The reviews for this bed were 100% accurate. Its an excellent buy for the money, and is strong and durable. Its also a pain in the butt to put together (but really, who cares in the grand scheme of things?. Since this bed was purchased for 20-somethings, we didnt put on the side rails, so that is an option if you dont want them on, its the last step.
After reading the reviews and taking notes on how to avoid the Step 3 Mistake, I carefully followed the otherwise clear instructions and got the bed put together curse-free in under 3 hours - I did have to enlist the help of my husband when it came to popping those blasted little plastic tabs into the crossbars, which he didnt have much trouble doing. He wondered if those who said they did have trouble were trying to push them straight in or one side at a time like he was. We also put the top crossbar/slats section together before attaching it to the frame, so maybe that made it easier. Anyway, the plastic tabs definitely make the slats feel nice and secure.
Heres the rundown: (items marked with * are reasons for the 4/5 star rating
About the construction:
-Okay, first the packaging. Couldnt have been happier. Nothing was bent, scratched, or misshapen. The packing was nice and padded and tight. None of the metal pieces rubbed against other metal. While it might seem a little wasteful, each of the 44 metal slats was in its own individual plastic sleeve, so none of them were marred at all. I didnt think to check, but the sleeves felt like recycled plastic. Im not sure if you know what I mean, but there you have it. Come to think of it, the cardboard for the O parts may have been recycled, too. Pretty sure the rest of the packaging wasnt, though.
-One of the holes in one of the end posts (A or D must have been slightly off, as one of the assembled [head or foot] pieces (step 2 wasnt quite straight after I assembled it. This didnt make a difference after the bed was completely put together, though.
-*The ladder could be a little better constructed. The horizontal metal pieces that attach to the top bunk arent exactly flush with the edge of the crossbar it attaches to. If you have the right dremel attachment, you can widen the screwhole a little bit and push the ladder inward as you tighten the bolts. Otherwise, you may have a tiny bit (like, a cm of a sharpish edge sticking out at the top of the ladder, either from the rectangular horizontal piece or from the top of the hollow tube. (Kind of hard to explain.. sorry! Not a huge deal, and pretty easily fixable. Also, if you change your mind about where to put the ladder, its really easy to move.
-*The posts are definitely not as flush as the picture would have you believe. No surprise, of course. It would be nice, though, if there were some kind of sleeve that slipped over the tubes where they connect, kind of like a curtain rod..if that makes sense.
About the finished product:
-The extra little legs in the center of the bottom crossbars are nice and make the bed feel extra sturdy.
-The ladder might take some getting used to. While the design does make it more compact since you dont have a ladder sticking out diagonally and taking up 2 or 3 feet of extra space, it is a little trickier to climb up a perfectly vertical ladder, at least for a 7-year old. The inclination is to lean back as you climb, which would loosen the joints and eventually make the bed wobbly. Im sure well get the hang of it, though.
-It really does seem sturdy. There is very little jostling on either bunk when someone gets on or off the other one, as tested by myself (115lb on top bunk and my husband (170lb on bottom bunk. Just remember to check and tighten the bolts periodically.
-Another reviewer mentioned the height, saying its taller than most bunks. This almost turned me away, as I was nervous enough having my rambunctious 7-year old boy on a top bunk. I was relieved to find that this isnt actually the case - its the bottom bunk that is a bit lower than usual. As the other reviewer also mentioned, this gives you plenty of headroom on the bottom bunk, which is true. Unless youre freakishly tall, any adult could sit comfortably on the bottom bunk (which could be important for bedtime reading and storytime. The top bunk almost seems lower than normal..Im 53 and I can almost see over it. :
-I think someone mentioned the mattress size. We used two regular twin mattresses, and with bedding on them, they fit perfectly. A naked mattress would have space on the sides, but I think its meant to allow for comforters and such. If you dont use fluffy bedding, you can always fill in the space with stuffed animals!
All in all, Im happy with my purchase, and Id recommend it to someone who is looking for a sturdy bunkbed and doesnt want to settle for the cheap one that goes by many names but gives itself away with the same photo everywhere you see it...here on or at the Big Stores. If youve been shopping around for bunkbeds, you know what Im talking about.
The whole unit is very sturdy. It came in quite a few pieces, but was not too difficult to assemble. The only thing I would change if I were designing it, would be the rail on the end. There should be a gap in the rail where the ladder meets the loft level. That would be easier to climb into, instead of having to climb over the rail. Nice unit overall though!
just set up the bunk yesterday with a buddy and we were able to assemble it in about 2.5 hrs with no problems while following some of the advise mentioned in previous reviews (focusing on the cross bar H. The bunk is pretty solid but it does wiggle with heavy movements side to side, but feels perfectly sturdy and safe. I imagine any metal framed bunk bed wiggles. I am 58 and the bottom bunk has perfect amount of head-space. I can sit up straight and not worry about my head hitting the top bunk. overall, pretty happy with the bunk. on a side note: getting the slats into each cross bar was a little difficult but unscrewing one sides cross bar allowed me to fit each slat into its place and then was able to rescrew it back easily. secondly, we decided to not place the gray plastic squares into each placement above every slat because it was incredibly difficult to put them each in (and there were like 100s of them and putting them in is unnecessary (the plastic locks in between each slat does the job fine, and additionally, the mattress on top of the slats. finally, my 61 roommate sleeps fine on the top bunk
The directions could be much better. Many of the reviews refer to a very common mistake. Let me boil it down so you dont make the same mistake that everyone else did.
1 Dont install the cross bars until the frame is fully assembled. This will make fixing issues (which point 2 will help you avoid much easier.
2 Important: The top of the ladder attaches to the upper frame via a bolt. The frame has a small threaded hole to accept that bolt. The hole MUST be on the bottom side of the upper frame. If the hole is on the top, you messed up and the ladder wont connect correctly.
This is a strong and durable bed. As an adult I am very comfortable that the bed will hold me as I sleep on the top. The directions were not always the most clear and I took apart and re-put together a few pieces, but no it is together and I love it.
I wanted to get two beds for a small space and this accomplished that. Its not a bad buy for the price but I wished it was a bit more sturdy. When climbing up you feel like the bed MAY tip over and Im 115 lbs. I would recomend getting a twin over full for more base sturdiness.
Were pretty experienced at assembling furniture. Most of our stuff is from Ikea, and when it wears out, we usually replace it with...stuff from Ikea. So weve assembled A LOT of furniture over the years. We chose this bed for a stupid reason: we could get it shipped by Prime, and not have to drive to Ikea! But also because reviews of other products seemed quite positive.
The bed is assembled now, holding a Tempur-Pedic twin Original Bed mattress, and its sturdy, with no wobbling, and supports our 11YO with ease. We purchased the one with the desk, rather than the one without, because it seemed like the extra cross-bracing would come in handy, and from the looks of things, it helps. We did not put the keyboard tray on, but otherwise it looks just like the picture (DS even asked for lime green sheets.
Where I take off a star is for the assembly instructions. We had a lot of trouble at the beginning, because the paper made it look like we were putting parts together backwards. Pretty much we had to abandon the paper for the first few steps and work it out by walking around the room, holding the pieces up and trying to figure out where theyd be after assembly, so that we wouldnt make a mistake and have to undo everything.
Once we got the four corner posts in place, everything was smooth sailing, except the clips to hold the bed slats in place were effing difficult to put into the little slots. We ended up using one of the desk brackets to push them into position.
In the end it took two adults nearly three hours to assemble (including the walk around and figure things out part, which to me is just too much. I would order this bed again, if I needed one, because its a quality item...but Id try to pay a couple friends to assemble it for me!
My experience was very similar to many others. Shipping was quick despite the 100 weight. Previous reviewers were right on the money warning me about getting the H piece upside down, so I dodged that bullet. I did get another of the bottom cross bars upside down, but that was quickly obvious as soon as I tried to mount the additional two feet on the bottom cross bars. Assembly took me about 2-1/2 hrs. I was mostly slowed by having to lock in the 44 cross slats. I guess my fingers arent as strong as others, as I had to use various methods to insert the locking tabs (to hold down the slats. I tried hammering, but broke several of the locking tabs. I then did a lot of them using wood (to protect the bed from marring with vise grips. That was slow. Finally, the best method I found was to fully engage one side of the tab, then to push the opposite end (with a piece of wood, slightly bowing the tab before it snapped in. Since you end up having to put in 88 of these tabs, getting a fairly quick means of doing these tabs would have saved me some time. I finally figured out the latter method at the halfway point, after which the remaining tab locking went fairly quickly.
Overall, I am very happy with the product. Looks good, is quite sturdy, and seems to be well designed. My 7 yo daughter and 5 yo son love it!
The Box came damaged but the contents were all there and were fine. I was able to assemble this alone but it would be MUCH easier with an xtra set of hands.
The instructions are clear and all of the tools are BRILLIANTLY labeled.
I purchased the InnerSpace? Sleep Luxury Mattress along with this Twin Loft Bed. Please note that I purchased the Twin XL and not just the Twin mattress. The Twin XL seems to be 1-2 inches too big, but to me that is perfect. The Twin XL is 80 long and the Twin is 75 long.......if I had bought the Twin, there would be a gap and to me, that gap would be unacceptable.
The Mattress is a match made in heaven for this loft bed and it is only 6 inches thick.
The only downside would be the ladders....they hurt my daughters feet when she climbs them. Another reviewer suggested using water pipe insulation....Seems like a great idea. Will try it.
Reviews
Listen to the reviews
The reviews for this bed were 100% accurate. Its an excellent buy for the money, and is strong and durable. Its also a pain in the butt to put together (but really, who cares in the grand scheme of things?. Since this bed was purchased for 20-somethings, we didnt put on the side rails, so that is an option if you dont want them on, its the last step.
So far, so good!
After reading the reviews and taking notes on how to avoid the Step 3 Mistake, I carefully followed the otherwise clear instructions and got the bed put together curse-free in under 3 hours - I did have to enlist the help of my husband when it came to popping those blasted little plastic tabs into the crossbars, which he didnt have much trouble doing. He wondered if those who said they did have trouble were trying to push them straight in or one side at a time like he was. We also put the top crossbar/slats section together before attaching it to the frame, so maybe that made it easier. Anyway, the plastic tabs definitely make the slats feel nice and secure. Heres the rundown: (items marked with * are reasons for the 4/5 star rating About the construction: -Okay, first the packaging. Couldnt have been happier. Nothing was bent, scratched, or misshapen. The packing was nice and padded and tight. None of the metal pieces rubbed against other metal. While it might seem a little wasteful, each of the 44 metal slats was in its own individual plastic sleeve, so none of them were marred at all. I didnt think to check, but the sleeves felt like recycled plastic. Im not sure if you know what I mean, but there you have it. Come to think of it, the cardboard for the O parts may have been recycled, too. Pretty sure the rest of the packaging wasnt, though. -One of the holes in one of the end posts (A or D must have been slightly off, as one of the assembled [head or foot] pieces (step 2 wasnt quite straight after I assembled it. This didnt make a difference after the bed was completely put together, though. -*The ladder could be a little better constructed. The horizontal metal pieces that attach to the top bunk arent exactly flush with the edge of the crossbar it attaches to. If you have the right dremel attachment, you can widen the screwhole a little bit and push the ladder inward as you tighten the bolts. Otherwise, you may have a tiny bit (like, a cm of a sharpish edge sticking out at the top of the ladder, either from the rectangular horizontal piece or from the top of the hollow tube. (Kind of hard to explain.. sorry! Not a huge deal, and pretty easily fixable. Also, if you change your mind about where to put the ladder, its really easy to move. -*The posts are definitely not as flush as the picture would have you believe. No surprise, of course. It would be nice, though, if there were some kind of sleeve that slipped over the tubes where they connect, kind of like a curtain rod..if that makes sense. About the finished product: -The extra little legs in the center of the bottom crossbars are nice and make the bed feel extra sturdy. -The ladder might take some getting used to. While the design does make it more compact since you dont have a ladder sticking out diagonally and taking up 2 or 3 feet of extra space, it is a little trickier to climb up a perfectly vertical ladder, at least for a 7-year old. The inclination is to lean back as you climb, which would loosen the joints and eventually make the bed wobbly. Im sure well get the hang of it, though. -It really does seem sturdy. There is very little jostling on either bunk when someone gets on or off the other one, as tested by myself (115lb on top bunk and my husband (170lb on bottom bunk. Just remember to check and tighten the bolts periodically. -Another reviewer mentioned the height, saying its taller than most bunks. This almost turned me away, as I was nervous enough having my rambunctious 7-year old boy on a top bunk. I was relieved to find that this isnt actually the case - its the bottom bunk that is a bit lower than usual. As the other reviewer also mentioned, this gives you plenty of headroom on the bottom bunk, which is true. Unless youre freakishly tall, any adult could sit comfortably on the bottom bunk (which could be important for bedtime reading and storytime. The top bunk almost seems lower than normal..Im 53 and I can almost see over it. : -I think someone mentioned the mattress size. We used two regular twin mattresses, and with bedding on them, they fit perfectly. A naked mattress would have space on the sides, but I think its meant to allow for comforters and such. If you dont use fluffy bedding, you can always fill in the space with stuffed animals! All in all, Im happy with my purchase, and Id recommend it to someone who is looking for a sturdy bunkbed and doesnt want to settle for the cheap one that goes by many names but gives itself away with the same photo everywhere you see it...here on or at the Big Stores. If youve been shopping around for bunkbeds, you know what Im talking about.
No complaints
The whole unit is very sturdy. It came in quite a few pieces, but was not too difficult to assemble. The only thing I would change if I were designing it, would be the rail on the end. There should be a gap in the rail where the ladder meets the loft level. That would be easier to climb into, instead of having to climb over the rail. Nice unit overall though!
well priced metal bunk
just set up the bunk yesterday with a buddy and we were able to assemble it in about 2.5 hrs with no problems while following some of the advise mentioned in previous reviews (focusing on the cross bar H. The bunk is pretty solid but it does wiggle with heavy movements side to side, but feels perfectly sturdy and safe. I imagine any metal framed bunk bed wiggles. I am 58 and the bottom bunk has perfect amount of head-space. I can sit up straight and not worry about my head hitting the top bunk. overall, pretty happy with the bunk. on a side note: getting the slats into each cross bar was a little difficult but unscrewing one sides cross bar allowed me to fit each slat into its place and then was able to rescrew it back easily. secondly, we decided to not place the gray plastic squares into each placement above every slat because it was incredibly difficult to put them each in (and there were like 100s of them and putting them in is unnecessary (the plastic locks in between each slat does the job fine, and additionally, the mattress on top of the slats. finally, my 61 roommate sleeps fine on the top bunk
Simple assembly advice
The directions could be much better. Many of the reviews refer to a very common mistake. Let me boil it down so you dont make the same mistake that everyone else did. 1 Dont install the cross bars until the frame is fully assembled. This will make fixing issues (which point 2 will help you avoid much easier. 2 Important: The top of the ladder attaches to the upper frame via a bolt. The frame has a small threaded hole to accept that bolt. The hole MUST be on the bottom side of the upper frame. If the hole is on the top, you messed up and the ladder wont connect correctly.
Great bed for small spaces
This is a strong and durable bed. As an adult I am very comfortable that the bed will hold me as I sleep on the top. The directions were not always the most clear and I took apart and re-put together a few pieces, but no it is together and I love it.
GOOD but not Great
I wanted to get two beds for a small space and this accomplished that. Its not a bad buy for the price but I wished it was a bit more sturdy. When climbing up you feel like the bed MAY tip over and Im 115 lbs. I would recomend getting a twin over full for more base sturdiness.
Excellent product, but its a PAIN to assemble
Were pretty experienced at assembling furniture. Most of our stuff is from Ikea, and when it wears out, we usually replace it with...stuff from Ikea. So weve assembled A LOT of furniture over the years. We chose this bed for a stupid reason: we could get it shipped by Prime, and not have to drive to Ikea! But also because reviews of other products seemed quite positive. The bed is assembled now, holding a Tempur-Pedic twin Original Bed mattress, and its sturdy, with no wobbling, and supports our 11YO with ease. We purchased the one with the desk, rather than the one without, because it seemed like the extra cross-bracing would come in handy, and from the looks of things, it helps. We did not put the keyboard tray on, but otherwise it looks just like the picture (DS even asked for lime green sheets. Where I take off a star is for the assembly instructions. We had a lot of trouble at the beginning, because the paper made it look like we were putting parts together backwards. Pretty much we had to abandon the paper for the first few steps and work it out by walking around the room, holding the pieces up and trying to figure out where theyd be after assembly, so that we wouldnt make a mistake and have to undo everything. Once we got the four corner posts in place, everything was smooth sailing, except the clips to hold the bed slats in place were effing difficult to put into the little slots. We ended up using one of the desk brackets to push them into position. In the end it took two adults nearly three hours to assemble (including the walk around and figure things out part, which to me is just too much. I would order this bed again, if I needed one, because its a quality item...but Id try to pay a couple friends to assemble it for me!
Great experience given assembly caveats
My experience was very similar to many others. Shipping was quick despite the 100 weight. Previous reviewers were right on the money warning me about getting the H piece upside down, so I dodged that bullet. I did get another of the bottom cross bars upside down, but that was quickly obvious as soon as I tried to mount the additional two feet on the bottom cross bars. Assembly took me about 2-1/2 hrs. I was mostly slowed by having to lock in the 44 cross slats. I guess my fingers arent as strong as others, as I had to use various methods to insert the locking tabs (to hold down the slats. I tried hammering, but broke several of the locking tabs. I then did a lot of them using wood (to protect the bed from marring with vise grips. That was slow. Finally, the best method I found was to fully engage one side of the tab, then to push the opposite end (with a piece of wood, slightly bowing the tab before it snapped in. Since you end up having to put in 88 of these tabs, getting a fairly quick means of doing these tabs would have saved me some time. I finally figured out the latter method at the halfway point, after which the remaining tab locking went fairly quickly. Overall, I am very happy with the product. Looks good, is quite sturdy, and seems to be well designed. My 7 yo daughter and 5 yo son love it!
Easy to assemble and very sturdy
The Box came damaged but the contents were all there and were fine. I was able to assemble this alone but it would be MUCH easier with an xtra set of hands. The instructions are clear and all of the tools are BRILLIANTLY labeled. I purchased the InnerSpace? Sleep Luxury Mattress along with this Twin Loft Bed. Please note that I purchased the Twin XL and not just the Twin mattress. The Twin XL seems to be 1-2 inches too big, but to me that is perfect. The Twin XL is 80 long and the Twin is 75 long.......if I had bought the Twin, there would be a gap and to me, that gap would be unacceptable. The Mattress is a match made in heaven for this loft bed and it is only 6 inches thick. The only downside would be the ladders....they hurt my daughters feet when she climbs them. Another reviewer suggested using water pipe insulation....Seems like a great idea. Will try it.
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