Your child can outgrow cribs too fast before you even notice. The size isn’t the true concern, it’s the look and design. It looks awful for a toddler to sleep in those tiny cribs!
Moreover, you might be expecting a newborn in the upcoming months and you need to move your grown-up kid to a new bed.
Enter Toddler beds. They come in all sorts of colors, enticing themes and makes your child feel that she’s growing up.
We reviewed 10 beds – perfect in terms of height, safety and design.
Let’s get started!
| Images | Products Name | |
|---|---|---|
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Dream On Me Classic Design Toddler Bed | |
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Delta Children Canopy Toddler Bed | |
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Kidkraft Race car bed | |
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Costzon Toddler Bed | |
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Delta Children 3D-Footboard Toddler Bed |
10 Perfect Size Beds For 3 Year Old Toddler 2023
1.Dream On Me Toddler Bed
The Dream On Me is a simple and minimalistic toddler bed with as much as 12 color options to choose from. The head and footboards have a gentle arch and an overall neutral theme to blend into any decor.
The bed is just 30†high for your 3 year old to get on and off easily. There are two side rails of 22.2†length for extra safety. You can install extra rails as you have almost 29†of open space. So, that’s a plus point.
The build quality is quite good compared to the price. The bottom is mainly slats but still can handle 50 lbs of weight. The center lag mainly helps to stabilize the unit. It’s sturdy enough to accommodate your weight to some extent if you want to spend some time with your child on the bed.
It complies with CPSC and ASTM standards and is free from BPA, phthalates and other toxins. So, your child can live safely for the coming years.
Assembling this bed is the hardest part. The instructions aren’t clear. So, it will take some DIY skills to get it together. But well worth the effort!
2.Delta Children Canopy Toddler Bed
The Delta Children Canopy is one of the best beds for your 3 year old daughters. The Disney Princess theme looks awesomely cute and comes in two attractive colors- Blue and Pink.
The frame of the bed is mainly steel with high-quality plastic parts. It has a weight limit of 50 lbs and additionally can handle an adult’s weight. So, you can sit and read bedtime stories with no issues.
Any type of standard crib mattress should fit in this bed. You can also purchase the bed and mattress combo to save the hassle. The recommended mattress size is 1310mm L x 690 mm W x 100mm D. If you have one of the same size from the older crib, then you can use that.
The canopy is a unique design to this bed. When you set up, your kid will absolutely love it. However, the real disappointment was the canopy poles as they are flimsy and don’t hold up quite well. We expect an upgrade from the manufacturer.
It does meet all sorts of safety standards. Overall, it’s a great bed to have for little ladies!
3.Max & Lily Solid Wood Twin-Size Low Loft BedÂ
There’s not a lot of loft beds for 3 year olds that are worth buying! The Max & Lily loft bed is an exception. It’s a space-saving bed and together with the slide, it becomes a super fun factor for kids of this age.
The bed is solidly built with Newzealand pine wood and will last longer than you expect. The 400 lbs weight limit doesn’t only speaks for the sturdiness, it also enables parents to share the bed with their younger one.
Being a loft bed, the area beneath is left open. It has a height of 33.35†from the floor to the bottom of the bed. You can leave it as it is to use as a play space or accommodate a few pieces of furniture.
There are two openings on the side of the bed that you can use to insert the slide and the ladder. The good thing is you can use the ladder/slide on any side you want. For most parents, the slide alone was a deal maker, apart from the quality of this bed.
The bed is spacious enough and a standard twin size mattress can easily fit in. On top, there is a 14-in guard rail for safety and protection of children from falling. It comes with pine slats for holding the mattress. But you might need to buy an additional board to keep the slats from bending.
Assembling the bed could be a bit time consuming, but it’s pretty straightforward. Putting together the slide and the guardrails are the toughest part. In Short, this is a bed that your 3 year old can use as he grows for many more years.
4.Kidkraft Race Car Toddler Bed
If you wanted us to pinpoint on a toddler bed especially for boys, the Kidkraft Race Car is what we would recommend every time! We have seen little kids going crazy over this bed, just because the design is that enticing.
Keeping the car design intact, the bed has rails on both sides. The best part is the one-stair board installed at the front of the bed. This makes it extremely easy to get on and off. It has 18.2†height and for 3-year-olds that’s just perfect.
It will fit almost any standard crib mattress and has wooden construction for safe and toxin-free experience. It can handle weight up to 50 lbs, which is enough for most children at this age.
Overall, it seems like a stable bed with a child-friendly theme. The only thing that could have been included was a non-slip mat for the stair area. But, not a big deal.
5.Delta Children Toddler Tent Bed
A tent bed wouldn’t be a bad option either for your 3 year old kid. The Mickey mouse themed tent can be a way to keep your toddler in bed a little longer!
The bed is made from mainly steel and high-quality plastic components. It can hold up to 50 lbs. Moreover, there are two guardrails for additional safety.
The tent is functional but doesn’t have the best build quality. If it becomes loose or goes down, you can detach it from the frame and still use the bed without issues. The bed itself is great BTW!
6.South Shore Sweedi Toddler Bed
If you are still not sure which bed to buy for your 3 year old toddler, check out the South Shore Sweedi. It’s not like a regular bed built high up from the floor. It’s more like a floor bed with an interesting design to change the outlook of the nursery.
The clean lines of the bed frame really gives it a modern feel. It’s crafted out of solid poplar wood. Compared to pine, poplar wood looks more expensive if after applying finish and paint. This is an unfinished wood and you have the option to apply any color to match your decor.
The bed is of the size of a crib. So, almost any standard crib mattress will work on it. This is a safer option for parents whose children are extremely mobile and even guardrails can’t stop them from falling. The floor model can just be the thing you wanted.
If you want to get into the bed with your child, you can remove one of the top crossbars. This won’t disturb the structure and you will have sufficient head clearance to play with your kid.
7.Walker Edison Wood Twin Bunk Kids Bed
A lot of the twin bunk beds sold online won’t work for 3-year-old kids. If you have to buy a bunk bed for kids of this age, it has to be a little low to the ground for safety. The Walker Edison could be the best option you have!
The bed is built with solid pine wood and needless to say it’s durable and long-lasting. The top bunk and the lower bunk will support 250 lbs each. That’s good enough for your kids to use it for many more years. Just make sure to keep your younger child on the lower bunk as he won’t get hurt if he falls.
For those who are concerned with the color of the bed, it’s more of a cream/off-white rather than complete white. We think the height of the bottom bunk could have been a few inches taller, but for only sleeping, 1.5-in should be good enough.
The only thing that you might have to add is a board over the wooden slats. There have been few incidents where the slats were beginning to bend down. But there were no reports of breaking or collapsing, period.
8.KidKraft Airplane Toddler Bed
You can go a bit more funky on your hunt for the best toddler bed for a 3 year old. This airplane themed bed looks super cool and enough to get your toddler excited. Though your child can quickly outgrow it in a few years, the years of using it will become memorable.
Don’t be confused into thinking that the bed is plastic or the colors are fake and laminated. The whole bed is made from sturdy wood and the colors are actually real paint, no stickers or plastics!
Here’s an interesting thing. The proper that you can see at the front actually spins if you turn it with your hand. The footboard has an additional storage space to keep a few toys or clothes in place. If you really love the design, you can match it up with the KidKraft Airplane Bookcase.
The assembling is the toughest part. It’s easy but will take a few hours as there’s a lot of parts to get together.
9.Costzon Toddler Bed
The Costzon is one of the very few toddler beds that can grow with your child. The twin size makes it perfectly usable for lots of years to come. It has 3 color themes to suit both girls and boys.
The construction is premium MDF wood with an eco-friendly varnish. So, the bed is durable and has a long lifespan. It has the highest weight capacity (440 lbs.) among all the other toddler beds in this review. That’s a deal-breaker!
The 32†height is quite low for kids and makes getting off and on smooth and safe. On top of that, you can adjust the support feet to match your child’s height as he grows. The feet have anti-slip property to ensure stability and reduce scratches on the floor.
The head and footboard are both covered with soft sponge. This helps to minimize the risk of collision if your child bumps against the bed during sleep or play. However, the foam fabric might not be as durable as expected.
The MDF board used in this bed has a CARB 2 grade. It only emits 0.1mg/L, which is a lot less than the recommended 1.5mg/L range. Totally safe for kids.
10.Delta Children 3D-Footboard Toddler Bed
The Delta Children 3D-Footboard is yet another Disney Princess themed bed for little girls. The overall design and build quality makes it one of the best beds for 3 year old kids.
The bed has a steel frame with high-quality plastic components. The plastic is sturdy and not flimsy, period. It meets JPMA, CPSC and ASTM standards, so it’s safe from all ways!
You can use any standard crib mattress on this bed or buy separately from the manufacturer. The weight limit is 50 lbs but can hold a lot more than that- suitable for sitting and spending time with your kid.
There are two guard rails for additional safety. The unit is quite light and easy to move for cleaning! It has a height of approx 26â€, which should be easy for most children at this age to climb.
The only issue we found was the big bar in the middle of the bed. Your kid won’t feel it, so that’s an advantage. Overall, recommended!
Things to Consider Before Buying Beds for Toddlers
1. Safety factors
- Guard rails: All beds for 3-year-old kids come with guard rails. These help to transition from crib to bed safely and smoothly.
- Complies with safety standards: JPMA, CPSC and ASTM are some of the common standards for toddler bed. Make sure the bed complies with them.
2. Bed and mattress size
Generally, most kid’s beds have the same size as the crib. So, a standard crib mattress of 52†L x 28†W – 56â€L x 28â€W should fit most beds. The Costzon is the only bed with twin size, which is great for growing kids.
3. Weight capacity
Toddler beds often have the highest weight limit of 50 lbs. This is enough for most children to sleep alone. However, if you are looking to co-sleep, Costzon can be a better option as it has a 440 lbs limit.
4. Construction Quality
As parents are looking to buy an affordable bed for children, the construction material is limited to MDF, standard quality wood, steel and mostly plastic. The Dream On Me and Costzon has a wooden build. Other beds like Delta Children have a steel and plastic mixed construction.
5. Bed Height
Anything below 50-52†is suitable for 3 year olds. The bed we reviewed comes in height ranging from 18†to 51â€. Among these, the Kidkraft Race Car has the lowest height at 18.2â€.
Conclusion and Editor’s Choice
In terms of price, Quality of construction and color options, the Dream On Me Toddler Bed is the clear winner. So, it’s safe to say it’s the best bed for 3-year-oldtoddler.
The 12 color options give you a lot of freedom to match your decor and also the taste of your toddler. It has space for extending the guardrails, which is a rare feature in this product category. The unit is extremely stable with an appropriate height for getting off and on.
The other beds are equally good and have their own unique design. Hopefully, your toddler can sleep in it peacefully!!
