What age for a top bunk?

What the marking says

SATRA, writing about EN 747-1:2024, says any bed with a bed base higher than 600 mm is to be clearly and permanently marked “This bed is not suitable for children under six years”, or with a pictogram that says the same thing. Flair’s trade summary says the same: the upper bed is not suitable for children under 6. BSI’s scope for the standard starts at a bed base 600 mm or more above the floor.

The older Bunk Beds (Entrapment Hazards) (Safety) Regulations 1987 were revoked in full by the Product Safety (Revocation) Regulations 2012. Do not plan from the 1987 gap sizes. Flair’s guide, reviewed 30 October 2026, says that in Great Britain the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require consumer products to be safe, and that meeting a relevant standard such as BS EN 747 is the usual way to show a bunk is safe. Flair also says that in Northern Ireland the EU General Product Safety Regulation applies. This page is not legal advice.

Six is not a target

The warning rules children out below six. It does not say a child who has just turned six will use a ladder safely at night. Boori’s shorty guide sets age 9 and above for the top bunk in that series. If the child will not reliably use the ladder when they are half-asleep, keep them on the lower bed or on a floor-level single, whatever the birthday.

This is a judgement about that child, not a medical rule and not a second legal age. We have not assessed your child.

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