The Ultimate Guide To
Children’s Bed Sizes 0-5 Years
A child’s bed is their very own safe space. In a world run by grown ups, it’s the only place that is theirs and theirs alone for sleeping, playing, relaxing, reading and building truly awesome forts! It’s important to make the right choice when you’re buying a child’s bed, but for new parents looking at the different bed types and sizes available can be baffling.
There is a lot of choice, with many bed types and sizes overlapping, so we have put together this clear and simple guide to help you to decide the right bed for your child.
Newborn +
Moses basket
Starting with the smallest baby bed, a moses basket is a petite stand alone sleep space suitable for newborns. Usually made up of a bassinet with a separate stand, these tiny beds are handy for keeping baby close to you throughout the day and night even in smaller spaces.
Traditionally the bassinet is woven from wicker like a basket, and this style is still very popular today, but there is now a wide range of moses baskets made from everything from stiffened felt to recycled plastic.
A great benefit of a moses basket is its portability - you can lift off the bassinet and put it down on any firm flat surface to put baby down to sleep - handy to move around the house during the day. However when baby needs an extra bit of help to soothe them to sleep many moses baskets come with a rocking stand, so that you can gently calm and lull little ones into dreamland.
Crib
Another small bed designed for newborns, a crib is often slightly larger than a moses basket but still very compact. Similar in shape to a moses basket, they are usually in the form of mini bed on top of a stand, however they are more solidly made and not designed for portability.
The benefit of a crib over a moses basket is that it will take a little longer for baby to outgrow it, and parents may prefer a more robust piece of furniture - particularly if planning to pass it on to future babies.
Shop Kabode’s range of organic crib bedding here.
Bedside sleeper
In recent years bedside sleepers have hugely grown in popularity, with many parents opting for this type of bed rather than a moses basket or crib. A bedside sleeper enables a different way of parenting through the night. The bed attaches safely to the side of parents bed, creating a safe sleep space for baby that is within arms reach, enabling safe cosleeping. Great for night time breastfeeding or settling baby throughout the night without having to sit up and get out of bed, it’s easy to see why bedside sleepers have caught on!
Many bedside sleepers convert into cots by lowering the base and adding a side, so although they can be expensive at first gance, they can have great longevity and be used well beyond the first year.
6 months +
Cot
Babies can sleep in cots from the day they are born, as long as they are on a firm, flat mattress this is perfectly safe and suitable, so if that’s what suits your family, go ahead!
However safer sleep guidelines are that baby should sleep in same room as its parents for the first six months, so many people opt for one of the smaller beds mentioned above to comfortably fit it into their room and give baby a cosier sleep space, and then move them into a full size cot in their own room at around 6 months.
There are lots of beautiful cots available, from traditional styles with sleigh ends, to modern scandi designs made from FSC approved wood. Cots are also available to suit every budget, and can be the centrepiece of a nursery. Aesthetically you can go to town here choosing a cot that suits your interior design!
Practically, the things to consider when choosing a cot are:
- Do you want an adjustable base?
When babies are tiny it is helpful to have the base higher to avoid back strain when lifting them out, but as they get bigger and are able to pull up and stand the base needs to be lowered so that they can’t fall out.
An alternative to a base that can lift is a drop side - the side of the cot lowers down to enable you to reach in and lift the baby without reaching over the steep side.
-Do you need storage space?
Some cots are designed to make use of the space underneath the mattress. Even a few inches can be enough to store your nappy stash, so if space is limited look for a cot that allows access to this area.
-Will you be storing the cot for a future baby?
If you plan to keep the cot or pass it around the family getting one that flat packs may be smart forward thinking.
Shop Kabodes range of organic cot bedding here.
Cot Bed
Bigger than a cot, smaller than a single bed, a cot bed is designed to be used from baby all the way up to early childhood. Usually it starts off looking like a cot, with sides and ends to keep a baby in place, but a larger surface area than a standard cot. Once baby becomes a toddler the sides and end can be taken off, transforming it into a small bed. Typically children stay in these until they outgrow them, around five years old.
Shop Kabodes range of organic cot bed bedding here.
2 years +
Single bed
The age at which your child moves from their cot into their very own ‘big bed’ is entirely up to you and them. You might make the change because they have grown too big for their cot or cot bed, or because they are ready for more independence and the ability to climb in and out of bed independently. Some families will make the change because a new baby is on the way so the cot will be needed by the baby.
A child of any age can sleep in a single bed, but for younger children be aware that they may roll out - so consider the height of the bed and put a soft rug down by the side of it, or use detachable bed guards.
High sleeper or bunk bed
These airy beds are raised up, making use of vertical space in a bedroom. They allow the space underneath the bed to be used as a play area or desk, or to put two beds in the floorspace of one. Not recommended for toddlers and young children due to the height, they can be great fun for a child who is capable of sensibly climbing up and down a ladder to bed.
Hopefully this guide will have made the different bed sizes available a little clearer to you! As you can see, there are various choices at each stage, and options which may seem more expensive may prove better value long term, so it’s worth thinking ahead and choosing the furniture which will suit your child as they grow. And don’t forget, once you have chosen the right bed, we have all the organic bedding to make it look and feel aaaaaaaah-mazing!