The Best Bunk Beds for Kids That Even Adults Can Appreciate

Finding the best bunk beds for kids may sound like an innocent-enough task, but there’s more to it than you think, particularly when it comes to safety. Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder. But there’s also a lot to love about the world of kids’ bunk beds these days that will make the days of summer camp a relic of the distant past, between sleek architectural setups with carved out nooks for climbing up to the top and cozy styles with separate staircases baked in. We spoke to designers with real-life experience (a.k.a. ones with kids!) on their suggestions for styles that will see your kids through the next few years of their childhood—ones with solid constructions, tasteful silhouettes, and kid-friendly corners. Basically: here’s what you need in the interim before you inevitably turn your child’s bedroom into your weight room, craft room, long-term guest bedroom for your more unreliable siblings, the list goes on.

Ahead, you’ll find some best-selling, expert-approved bunk bed options for all budgets to help set up the coolest kid’s bedroom ever, along with answers to FAQs from professionals on some of the biggest bunk bed quandaries. TLDR: Experts recommend bunk beds for ages six and up, don’t underestimate the power of a good guardrail, and always make sure to measure your ceiling height.

Our Top Picks for the Best Bunk Beds

Best Design

Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed

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$2,200

Oeuf

Best Budget Bunk

Rolanstar LED Charging Bunk Bed

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$210 $200 (5% off)

Amazon

Best Twin-Over-Full

Abridged White Glaze Wood Twin Over Full Bunk Bed

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$2,199

Crate & Barrel

Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed

$2,200

Oeuf

Veronika Bamfield—founder of Doma Design and mother of three—names this as one of her all-time favorite bunk beds for a number of reasons. “You can get a matching trundle bed, which is awesome if you need to accommodate three kids, or as an extra sleeping space for sleepovers,” she says. “It also has a neat matching shelving unit that attaches to the bed. It’s simple, minimalist, and sustainably made in Europe.” For those looking to introduce a minimalist and Scandi foundation to a kid’s room (a nice backdrop to the imminent mess), this is a great pick.

Best Budget Bunk

Rolanstar LED Charging Bunk Bed

$210 $200 (5% off)

Amazon

Every great vacation home has a bunk room for hosting far beyond its bathroom capacity. At $200 for a well-vouched-for bunk (700 reviewers are giving it over 4.5-stars), you could buy several of these to cram the bunk room in a way that’s—sure—a little less chic than Kendall Jenner’s mountain home approach, but vastly more functional. This model comes in twin over twin as well as full over full. Choose your own adventure.

Abridged White Glaze Wood Twin Over Full Bunk Bed

$2,199

Crate & Barrel

If you have a little more floorspace to spare, a twin-over-full style can accommodate a bigger brood. Sleek and sculptural, this is a design you won’t feel tempted to ditch the moment your kid outgrows a twin-size bed. The best part? The minimal silhouette and color palette means it won’t clash with an ever-changing room theme. The concealed ladder gives it an unexpectedly design-y touch for a child’s bed, and the overall structure looks the tiniest bit Brutalist and has a mature quality that’ll grow up with them.

Harriet Bee Twin Full Bolles Kids Bunk Bed

$1,279 $880 (31% off)

Wayfair

This Harriet Bee pick screams classic Americana. Anchored by a space-saving set of storage drawers, the high-quality pine wood construction of this bunk bed supports up to 400 pounds on each bunk. Plus, the angled ladder makes it super easy to climb into the upper sleeping space. You’ll be thanking yourself later for a couple extra drawers, especially when last-minute guests are crashing and your little angel has far from finished the task of cleaning their room.

Home Tour-Approved Bunk Bed

Pottery Barn Kids Belden Twin-Over-Full Stair Bunk Bed

$3,599 $3,399 (6% off)

Pottery Barn Kids

If it’s good enough for the AD PRO Directory’s Centered by Design, it’s good enough for any kid’s room. This twin-over-twin bunk bed was featured in this moody, French-inspired Chicago home, along with layered textiles and a kilim-inspired rug from Loloi. No more excuses—even a kid’s room can look sophisticated with enough consideration.

The Big Kid Bunk Bed

IKEA Småstad Bunk Bed

$699

IKEA

This has a luxury bunk bed feel to it—about as close to a ‘70s-inspired or mid-century piece as we could find in our search. Its solid eucalyptus frame is washed with an amber walnut veneer and the round, retro reliefs and under-bed storage give it a distinctly grown-up and design-conscious style. We love when kids’ furniture feels considered, not only because it looks beautiful, but because it extends the longevity of the piece—even into their big kid years.

Best Basic Bunk

IKEA Mydal Bunk Bed Frame

$349

Ikea

Every great vacation home has a bunk room for hosting far beyond its bathroom capacity. At $200 for a well-vouched-for bunk (700 reviewers are giving it over 4.5-stars), you could buy several of these to cram the bunk room in a way that’s—sure—a little less chic than Kendall Jenner’s mountain home approach, but vastly more functional. This model comes in twin over twin as well as full over full. Choose your own adventure.

Pottery Barn Tree House Twin-Over-Twin

$2,999 $2,799 (7% off)

Pottery Barn

This, right here, is the wood bunk bed of so many kids’ dreams. It’s imaginative, evoking days of playing dress up and house. “It’s something to inspire play,” says Bamfield, “but it requires sufficient ceiling height so may not work for every bedroom.” This is to say, check your measurements and then get excited. It comes in three colors (white, brushed grey, and weathered navy) and doesn’t lean too hard into the theme—the minimal silhouette will stand the test of time.

Max & Lily Staircase Bunk Bed

$889 $699 (21% off)

Max & Lily

Staircase bunk beds are just cute, there’s no getting around that. The other perk? They add a safer way to climb to the upper bunk. Hidden storage cubbies and substantial guard rails add more practicality to the playful silhouette. This design comes in five colors and, at just 50 inches tall, is especially great for rooms with low ceilings. The wraparound ladder gives a traipse to the top bunk a real sense of occasion, as bedtime for a little one often feels.

West Elm Gemini Bunk Bed

$1,599

West Elm

While we’re not sure there is such a thing as an “adult bunk bed” (or maybe more approximately, if there should be), this comes as close to it as one can. If your little one came out with high standards—an old soul that cries for Eames, maybe—this bed will satisfy their craving for a dignified bottom bunk. A built-in storage drawer doubles as a trundle pull-out (though that mattress is sold separately), giving your little intellectual ample space to store their Gagosian quarterlies and their cashmere throws.

West Elm Milo Bunk Bed

$1,999

West Elm

This is a bunk bed (plus trundle!) fit for the main character. For an aspiring royal (or two), this Regency style fits the bill exactly, with a cascading staircase, sturdy poplar base painted soft white, classic molding, and golden drawer pulls for added effect. For crafting a sleepover situation to remember, this is the ticket.

Babyletto Lido Wave Convertible Bunk Bed

$1,199

Babyletto

Babyletto delivers a bunk bed so fabulous, your child might actually be sort of let down by their graduation to a full-size bed. Few have such personality as this one with its thick frame and undulating border. The low-profile design is inspired by Montessori-style furniture, here meaning a tactile, fluid, and creative kid’s bed that encourages—thankfully—sleep. Anything to make bedtime less hectic. No need to stop there—there’s a matching nightstand, dresser, and bookshelves.