Factors to consider when buying a bed for your child

To many people, buying a bed for a baby or young child simply means getting him or her something affordable and comfortable to sleep on.  Indeed, to many parents convenience is the overriding factor. However as Mr Tony Mugita, the head of operations at FunKidz Ltd, a Nairobi-based company that specialises in children’s furniture, notes, buying a child’s bed is not as simple as it appears. Below are some factors to consider.

Safety

“If a bed is too convenient for you,” he says. For instance, it is important to be mindful of the child’s health, so go for a bed that’s painted with lead-free paints, since lead inhalation is harmful to health.  And if you buy a bed from a foreign country, he advises, ensure that its measurements tally with those of mattresses available locally to avoid the cost of having a custom-made mattress.

Another problem is that you will not find a ready buyer for such a bed should you wish to dispose of it in future, says Mr Mugita.

The right bed for the right age

Mr Mugita notes that many parents buy a big bed so that their children can use it until they grow up. “That is a bad approach. Parents should consider a child’s age. This is because if you put a toddler, who can move around easily, in an infant’s bed, chances of them toppling over from the bed head-first are very high,” says Mr Mugita. “If your baby is below two-and-a-half years, buy a baby cot. When the baby is above that age, buy a toddler bed, then a junior bed as they grow.” 

Quality of the finish

Children’s beds should be easy to clean and maintain. So a white bed on which it easy to spot dirt is a good choice because it becomes easy to clean and maintain it.

When buying a bed, try to get one from a reputable company, preferably locally, so that you can easily access after-sales service, if need be For instance, the bed might get damaged when you are moving house, necessitating the replacement of the damaged part.

Design and decoration

Beds for kids come in various designs, but you can choose a plain coloured bed and have it decorated for a more personal touch. For instance, a boy might want to have a racing car painted on his bed while a girl might want hers decorated with her favourite cartoon character.

Cost cutting

Children’s beds do not come cheap, but there are ways of cutting costs. For instance, if you have two children sharing a room, buy a bunk bed instead of buying two beds. Better still, some come with drawers beneath the staircase, as well as a retractable bed.

Such a bed undoubtedly comes in handy when you have young guests sleeping over at your house. You can pull out the retractable bed at night and place a mattress on it to create extra sleeping space and be push it back in during the day.