Guide: How to choose the right bed for your child
Bedtime! A baby should sleep about half of the day depending on the child's age. That's really a lot of hours, and many of them can take place in a bed. They can of course also take place in the parents' tired arms, in a stroller, or in a crib. But the right bed can become a good foundation for important and good nighttime sleep.
Below, we have created a guide to choosing the right bed. We explain what types of beds are available and what you can look for when a bed is the next investment for you.
Overview
Sleep is important, but good sleep requires the right environment. There are many different baby and children's beds, and to make it easier for you to navigate through the jungle of options, we have created this guide. We will take you through the types, brands, and options available. We also present various benchmarks that you can advantageously look for when buying a bed.
Our guide is divided into the following sections:
- General about beds
- Sustainable children's beds: Labels, approvals, and FSC certified wood
- Children's beds best in test
-
Different types of beds
- Bed for baby
- Bed for child
-
Practical considerations
- Safety
- Dimensions
- Possibility for expansion
- Cozy atmosphere
- Beds that grow with the child
- Decorations and curtains for beds
- Bed tests – 3 quick tips for choosing right
- Take good care of the bed
- Sleep well!
It is easy to buy a bed, but not so easy to buy the right one. Our wish is that the guide can help you make a decision regarding the purchase of a bed that you will be happy with. If you have questions or need further guidance, you are always welcome to contact our customer service by email: info@mammashop.dk or on weekdays from 10-15 by phone: 36 93 90 22.
General about beds
You surely know it yourself; a good night's sleep happens best in your own, good bed in a calm environment. This also applies to our children. When you and the child are ready for the child to sleep in their own bed, it is important that it is a good bed and that a safe environment is created.
The bed itself is the foundation and safety around sleep. It is important to have a good mattress and the right duvet and pillow. You can read more about this in our Guide: How to choose the right mattress and Guide: How to choose the right duvet for your child.
But when it comes to choosing a bed, you are in good hands with us. We offer some of the strongest brands in the category, including Danish, Swan-labelled Hoppekids Sebra, Leander, Baby Dan and Done by Deer.
Sustainable and safe environments: Approvals, FSC certified wood, and Swan label
When a bed surrounds the child for many hours, it is important that it is a good environment. You can ensure this by checking the bed's labels and approvals.
It is most common for children's beds to be made of wood. This is also consistently true for our selection. We believe it is important to think sustainably and environmentally friendly wherever we can. This can also be done in the choice of children's bed if you look for FSC certified wood, Swan label, and EU flower. All of these are markings that the product's journey has been well thought out and conducted with consideration for the environment. In this way, we can take care of our children and our planet.
At Mammashop, we offer among others the Swan-labelled children's beds from Danish Hoppekids.
On the Danish market, Hoppekids is still the only producer of modular children's beds that are Swan labelled as of the end of 2023. The certification was achieved in 2013 and has been in place ever since.
Swan label is the official Nordic environmental label and one of the world's strictest environmental certifications. It is your guarantee that the products you buy actively contribute to the green transition.
When it comes to furniture, the Swan Label sets strict requirements, which include:
- Use of recyclable raw materials that are less environmentally harmful.
- Minimum 70% certified wood materials.
- Environmental and health properties of chemicals used in production, material additives, or surface treatment.
- Limits for content and emissions of formaldehyde and VOCs in relevant chemicals and materials such as adhesives, fillers, textiles, wood-based panels, and laminates.
- Limits for energy consumption during production.
- Testing of quality and functionality.
- Guarantee, availability of spare parts, and circular design.
By purchasing a Swan-labeled bed from Hoppekids, you ensure that your child not only sleeps in a safe and chemical-free environment. But you also have a guarantee that your choice of crib overall contributes to the green transition.
Hoppekids has 3 Swan-labeled bed series:
While ECO Comfort is the budget-friendly solution, ECO Dream and ECO Luxury offer modularity, allowing the bed to grow with the child.
Read more about the options for letting the crib follow the child in the section 'Beds that grow with the child'.
Children's beds best in test
If you have an eye for the quality and the certifications we write about above, you are well on your way to finding a good bed for your child. But the bed is one of the most important pieces of furniture for the children's room, because it is the framework for sleep, and therefore it is extra important that you choose correctly.
It can be a good guideline to look for products that have 'best in test' markings, as this is a particularly good validation of the product. At Mammashop, it will be displayed as part of the product description. You can also always visit the think and test website and look up test results. We also have a we recommend marking, where it is products that our competent buyers recommend. But our entire selection of baby beds is handpicked based on our desire to only sell high quality and good products.
Different types of beds
One of the first things you need to figure out is what type of bed you need. Whether it should be for a baby or a child, or whether the bed should be able to expand and grow with the child. For each of these categories, there are also many different types of beds and various designs.
Below, we will go through the three categories with a closer description of what the different types of beds can do. We hope this can help you get closer to which bed you need.
Bed for baby
A baby can sleep in many different places; between their parents, in a cradle, stroller, or take a nap in the car seat. But at some point, when parents and child are ready, it can be beneficial for everyone's sleep that the baby gets their own bed.
At Mammashop, we have a large selection of baby beds and cradles, which are a good, safe choice for a baby bed. Several of our cribs/cradles have a drop side, allowing you to position the bed right next to the parents' bed for easy access to the child, for example, to breastfeed/comfort, etc.
In several cribs, the base can be adjusted up or down, so parents can easily reach their child, and it can be lowered when the child can sit up or stand. In many of them, the design also allows for one side of the bed to be opened, so it can follow the child in the first years.
One of the most important things about a bed for a baby is that it is made cozy, so the baby feels a sense of security. The transition from very little space in the womb to the big, wide world is overwhelming, and therefore many babies find comfort in being surrounded by soft things rather than too much space. This can be in a soft baby nest or with a nice bed bumper.
Baby cribs come in different sizes, the most common are 60 x 120 cm, 70 x 120 cm, and 70 x 140 cm. Always check the crib's exact dimensions before purchasing a mattress. This will be stated in the product description of the item.
Bed for children
Has your child grown big enough to sleep in their own room? There’s nothing cooler than getting your very own room with a cool children's bed. They come with slides, shaped like a house, or as bunk beds. There are really many options for how the bed in a child's room can become part of a child's dream room. Perhaps by filling it with stuffed animals, a beautiful bed canopy, or cozy bedding.
Children's and junior beds come in different sizes, the most common are 70 x 160 cm, 70 x 190 cm, and 90 x 200 cm. It’s about finding out what fits best in the room and possibly to the child's height curve, so you can enjoy the bed for as long as possible.
From baby to child
There are baby cribs that are designed to be expandable into a children's bed. This is a smart option for being able to use the same bed for a longer time. The small adjustments on the bed that make it a children's bed instead of a baby crib can give the bed a completely different expression, which can of course also be enhanced by the room's decor.
No child wants baby stuff , and certainly not sleep in a bed that looks like something for a baby. We have experienced it ourselves when our children were at that age. But you can overcome that issue with the beds in this category because the design of the bed is changed significantly. On the side, they can be found under cot beds, and their name will be baby-junior bed.
Remember to buy a mattress for the bed's new dimensions when it is expanded from a baby bed size to a child/junior bed size, as well as a duvet and pillow in the right size, so the child lies safely and comfortably all night.
Practical Considerations
Now we have gone through three categories where you have probably quickly found the one that fits your situation and your child's age. Below, we will take a closer look at some of the practical things that you can advantageously consider before investing in a baby and/or children's bed.
Safety
Safety is the most important thing with everything that surrounds our children. At Mammashop.dk, we only sell beds that we believe meet a safety standard that we would feel safe putting our little ones in for the night, and they are of course approved according to the applicable safety standards in the area.
It is important that you follow the instructions regarding the assembly of the bed, adjustment, and mattress height that apply to the bed you purchase.
In baby beds, especially cot beds, you need to be aware of how high you set the base if it can be adjusted. If your child can sit up by themselves, you should lower the base so that there is no risk of the child falling out of the bed. Lower the base again when the child can pull themselves up on the edges of the bed.
In a bed with bars, whether used for a baby or a child, it is important to have a bed rail so that the child does not get arms or legs stuck between the bars.
In a children's bed, it can be a good idea to have a bed rail that ensures the child lies safely in bed if it is not already built into the design of the bed.
Dimensions
As we have previously written, the most common dimensions for baby beds are 60 x 120 cm, 70 x 120 cm, or 70 x 140 cm. For children's beds, the dimensions are 70 x 160 cm, 70 x 190 cm, or 90 x 200 cm. There are brands that use other dimensions, which will be stated in the product description.
We sell mattresses in all of the above sizes - and in sizes that fit the beds you find with us. We also have mattresses for cradles, which most commonly measure 80 x 40 cm, and strollers, which often measure 30 x 75 cm or 36 x 96 cm.
Cozy
What is needed more than a good bed? Of course, a good mattress, duvet, and pillow in the right sizes, as well as sheets and bedding. If you need guides for this, you can check our guide to choosing a mattress and guide to choosing a duvet and pillow.
You can also make bedtime something extra cozy by adding small extra details. This can be stuffed animals, bed canopies, or a cute night lamp. It can also include special goodnight rituals or reading aloud from a good book.
Beds that grow with the child
As previously mentioned in this article, we sell the swan-marked children's beds from Danish Hoppekids.
Hoppekids has two series of modular beds that can grow with the child:
How the bed can grow with the purchase of modules depends on the size and color of the junior bed you initially choose.
But the options are many, as illustrated below, when purchasing a junior bed 90x200 cm. How the other sizes are modular can be read about under each product when you approach the choice of bed.
The slanted ladder at ECO Luxury can also be chosen as straight, and for both bed series, drawer sets, bed rails, and pull-out beds can be purchased.
Decorations and curtains for beds
Once you have chosen a bed for your child, you can take the next step and start planning how you want to decorate the bed so that it suits your child's taste. This could be with nice decorative pillows, a bed canopy, or beautiful bedding.
If you have chosen a Hoppekids mid-high bed, mid-height bed, or house bed, you can also create an extra cozy environment around the bed by purchasing a bed curtain.
The curtains from Hoppekids come in several different textile themes, and whether you want to create a delicate pink winter wonderland, a dinosaur cave, fill the room with stuffed animals - or create a fairy-tale atmosphere with Ole Lukøje, The Little Mermaid, or The Brave Tin Soldier - Hoppekids has the curtain for it.
Hoppekids bed curtains are available in two sizes: 90x200 cm and 70x160 cm - as well as for the house bed.
Bed test - 3 quick tips for choosing right
-
What do you need?
Consider what type of bed you need. Is it for a baby or a child? Or do you want it to follow the child through both stages? -
Space and budget
A bed can be large, both in terms of space and budget. Therefore, you can think about how much space you have for a bed and how much money you want to spend. They come in different sizes and price ranges. -
The child's bed
Note what is most important to you. Is it a slide down from the bed, FSC certified wood, Swan label, or a baby bed in timeless design?
Take good care of the bed
We hope that you now feel more assisted in making the right choice regarding the purchase of a bed. When the new bed arrives at your home, it is important that you take good care of it. If you do, the bed can provide good sleep for as long as possible.
You do this best by following these 3 tips:
- Assemble the bed thoroughly according to the user manual.
- Remember to retighten the screws in the bed at regular intervals.
- Clean the bed by following the instructions that come with the bed.
Sleep well!
We hope this guide has helped you, so you now feel better equipped to choose the right bed for your child. The next step is to find mattress, duvet and pillow, but we have made similar guides for that. Contact our customer service if you need further guidance or assistance – otherwise, we just wish you a good night's sleep.
