Trundle beds are extremely safe due to their lock in place design. If you are looking for a safe bed to sleep in at night, then a trundle bed is a great option. There are various ways in which trundle beds are engineered for safety.
Trundle beds are not dangerous for even small children. Trundle beds are designed to pull open and lock in place, creating a safe space near the floor for sleeping. Trundle beds are designed with no spaces to slip into when the bed is open. They are considered to be much safer than high bunk beds.
The pull-out section of the trundle bed locks in place, and the mattress sits flush against the side rail of the upper bed. This design keeps sleepers safely on the mattress, unable to roll underneath the bed. There are additional considerations to take when purchasing a trundle bed which this article will discuss in detail.
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Safety Designs on a Trundle Bed
Trundle beds are designed to give people an extra bed that does not take up extra space in the daytime. Instead, the bed can be rolled away when it is not needed, then pulled out and made available for additional sleepers.
Trundle beds are best for children and teens. This is because the mattresses are thinner than regular beds, so they are not very comfortable for adults. However, there are trundle beds with weight limits up to 450 pounds for those who need this type of setup for adult guests.
Trundle beds are designed to be safe. They are engineered to provide a safe extra bed. Accidents are extremely rare because of these safety measures, and parents can take extra steps to double-ensure that trundle beds are safe for sleeping in.
- Trundle beds have latches that keep the bottom portion attached to the upper portion when it is open. These latches stop the bottom of the bed from pulling away from the upper portion of the bed, creating a gap for a child to roll into.
- People who own older trundle beds without safety latches can install them on the bed. Alternatively, the upper and lower can be strapped together with cable ties, keeping them from moving apart.
- Trundle beds have locking wheels or casters to keep the bottom portion from moving when the trundle is in use. Those who have older beds without locking casters can easily and cheaply swap them out for locking casters. Be sure to measure the existing casters and buy replacements of the same size.
- Trundle bed mattresses are sized to eliminate any gap between the mattress and the upper bed. Use of properly sized mattresses helps to eliminate any gapping risks.
It is important also to realize that accidents happen when people do not use the safety measures that are given for products. The latches and locks do not work if they are not engaged every single time the trundle bed is opened. It is the responsibility of those using the bed to ensure that it is pulled out correctly and locked in place.
Some trundle beds include a small rail on the outside of the lower mattress to keep sleepers from rolling off of the trundle mattress. Although the mattress is so low to the ground that there is no real danger if someone rolls out, parents of toddlers can invest in a simple padded bed rail to keep rolling toddlers on the bed. These types of rails cantilever under the mattress, making them easy to set up and remove.
Do Trundle Beds Pop Up?
There are two styles of trundle beds. The original style is simply a rolling bed underneath a slightly larger bed. Each bed is a platform-style bed with a solid base and a single mattress that lays over the solid frame. The lower mattress slides up under the upper mattress when not in use, saving space. This usually looks like a storage drawer up under the bed which reveals a mattress when it is pulled out.
The second style of trundle bed is just as convenient, but the end result is more appropriate for those looking to expand sleeping space for adult couples. This type of trundle bed pulls out and then pops upward to create an additional sleeping space that is at the same level as the initial mattress.
- Pop-up trundle beds create a relatively unified sleeping space for adults.
- The sleeping surface can be further unified by covering it with a single mattress topper. This also helps the bed to feel much more comfortable for adults.
- To open a pop-up trundle, the base is typically pulled out, and then a lever or button is used to lower the legs which make the trundle rise to the same level as the upper mattress.
- Sometimes the trundle must be lifted out and up, and then scissor-like legs underneath can be lowered to meet the floor.
- To keep both mattresses as close as possible, users can use cable ties to join the pop-up legs to the main trundle frame legs. The two usually do not slide apart, but it is possible that they may shift and cause the crack between to get wider.
- This style of bed is more suitable for adults. Those who plan to use this for small children should include removable head, foot, and side rails for safety.
- All latches and locks should be double-checked for security before the bed is used.
The pop-up trundle bed is not really as safe for children in that they can crawl up and underneath the bed. Kids can crawl up underneath anything, but the collapsible nature of the pop-up trundle makes it a little less safe for kids to play in and around.
For adults, the pop-up trundle is a winner. This allows hosts to create additional bed space for guests without having to deal with a large bed in the space when it is not needed. The addition of a nice quality mattress topper will make this a welcome space for short- and long-term guests alike.
Situations Where a Trundle Bed is Dangerous
A trundle bed is a very safe bed to use in normal circumstances, where a responsible adult has ensured that the frame is locked in place. However, negligence and inattention can cause accidents that happen around trundle beds.
- Children can intentionally crawl into the empty space that is left open by a trundle bed. This can be accessed by removing the lower mattress. On some models this space can be accessed via the end of the bed. Purchase a trundle bed that does not leave these gaps when it is open.
- Fingers can be pinched when lowering a pop-up trundle bed or sliding in a regular trundle bed. Keep kids away for their safety when putting a trundle bed away.
- Kids can roll out of a raised pop-up bed, and roll up under the bed. The bed is not likely to collapse on the child, but this is not a comfortable situation.
These situations can be mitigated by simply paying attention to what children are doing around a trundle bed, and locking it away in its storage location when it is not being used. Children should not be using trundle beds as toys.
Both regular and pop-up trundle beds are much safer than bunk beds. Kids fall off of bunk bed ladders and roll out of or fall off of bunk beds regularly and sustain injuries. The trundle bed provides this same compact sleeping arrangement, but kids are low to the floor. They are unlikely to roll out, but if they do, they will not get hurt.
Conclusion
Trundle beds are very safe. In fact, they are safer than the typical bunk bed setup that exists in most homes with multiple kids. Trundle beds must be locked properly when they are open or closed and not treated as indoor toys.