on. Look for safety rails on both sides of the top bunk, a ladder that bolts to the frame and a slatted base that suits the mattress. Many bunk beds can be split into two single beds later, which keeps the furniture useful as children grow. If you choose one of these, check that the drawers work with the beds when separated, as some only fit the lower frame.
A large drawer can turn into a jumble very quickly. A few simple habits keep it working.
Give each child their own drawer if there are two, which avoids arguments and makes tidying more manageable. Use fabric boxes or shallow trays inside to separate small items. Keep the things used most often at the front, and seasonal bedding or clothes at the back. Label boxes with pictures for younger children so they can help put things away.
Bedding is one of the best uses for under bed drawers in a children’s room. Keeping a spare set of sheets and a duvet cover directly under the bed makes night time changes far quicker. Spare pillows and a sleeping bag for sleepovers fit well too.
For bulkier toys and games, a separate box at floor level is often easier than a drawer. Our children’s toy boxes UK collection includes designs that double as a bench, which keeps the drawers free for clothes and linen. For everything else a growing child accumulates, our modern children’s storage furniture UK range has shelving and cube units that sit neatly beside a bunk.
It also helps to review the contents every few months. Children outgrow clothes and lose interest in toys quickly, and a drawer that was well organised in spring can be overflowing by autumn. A quick sort at the change of each season, with outgrown items set aside to pass on, keeps the drawers easy to open and stops the runners carrying more weight than they were designed for. Involving children in that sort, even briefly, tends to make them more willing to keep things tidy afterwards.
In a compact room, a bunk with drawers can replace a chest entirely, freeing up a wall for a desk or reading corner. Choose a frame in a pale finish so the bed does not dominate, and keep the ladder on the side closest to the door.
In a bigger room, there is space for the bunk, the drawers and a separate wardrobe. Here you can choose a bolder finish, a staircase rather than a ladder, or a frame with shelving at the end. Our guide to storage furniture for UK homes where children share rooms covers how to divide space fairly between siblings.
Bunk beds with drawers also work well in a spare room or a holiday let, where visitors need somewhere to unpack. A drawer per guest gives each person a place for their things without needing extra furniture.
Drawers take a lot of daily use, so a little care goes a long way. Vacuum the floor beneath them every few weeks, as dust and small toys collect quickly. Check castors and runners now and then, removing any hair or fluff wrapped around the wheels. If a drawer starts to stick, empty it and check whether something has fallen behind it or whether a runner screw has worked loose.
Avoid overloading a single drawer with heavy books. Spread weight across drawers so runners do not strain. On a wooden frame, wipe drawer fronts with a slightly damp cloth and dry them straight away, rather than using strong cleaning sprays.
Measure the room and the clearance needed for open drawers. Decide whether a trundle or drawers suits your household better. Check the internal drawer dimensions, the type of runner and the style of handle. Confirm the frame has safety rails, a secure ladder and a mattress size that suits the base. Consider whether you will want to split the bunk into two beds later and whether the drawers will still work. When those boxes are ticked, you will have a bed that stores as well as it sleeps.
You can explore our full selection of children’s and bedroom furniture at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Some designs include both, usually with a trundle on one side and a small drawer set beside it, but most frames have room for only one. Check the product details for the configuration.
Yes, though deep pile carpet can make castors drag. Drawers on fixed runners or with larger wheels tend to move more smoothly on thicker carpet.
Allow at least the depth of the drawer plus room to kneel or stand, which is often around 70cm to 90cm in total. Mark it out on the floor before ordering.
Spare bedding, folded clothes, books and smaller toys work well. Heavy items are better spread across drawers to protect the runners.
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