It is no secret that a child's bedroom lacks the square footage of a master suite, and with the majority of children sharing with a sibling, much of that is taken up by a bed or two. Add in a doll house, train tracks, building blocks, or other such treasures, and suddenly an already small room is cluttered and most likely a little messy. Wall beds are wonderful for their space-saving design, and all that extra floor space is very appealing. If you are wondering whether a wall bed would be suitable for a child's room, consider the following:
- Children under the age of 6 must not sleep on a wall bed for safety reasons. Wall beds are designed to be safe and are suitable for a child's room, as long as the minimum age is met.
- There are many small parts, which may pose choking hazards, particularly during the assembly process.
- Because of the complexity of the build, it is required that the assembly be completed by a professional.
- The bed is anchored into a wall stud in 6-8 places at both the top and bottom of the unit. When properly assembled, this ensures that the wall bed is secure and does not fall.
- While there are no locks on our wall beds, they cannot be accidentally opened or shut. Additionally, it requires a fair amount of force to switch positions. The height of the handle or handle molding is upwards of 45 inches high, and this would be more than a younger child could accomplish alone.
- The wall bed does not open or shut quickly, and a firm grasp of the handhold should be maintained during the transition. Keeping children clear of the bed when moving will prevent catching fingers in potential pinch points.
- The leg lock should be engaged whenever the bed is in the open position. This prevents the leg from accidentally being knocked out and damaging the pistons.
- The weight of a 30-pound mattress is enough to keep the bed in a downward position. While the maximum weight capacity is set at 600 pounds, there is no minimum.
- Wall beds are intended for sleeping only; no little monkeys should be allowed to jump on the bed, and it should be folded away during non-sleeping hours to minimize the appeal. Because the pistons are relaxed when the bed is in the closed position and compressed when in the open position, tucking the bed away at the end of each sleep is also recommended to preserve the mechanism.