Countless number of homes around the globe use bunk beds. These are available in various designs and have a number of advantages. Besides helping in saving ample amount of space, these have certain features like availability of drawers, shelves and some of the advanced designs have even study space for the kids. Wood and metal are commonly used for their manufacture, and metal is increasingly used to make bunk beds. Metal bunk beds have certain advantages over any other material.

The metal bunk beds are lighter in weight in comparison to other types of materials and you can have a wide range of designs, colors and themes in them. Another advantage of metal bunk beds is that these are available in much lesser price than those manufactured by other materials.

Along with these advantages, there have been numerous reports of problems being faced by those people who have bought them. Problems related to their joints are common and many times these need to be welded when these start getting loose. The top bunks of metal bunk beds have been reported to collapse and issues with faulty alignments are on the rise. Due to the problem in their alignment, these may even start wobbling with time. Corrosion and dents in the metal body are common.

There are other disadvantages with such beds as well. This may result in loss of strength and the rusted part looks bad. Sometimes, the paint of the bed would fade and may form chips which start falling off. Due to such problems, there have been a number of cases of recall of these products by their manufacturers. There have been a number of questions on their safety. Since these are mostly used by the children, the safety concern gets even more serious.

That’s right – you heard right. Most parents have reservations about putting bunk beds, especially metal bunk beds, in their children’s room. They think that these may not be the safest option. This is a false notion, one that the bunk bed industry is working hard to eliminate for good through the implementation of strict rules and regulations in the manufacturing of bunk beds for children.

ASTM Safety Standards

So, just what exactly are these rules and regulations that manufacturers of metal bunk beds need to follow? Well, there are plenty of them, all set by the American Society for Testing Materials, otherwise known to the public simply as ASTM, and some of them are most important in the manufacturing of metal bunk beds. For example, these bunk beds are required to have guard rails, which are to be installed on both sides of the top bunk. In cases where the manufacturer of the bed has specified the maximum thickness of the mattress to be used, the upper edges of the guard rails are required to be five inches or less above the top surface of said mattress. Other standards to be strictly followed include the tightness of the fastening device of the guard rails, the openings in the structure that immediately surrounds the top bunk, and other hazards usually associated with bunk beds for children, regardless of their age, sex and size.

More Reasons to Go for them

Bunk beds are considered icons as far as sleeping spaces for children are concerned. They have been around for decades, and with every year they have become better in terms of design, style, price, and safety (as already mentioned above). The metal varieties have become quite popular over the last few years because of the many advantages they offer, including durability, affordability, and trendiness.

Bunk beds made of metal are no doubt stable and strong, thanks to their composition. Thus, they are durable and can be expected to last for many years. They can even be passed on from one child to the next without need for much reconstruction or refurbishing. Also, because of the increasing number of manufacturers making bunk beds from metal, these beds come with competitive prices that are sure to give their wooden counterparts a run for their money. Finally, no one can deny the cool factor that bunk beds, even the metal ones, provide. They’re every child’s dream.

So, looking for bunk beds? Make sure to go for those made of metal and enjoy great benefits.