The right bunk bed for your space is the one whose footprint, height and access suit the room you actually have. Measure the floor area, the ceiling height and the clearance around doors, windows and radiators, then match those figures to a bed type: a standard bunk for typical bedrooms, a low bunk for limited headroom, an L shaped bunk for wide rooms, a triple bunk for tall ceilings, and a bunk with a trundle when you need an extra bed without extra height.
Getting the measurements right first saves a great deal of second guessing later. Our modern bunk beds UK sale range covers each of these configurations, and they sit within our wider bedroom furniture UK collection. Here is a methodical way to work out which one belongs in your home.
A tape measure, a notepad and ten minutes are all you need. Record the following:
Sketch these onto a simple floor plan. It does not need to be to scale, but it should show where each obstacle sits. That plan will rule out some bed positions immediately and make the others obvious.
Most bunk beds take a UK single mattress, 90cm by 190cm, so the frame footprint is usually a little larger, depending on the design. Add to that the space needed to use the bed:
Once you know the full working footprint, check it against your plan. It is often the ladder or the drawers, not the bed itself, that cause the problem.
This is the most important figure and the easiest to get wrong. The measurement that matters is the distance between the top of the upper mattress and the ceiling, not the overall height of the frame. Find the frame height to the top bunk base in the product details, add the mattress depth, and subtract that total from your ceiling height.
A child should be able to sit up on the top bunk without touching the ceiling. Older children and adults need more space still. Watch for pendant lights, smoke alarms and sloping ceilings, all of which reduce usable headroom in particular spots.
Check headroom on the lower bunk too. The gap between the lower mattress and the underside of the top bunk should allow the lower sleeper to sit up comfortably.
One single stacked directly above another. They have the smallest footprint and suit most typical UK bedrooms with standard ceiling heights.
A reduced overall height, which leaves more space above the top bunk. They suit loft rooms, flats with lower ceilings and households where a lower climb is reassuring. The usual top bunk age guidance still applies.
The top bunk sits at right angles to the lower one, often with storage or a desk in the space created. These need a wider room and a corner, but they feel more open and give each sleeper a little more privacy.
Three tiers for three sleepers. These need generous ceiling height and are usually best suited to older properties with tall ceilings or purpose built bunk rooms.
A third bed slides out from beneath the lower bunk. This adds sleeping capacity without adding height, but you need clear floor in front of the bed to pull it out.
Two single beds that stack and separate. They are a good choice when you are unsure how the room will be used in a few years’ time.
Ladders can usually be fitted at one end or on one side, and many designs are reversible. Choose a position that does not block the door, does not sit in front of a radiator and leaves a clear landing at the bottom. If children will climb down at night, the route from the ladder to the door should be short and unobstructed.
Avoid placing the bed where the door opens into the ladder or the side of the lower bunk. Even a gentle knock from a door can be unsettling for a child on the ladder.
The top bunk should not sit directly beside a window, both for safety and because blinds and curtains become harder to use. Keep the bed clear of blind cords. If the only workable position puts the bed near a window, check that the window has restrictors and that the top bunk is not within reach of the opening.
Bunks can make a room feel darker, particularly the lower bunk. A pale frame, light bedding and a reading light for each sleeper help considerably.
Once the bed position is settled, plan the rest of the room around it. Each sleeper benefits from a surface beside the bed. Our children’s bedside tables UK are scaled for shared rooms, while clip on shelves serve the top bunk. If the children will grow out of bunks, it is worth noting the frames in our children’s beds UK sale section, as some rooms eventually suit two singles or a cabin bed instead.
Storage should fit around the bed’s working footprint, not inside it. For ideas on organising a family bedroom with limited floor, our guide to children’s bedroom storage furniture for UK family homes covers wardrobes, chests and toy storage that work alongside a bunk.
Most bunk bed regrets come from a handful of predictable oversights. Knowing them in advance makes it easy to sidestep them.
It also helps to involve the children. Letting them see the plan, choose bedding colours and agree who sleeps where tends to make the transition to a shared bunk room smoother.
Whatever type you choose, check that it complies with BS EN 747, the standard for bunk beds sold in the UK. Guard rails should run along both long sides of the top bunk, with an opening only at the ladder. The top bunk is not recommended for children under six, and mattresses should be no deeper than the manufacturer’s maximum. Confirm the maximum user weight for each bunk if older children or adults will use it.
Choosing a bunk bed becomes much simpler once you treat it as a measuring exercise first and a style decision second. With a clear plan of the room, a calculated headroom figure and a sense of how the space will change, the right configuration usually stands out. For the frame, the mattresses and everything else a shared room needs, visit Furniture in Fashion, where we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Enough for the top sleeper to sit up comfortably without touching the ceiling. Measure from the top of the upper mattress, not from the frame.
A bunk bed has roughly the footprint of a single bed, so any room that fits a single bed and leaves space to stand beside it can usually take a standard bunk.
It feels more open and offers useful space beneath the top bunk, but it needs a wider room and a free corner.
Choose a position away from the door swing and radiators, with a clear landing at the bottom and a short route to the door.
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