What type of bed for an 18month old?

[iluvmickeytown]

Hi. I can't decide between a toddler bed or a regular bed with guard rail. Any suggestions. He's a climer so I don't feel comfortable with the crib. Mind you he's been sleeping with us .

 

[Melissa2480]

Since he's still so small...I would get a toddler bed with railings. Our son is 22 mths and still in his crib but today while I was cleaning the bathroom I saw him trying to put his feet up on the rail to climb out I think soon we will be changing him too but his crib turns into a toddler bed and I'll just buy a railing.

Good luck deciding!

 

[Princess Roo]

If he'll stay in it, I'd go with a regular bed with rail. If you think he might climb the rail, then I'd probably just put a mattress on the floor for a while so I wouldn't have to worry about the climbing!

 

[Perditamarie]

I would go w/a toddler bed too. They are nice and low to the floor, and determined climbers will overcome the rail! There are some cute Little Tikes beds (race cars, fire trucks, etc) that could make him happy to stay in bed. But if not, consider a gate for the door!

 

[PattnFmly]

We just went with the twin size bed against the wall with a mesh rail. DS #1 was 19 months old and was climbing out of the crib. He'd flip up and over the crib rail then slide down the bars. Very determined. So we just went with the bed. But we also had a gate at his door as well as a gate at the top of the stairs. The gate at the door was a pressure one that we would place just high enough that he couldn't crawl under but that made it too high for him to get over!

 

[wrighter]

Our DD was also a climber and we switched her right around 18 months also. We went straight to a regular bed with no rail. We did go with a full size bed, though, and she never fell out. Getting her to STAY in bed, well that's a whole other thread.

If you're worried about falling out, just go with a mattress on the floor until he's comfortable and then put the bed on rails later.

 

[thepeach80]

AJ has been in a twin size bed since 12 mos (his choice), but we chose to just put the mattress on the floor (no box spring). We added the box spring before Evan was born, so 17 mos or so, then bought a daybed for him and Evan when Evan was 18ish mos, so AJ would've been 3. Now neither one of them sleep in it right now so I'm definitely glad we didn't get the toddler bed. When we move though, we're going to try to get everyone in their own bed.

 

[TinkerValkyrie]

We moved DS1 to a toddler bed at 12 months. He's a climber, so we needed to get him out of the pack and play. DS4 was moving from the toddler bed to a low loft bed that's about chest high to an adult, so rather than put the toddler bed away, we just moved DS1 right then. He likes to wander to our room in the middle of the night, so the low toddler bed is for the best for us.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

I used a toddler bed for my kids, they were between 1and a half to 2yrs old when we switched( but obviously you'd want to do it earlier if they were starting to climb out of the crib) My kids stayed in the toddler bed until about age 4, then we switched to a twin bed. I felt if we switched to a twin right away they would have fell out, trying to get off the bed, but all kids are different.

 

[drivencrazy]

I think that it really depends on you and the child...

Do you have the money for a regular bed?
Do you want to get a toddler bed and then have to get a regular bed?
How long will a toddler bed fit the child? Will you use it for another child?

Personally I think that toddler beds are over rated... with my oldest, she went into a queen size bed at 14 months because of our move out of state... it worked out fine.

#2 she was climbing out of her crib before she was a year so we bought a toddler bed (from a friend w/out matterss $20 or so...) she hated it and didn't sleep well on there at all. We had a twin matterss from the top bunk that we weren't using, so we put it on the floor and she did great on there(she is 9 now)...

Along comes #3 and my Mom decides that she is going to get him a toddler size race car bed. I put him in there around 14 months, not because he was done with the crib, but because he is tall and I wanted him to use it before he outgrew it! Needless to say that he was in there till he was about 2 and would hit the sides, have his arms/legs hanging out of bed... so we put him in a twin size, he does great in there (now 4).

With #4 my Mom again, yes, decides she needs to get this hand made bed from a friend of hers.......... the bed is really nice and we paint it to match her room... she starts not liking the crib around a year...waking up smashed on the side, sticking out... wanting to climb out... we put up the toddler bed. She goes to sleep fine in it, but somehow wakes up by smashing her face against the bed and has a black eye... I went that day and bought her a twin mattress and frame and we have had no more problems!

So for me, I think that I would go with a twin, you will get more use out of it... unless your child is on the smaller size and/or likes smaller places to sleep... I have a friend that had her little girl in a toddler bed till she was 5, yes, 5!! I had a hard time beliving that till I saw it!

You have to do what you think is best for your child!

Good luck in deciding!

 

[Colinsmom]

I'm not a big fan of moving an 18mo out of a crib (I have 5yo and 18mo boys now), though I know that there are some babies out there that are ready at that age. If he's a climber, why not just put a crib tent on the crib? Then he can safely stay in the crib until he's ready for a bed in terms of maturity, safety (freedom in his room/around the house at night), etc.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We have a crib tent on our crib so DD2 doesn't get out. Shes been a climber for months and this keeps her safely in her crib. DD2 is also very curious and energetic so we're not ready for her to be in a toddler bed or twin bed as she'll roam all around her roam. If you have to move him I'd say do the toddler bed as others have written its closer to the floor. In a few months we'll move our DD2 to a toddler bed - we're going to disney next month so I didn't want to try it yet as I want her to sleep in a crib at the Poly.