A Practical Guide to Kids' Bed Construction

At Kids Bed Land our motto is "Designed for Kids', Built for Parents". What this means is that each and every bed we carry has to offer fun, practical styling that kids love and durability and quality that parents demand. We've tested each and every bed we sell for quality, scrutinized them for durability and then report our findings to you. Look for the construction logo shown to the right on each and every page for complete construction details of our kids beds.

These days, the internet is flooded with cheap kids' beds and dangerous knock-offs. Cheap, poor-quality kids' beds are often built with particle board or compressed cardboard, and are subsequently layered with a thin veneer. Obviously, these kids' bed frames are not built to last very long. They will not last nearly as long as quality metal or solid wood bed frames, that is for certain. You may be thinking, but my child is just going to grow out of it anyway, so why bother with a bed that will last a long time? Well if the bed begins to fall apart your definitely going to need to replace the bed sooner than you had planned. Plus cheaply made beds can be dangerous because of poor structural stability and also dangerous to your child's health if they have toxic glues or chemicals in the wood or paint. So do yourself and your child a favor and invest in a bed that been made with care.

As a general rule of thumb we recommend that you avoid purchasing a kids bed made of MDF or particle board. Over time, exacerbated and warped by moisture buildup and temperature fluctuations, particle board and compressed cardboard expand causing the cheap veneer adhesive to separate or split open. Not only does this create an eyesore in your kids' bedroom (and believe us, this is not pretty), it also poses a possible safety hazard to your child as the integrity of the bed is compromised. Composite materials like particle board provide very little support for anchoring screws and nails, too; incidentally, screws and nails are the most common fasteners for cheap kids' beds. With regular use, these anchors loosen and will strip out completely in relatively little time and can not be tightened because the screw holes will already be stripped. Of course with every rule their are exceptions. Among our collection of solid hardwood beds you we do feature a quality made in Canada kids bedroom furniture line that is indeed made of MDF. However the beds are manufactured with high quality, non toxic glues that are safe and durable. Though not as good as solid hardwood, this line is an excellent blend of quality and value.

Along with quality construction materials our beds are all made with quality construction techniques. Most of our kids beds are fastened with durable hook and pin hardware systems and in some cases even mortise and tenon (learn more about "Mortise and Tenon" below). Not only have we investigated the construction and hardware of each and every bed found on Kids Bed Land but we've tested the finishes as well. Cheap veneer, single step finished wood beds and painted metal kids beds can scratch fairly easily and will look used in no time at all. Our beds are guaranteed to look great for years because we use powder coated metals and multiple step finishing techniques.

Solid wood kids' bed frames tend to be the most appealing choices, because they are both sturdy and naturally attractive. Of course, kids' beds made in these materials also tend to be the most expensive. Quality wood kids' bed frames will often utilize the natural beauty of the wood itself to create a stunning design in any kids' bedroom. Other manufacturers choose to paint rather than stain to create more vibrant colors and kids' bedroom themes. The bottom line with natural wood is this: well-crafted wood kids' bedroom furniture will last a lifetime, and quality is never out of style.

If you are looking for the sturdiest way to construct kids' furniture, look no further than mortise and tenon. But what does mortise and tenon mean? If it helps, imagine it as a set of Lego's, with each end of a board linking into a corresponding space on an adjacent board. Really, each slat and side runner and headboard just fits into another piece of the bed. These joints are incredibly sturdy and they essentially eliminate the need for flimsy fasteners such as screws and nails. Related to the mortise and tenon construction method, tongue and groove is basically the same idea but it utilizes shallower links.

The better the construction, the less likely you will need to throw an old kids' bed away and buy a new one. It is always environmentally wise to buy a quality product once, rather than cheap products you will have to replace over and over. And if you're concerned about your child outgrowing his bed: many modern kids' beds offer modular features so it can grow along with your child.

To sum things up, if your shopping on Kids Bed Land you can rest assured that each and every bed is "designed for kids' and built for parents".

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