Bunk Bed Guide
Types

Cabin beds and storage underneath

A 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.

By the Bunk Bed Guide team · Updated 13 November 2026

Storage takes floor as well as height

Drawers under a cabin have to open. Stairs with cupboards need the door to swing. A slide, if the bed has one, needs a clear landing. Add those to the frame size before you decide the room is big enough. The floor-space guide walks through the same idea for ladders.

Height decides the rules

Parents often buy a cabin so a younger child can sleep up a little and play underneath. BSI’s scope for BS EN 747-1:2024 starts when the upper surface of the bed base is 600 mm or more above the floor. Above that line, SATRA’s account of the marking is a permanent warning that the bed is not suitable for children under six. A den underneath does not remove the warning.

Flair’s summary also says that if the bunk includes other furniture, such as a desk or storage, the standards for that furniture can apply as well. A cabin is often both a bed and a set of drawers.

Questions people ask

Is a cabin better for a three-year-old than a bunk?

Only if the sleeping surface is low enough that the maker does not class it as an upper bed, and the instructions agree. A high cabin is a high bed.

Can the younger child play underneath while the older one sleeps on top?

Yes, if the upper bed is for the older child and the under-space is open enough to climb out. Do not put the younger child on top because the den looks enclosed.

Sources

Opened 13 November 2026. The maker’s sheet and the mark on the bed take precedence.

  1. BS EN 747-1:2024 — Furniture. Bunk beds and high beds. Safety, strength and durability requirements — BSI
  2. Testing the safety, strength and durability of bunk beds and high beds — SATRA
  3. Bunk bed safety standards: BS EN 747 explained for trade buyers — Flair Trade

Keep going

Types

Bunk, cabin, mid sleeper or high sleeper

A 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.

Types

Shorty bunk beds for smaller rooms

A 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.

Types

High sleeper with a desk for teens

A 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.