Alice has been in her big girl bed for a while now. When I say big girl bed it is actually her cot bed with all the sides off. Whilst she still fits in well at the moment she is quite big so I know in the not so distant future we will need to look at single beds for her.
I found this really hard when choosing Mollys and couldn’t find any I liked that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I’m happy to pay a bit more for quality and the bed does need to withstand a certain level of childhood play but some were just sooo spendy*. Needless to say I have since found LOADS. Typical. So I thought I’d share some of my favourites with you.
Colour
I may possibly have found my favourite bed ever and have in fact promptly emailed it over to Edd to say we must buy it for Alice’s room. This pale mint and wood bed from Danish brand Flexa is just divine. So simple and stylish yet in the loveliest sorbet shades. I would also be tempted by the yellow or pink to be honest and I think the £189 price tag is quite reasonable for something that looks a lot more expensive. There are all manner of co ordinating pieces in the Play range so Alice’s room may be getting a makeover sooner than planned. Also, if you are expecting, check out their beautiful cots. Swoon.
Classic
When choosing for Molly I really wanted a classic metal bed but in a lovely colour. I fell in love with this one from Feather & Black in the Duck Egg colour but couldn’t justify the price so ended up with a cheaper cream version from Debenhams instead. I have since seen the Feather & Black one for the same price when it is on promotion so I should have just waited!
If you are looking for a classic style then the M&S Hastings range is a good option. They do a version with a pull out guest bed which would be ideal for sleepovers.
Fun
As a kid I used to love looking through my mums catalogues at the children’s beds. There were cars, dens and even ones with slides. I was gutted I never got one of those. Going on this reasoning I should probably be buying the girls some amazing creation and this Tipi bed is completely fabulous (as is this house bed btw). Cuckooland is a fab place to peruse amazing beds. Oh and my new favourite discovery, Flexa, do do a slide bed. Amazing.
If you want more novelty then they can sail off on their adventures in this fun boat bed. With lovely nautical colours and styling I think it would become a favourite addition to any kids room.
Mid Sleeper
Alice’s room is quite small so we have been wondering whether a mid sleeper would be a good idea so that she can have storage and play areas underneath. I’m not sure I’m confident with her climbing up and down quite yet though. I had a Stompa bunk bed as a kid and the quality is fantastic. This version has all sorts of add ons from drawers, to desks to play tents. Yes it is more pricey but you can get a lot of furniture in one.
The Ikea Kura bed is ingenious. Simply by flipping it over it can go from a low bed to a high bed. I have spotted an unbelievable amount of Ikea hacks for this too so take a peek on Pinterest if you want some inspiration. It can be painted, decorated, turned in to a house, have the mattress on top, on the bottom. Honestly, it’s great.
Storage
This Locker trundle bed has a great industrial styling but is packed full of hidden storage. It has a large drawer underneath that can also be used as a spare bed and little shelves hidden in the headboard which are perfect for treasures (or just hiding clutter).
Also from Ikea is my absolute favourite day bed. This design has been around for a while (I had one in my late teens!) and is still just as good. It also now comes in some lovely shades like this pale grey. The bed pulls out to make a double which is perfect for if you have guests or even if your child is unsettled in the night. Saves you sleeping on the floor! It also has three huge storage drawers which is great if you are short on space. One word of warning on Ikea is the sizing as you will need their mattresses and often their sheets too.
DIY
Finally if you fancy a spot of DIY I have long been tempted to make one of these simple house beds myself. You’ve probably spotted them cropping up all over Pinterest but they actually seem quite simple to make. I say that as it wouldn’t actually be me making it! We did contemplate getting out carpenter to make one for Molly’s room but as she has sloping ceilings it just wouldn’t have worked. However, if you are feeling inspired then Design Confidential have a fabulous tutorial you can follow. Or you could opt for a ready made version from Cuckooland if you prefer! Do share pictures if you give it a go.
Are you thinking about moving your little one in to a new bed soon? Or have you spotted any great beds I should add to my consideration list for Alice?
*If you don’t mind spending a bit more take a peek at Nubie. I spent far too long dreaming of some of their pieces.
My daughter is 18 months old and still quite happy in her cot with no escape attempts as yet. I am wondering whether to get her a cot bed next or keep her in cot as long as possible then move straight to single bed. When do all these things happen ?!
I think we need a post on when to move them to a big girl bed! Molly got moved from her cot bed as we needed it for Alice (she was too big for her cot) and Edd decided Alice needed to go in to the bed as she kept climbing in and climbing out seemed the next step. Both were about two and a half so I think you have a bit longer. They went to a cot bed first, as we already had it, so just took the sides of/converted it but a lot of my friends have gone straight to a single bed which seems to work well. Perhaps go for a lower bed or get a bed guard as then they still feel safe and can’t fall out. xx
There’s no “right time”. My daughter is still in her cot and she’s 3 in September! We are going to move straight to a full-sized single in the next month (i.e. missing out the “kid’s bed” and therefore saving ourselves a bunch of cash). She’s always been a bad sleeper and ends up in with us a lot anyway but every child is different – I know so many people stressing about this very decision at the moment – when is the “right time” – I think the right time is whenever you decide to! You can always go back to the cot for a while if it doesn’t work out. I wouldn’t buy a cot bed just for the in between as I reckon you will waste a lot of money for something she’ll be in for just a few months.
Anabelle is 3 in September and still in her cot. It’s a cot bed but we haven’t made the transition yet as there have been no escape attempts and she’s such a good sleeper so don’t want to spoil a good thing. We moved our boys Elliott & Joseph straight into a full sized single bed at the age of 2 1/2 and had no trouble so maybe it’s time for Anabelle too….
I’m certainly tempted by those pastel Flexa Play beds Lottie, they’re beaut. xxx
I think Alice would still be in her cot too Lorna but Edd was adamant she should move before she climbed out. That said she has never got out of her big girl bed, even though she can. Molly was up and down but Alice just stays in it and calls us to get her! Lazy bones. I know, those Flexa beds are gorgeous. I’m still deciding on which colour to buy….. xx
Fun post, Lottie. I’m with you on perusing the “here’s what you could’ve had!” kids’ bed sections in my mum’s catalogues. I’m sure all the kids with those beds have gone on to become high-flying creative types. We’ve just bought the Hemnes in a limited edition dusky pink. Was reluctant to buy a pink bed for a girl but it’s a really lovely shade. It was on offer (£189) as it’s been discontinued but I think you can still buy it in some IKEA stores (just not online). We’ve bought it for our eldest daughter Penny to move into once Baby Alice (snap!) is ready to move into a cot. Penny is currently 20mths & Alice is just 6wks so hope the timings will work out. Does anyone know if you can buy safety bars that attach to the Hemnes?
Great name choices! ‘Penny’ was actually Edd’s preferred choice for Alice so either are obviously excellent names. Those catalogues were the best. I was always gutted mum wouldn’t let us have the slide bed. I now know where google got the inspiration from their amazing offices from!! Oooh, Molly would adore that bed, she is obsessed with all things pink and I’m guessing would happily go to bed early each night if she had a pink bed. I just got the baby Dan safety rail from JL. It’s wooden so nicer than the mesh ones and fits most beds. It just slips under the mattress and hold in place with a strap that clips on the bed slats xx
Slightly off topic but still about sleeping – has anyone used a Snuzpod for their new borns?
Hi Sarah, I had one with Alice and Charlotte actually had one with Mabel. They are fantastic. Much better than a moses basket as they last longer and I loved being able to zip down the wall to comfort Alice rather than having to get her up. It was brilliant and would highly recommend xx
Thanks so much Lottie! NCT have 25% off everything in their shop until 9th of June so I think I might head over there now 🙂
Hi Sarah, our baby isn’t due until early September but I have a Snuzpod based on excellent recommendations from friends! I know they seem quite ‘trendy’ at the moment but I figured if lots of people are buying them they are probably on to a good thing?!
Thanks Alice! Our little one isn’t due until early November, but the NCT sale got us thinking……..! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
We’ve been discussing this recently as we’ll need the cot bed for Number II. I don’t want to move her straight out and baby straight in so want to have some time in between. I don’t really like the idea of toddler beds as they seem a waste of money so the plan is to move her into a single with a rail. Some friends have really raved about the Ikea wooden bed but I just can’t bring myself to buy something that ugly.
Like the Iron ones from Feather and Black. DAMN YOU. But then I wonder whether its worth spending loads on a single bed. My brother had one with a bed that rolled out and popped up from underneath to form a double. Something like that would be useful for sleepovers.
Basically I have no clue on any of it.
Oh that Feather and Black duck egg bed! I had got to the point of putting it in my basket this morning then thought I had better check with my husband who promptly vetoed it in spite of the discount as S is a long way from needing it and we have nowhere to put it while the build is going on. But I want it so badly now! At least he has promised to paint one of the IKEA metal beds for me now instead…
Just a general thing Lottie, could there be something done about mattresses? I’m totally confused by newborn mattresses and don’t know whether I really need to be spending loads? It would be good to know which ones others used in their baby’s cot….Thanks!
I was confused by all the different mattress options too! Ended up going for this one for our cot (it also comes in cotbed size) and have been happy with it!
http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-spring-cot-mattress-120-x-60cm/p1575323
John Lewis also have a guide to read about the different types of mattresses available which helped me choose a bit! x
We ordered a mattress from http://babymattressesonline.co.uk/ for our secondhand stokke sleepi cot which we’re planning to use as a cot bed next.
I can’t recommend them highly enough, it was really reasonable, great quality and quick delivery. You can choose various options but we went for a firm sprung mattress as it was going to be used for cot bed so wanted something substantial.
I was just about to say this! My cousin recommended these guys – they actually supply John Lewis and are SO MUCH CHEAPER. We got both our crib mattress (we borrowed the crib from family so needed a new mattress) and our cot bed mattress. Our cot bed in Australian (Boori) so is wider than the standard UK size so we needed a different size. Baby Mattresses Online do bespoke mattresses to whatever specification you want and you can change all the options like springs and whatnot.
And excellent customer service. The post office/courier left a friends from there outside so it smelt funny and they basically drove one to her house on a family holiday or something.
Of course. It’s on the list! It is rather baffling isn’t it? x
These beds are so cute! My daughter is 2 1/2 and has recently moved into a big bed but we already had a double in her room which was previously the spare before her little brother was born. It seemed silly to spend more money downsizing the bed (to then probably go back to a double when she is a teenager!). She loves the double and there is no danger of her falling out but I am really struggling to find kids bed linen for double beds. A few of my Nct friends have had the same problem. Any ideas?
Rhian, I’ve bought duvet covers from the regular depts (not children’s) in IKEA and Asda (!) featuring maps, cute bunnies, geometric and cloud prints. I’m making the most of being able to chose pretty ones before it becomes all Disney characters!
I can speak very highly of the IKEA Kura. Our eldest was in it before she turned two as we needed the cot bed. We currently have it as the lower level and I think we will flip it at Christmas when our youngest gets his ‘big boy’ bed. We would definitely buy it again if our son’s room had the space for it.
We just bought a foam bumper that sits under the sheet and so she doesn’t roll out of bed. Never had a problem with it and to be honest when we go away it’s so easy now as she will sleep in a single bed – I just roll up a spare towel or blanket under her sheet to stop her rolling out.
Kura is super comfy, if she’s sleeping badly I often jump in with her! Good luck!