All guides
14 UK guides on fit, bed type and bunk-bed safety.
Bunk bed ceiling height in the UKMeasure from the floor to the ceiling where the top bunk will be, then subtract the frame and the mattress. A widely published UK retailer guideline is 75 cm of clear space above the mattress so a child can sit up. That figure is not a legal minimum.Bunk beds for low and sloped ceilingsOn a slope, the measurement that matters is the lowest ceiling above the place the child sits and climbs. A shorty bunk is a lower, often shorter frame. If the low side is still tight, two ordinary beds are the safer layout.How much floor space does a bunk bed need?A UK single mattress is 90 × 190 cm. The frame is larger, and the ladder, shelves, drawers and a desk add more. Plan the floor from the maker’s overall width and depth, then check the door still opens.Getting a bunk bed up the stairsOrder it flat-packed and measure the longest panel against the stair width, the landing and the turn. The assembled height is a bedroom problem, not a staircase problem.Ladder side, doors, radiators and windowsPut the ladder on a clear piece of floor, not over a radiator and not in the door swing. Keep window blind cords out of the bed.UK mattress sizes for bunks and shortiesMost UK bunks take a 90 × 190 cm single. A small single is 75 × 190 cm. A shorty is often around 75 × 175 cm, which is shorter again. Depth is a separate limit, marked on the frame.
Bunk, cabin, mid sleeper or high sleeperA bunk stacks two beds. A mid sleeper is a lower raised bed with space underneath. A high sleeper is one high bed, often with a desk. A cabin is a raised bed with a den or storage. The upper bed of anything with a base 600 mm or more off the floor carries the under-six warning.Shorty bunk beds for smaller roomsA shorty bunk is a lower, usually shorter bunk for a tight ceiling. Boori’s typical mattress is about 75 × 175 cm, and their typical top surface is about 120–130 cm. Confirm both figures on the model you buy.High sleeper with a desk for teensA high sleeper puts one bed at the ceiling and a desk underneath. The Ocean listing is 178.5 cm tall before the mattress. You still need sitting headroom, a chair that pulls out, and the maker’s weight limit if they publish one.Cabin beds and storage underneathA cabin bed trades floor for a den or for drawers. If the mattress base is 600 mm or more above the floor, treat it as a high bed: the under-six warning and the marked mattress thickness apply.
What age for a top bunk?Beds with a base higher than 600 mm are marked as not suitable for children under six. That is a warning, not a statement that six is old enough. Follow the maker if they set a higher age.Bunk bed mattress depth and guard railsA thick mattress lifts the child up the guard rail. The frame is marked with a maximum mattress thickness. A trade summary of BS EN 747-1:2024 says the mattress top should stay at least 160 mm below the top of the barrier.BS EN 747: what parents need from the bunk bed standardBS EN 747-1:2024 is the safety, strength and durability standard for bunks and high beds whose base is 600 mm or more above the floor. A listing that says “safe” is not the same as a test report for that model.