Choosing the right junior bed is an important milestone in your child's development. And perhaps also in your own parenting. The little child, who has just come into the world, has suddenly become too big for the crib or bassinet. Or you may have witnessed several back-breaking scenarios where your little Houdini has tried to scale the edge of the crib like a little escape artist.

When there simply isn’t any more room in the crib. When the child expresses the desire for a bigger bed. Or when it becomes dangerous with a bed that has high edges, because the child wants to climb out by themselves: it is time to get a junior bed!

It can be difficult to pinpoint an exact age for when this is, but for most children, it will be somewhere between 2½ and 3 years old.

The transition from crib to junior bed

What will happen when the child suddenly has a bed they can sneak out of many times a night? Fear not - for the transition to a good junior bed often goes much more smoothly than anyone dared hope.

Can you remember the first time you dropped your child off at daycare or nursery? Perhaps you also felt that your baby suddenly became very, very big...? You will likely have the same feeling when you switch to a junior bed. Or as it is also called in many children's minds: a 'big kid's bed' - or a 'children's bed', rather than a 'baby bed'. 

For that is precisely the feeling you instill in your child when this transition occurs. 'You are big, and we see and acknowledge that - so now you will have a new bed for children - not for babies'.

It is an exciting transition for the child, and in most cases, it will make the child very eager to sleep in the new bed. Perhaps at bedtime with a little hand in mom's or dad's, to create comfort in the new environment is well known. 

How to choose the right junior bed

The next decision is: which junior bed should we choose? Because there are many considerations to take into account when choosing a new bed. The market for children's beds is enormous, and it can feel like a jungle.

Should we choose a junior bed 70x160 or a junior bed 90x200? 

Should it be a pull-out bed, or a junior bed with drawers? And should we have a bed guard for the junior bed?

Is price important, or is it more important to have a bed that is more durable and perhaps can be passed down? Maybe a junior bed that can grow with the child?

Should the bed be made of FSC® (FSC-C109484) certified wood - or should it maybe be Swan labeled?

Should it be a boys' bed, or a bed for a girls' room? And does it even matter to you? Maybe it just needs to be a white junior bed or a wooden junior bed, so you can decorate and furnish the sleeping nook as you wish.

Furthermore, the first junior bed should be more than just comfortable; it should also create a sense of security and safety to ease the transition and promote healthy sleep habits from the start.

The market for junior beds can therefore feel overwhelming, but making the right decision doesn’t have to be that complicated. We are happy to offer our suggestions for a range of beds that we do not hesitate to recommend.

Hoppekids junior beds

At Mammashop, we sell among others the quality-assured children's beds from Danish Hoppekids.

In addition to the two variants MAJA and NOAH, the junior beds from Hoppekids come in 3 series, all designed in solid FSC® (FSC-C109484) certified pine wood. The beds are also Swan labeled, which very few other children's beds are.

ECO Comfort 70x160 cm. - the budget-friendly choice

ECO Comfort junior beds measure 70x160 cm., which is an ideal size for the first bed, and they come in a range of cheerful colors that can add color to any children's room.

For the beds, a mattress, drawer set for practical storage, and bed rail for safety can be added.

The beds are in the absolutely budget-friendly range, especially considering the Swan label.

ECO Dream - the bed that grows with the child

ECO Dream comes in several sizes: 70x160 (white), 70x190 (white), and 90x200 (various colors) cm., and it offers the option to add a mattress, drawers, pull-out bed, small ladder, and bed rail/-guard.

In addition, the bed is partially modular, which means that it can grow with the child by adding other modules from the ECO Dream series. Which other type of bed ECO Dream can develop into depends on the size of the bed. But the options are, for example, a mid-high bed, mid-high bed with slide, mid-height bed, high bed, bunk bed, canopy bed, and house bed.

Last but definitely not least, there is a 10-year warranty on ECO Dream.

ECO Luxury - fully modular, Swan marked junior bed with lifetime warranty

The ultimate Rolls Royce of junior beds is ECO Luxury. Just like ECO Dream, it comes in several sizes and also offers the option to purchase products such as pull-out beds, drawers, and bed rails. You can also upgrade from the classic slatted base to a molded laminated slatted base when purchasing the model in size 90x200 cm, which increases the sleeping comfort in the junior bed.

ECO Luxury is fully modular, which means that it can grow with the child by adding other modules from the ECO Luxury series.

Therefore, over time it can be transformed into, for example, a mid-high bed, mid-high bed with slide, mid-height bed, high bed, bunk bed, canopy bed, and house bed, depending on the size of the bed.

Uniquely for the ECO Luxury series, a lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects is offered upon registration of the bed.

Comparison between Hoppekids Junior Beds

If the choice is still difficult to make, we have the opportunity to provide you with a schematic overview of the differences between the junior beds in the three bed series: ECO Comfort, ECO Dream, and ECO Luxury with help from Hoppekids:

We hope that with this overall overview you have gained an insight into Hoppekids junior beds, which gives you a direction to continue your search when you are on the hunt in the jungle of children's beds, to find the perfect junior bed for your child.

/ Team Mammashop