Toddler Bed Vs. Twin Bed - Woburn,MA

We got a twin bed with a trundle--pulled out the trundle at night so if she fell out, she fell into another bed. Also a great option if there's a "wet bed" -- all we have to do is strip the sheets and move her to the lower bed--no re-making a bed at 2 am.

We went straight to a twin bed. We co-slept and never used the crib (the things we never expect to do as parents). It was a big transition for my son and we needed to lay down w/him. At the time we also hoped to need the crib sooner as we had been trying for #2 and chose not to convert it to a toddler bed.
As for safety we put the bed on thr floor and used a rail. He was 20 months old then and would sit up in the night tossing himself towards the foot of the bed. After about 9-10 months we put the bed up to normal height.

This is what worked for us. I don't think there's a right or wrong. Go with you preference. If you do decide on the twin you'll also have one less transition later.

Hi K.,
I say go right for the twin! If he was 18 months maybe you might want the toddler bed, but he's old enough I think for a big boy bed!! If you went with the toddler bed, you'd just be transitioning in a few months anyway...definitely get some railings on it though.
Good luck,
E.:-)

Save your money and go w/ the twin. He'd only be in the toddler bed a very short time, anyway!

No adults can't sit and read or snuggle in a toddler bed. Depending upon how tall your son is and how much "stuff" he likes to take to bed with him - you will likely outgrow the toddler very quickly. I moved from crib to toddler bed at age 3 and my son asked to move to big boy bed about 3 1/2. We moved at 4, but that is just because that is when mama and daddy were ready - he was ready ages ago. Also each transition might mean some sleep challenges (are there monsters under the big boy bed?) so minimizing transitions is the way we will go with #2 (due in August). Good luck! C.

My advice is to save the money and go for the free twin size bed. My kids were NOT interested in the toddler bed I purchased at a garage sale and refused to use it except as a couch...They wanted a "BIG GIRL/BOY" bed and one that I could snuggle with them in and read to them! So here's what I did...we needed a full for extra company (so that's what we used) I bought the extra side rails so the kids wouldn't fall out of bed. Spend a little extra and get the REALLY good ones that collapse and can slide under the materess when you climb in the bed and then you can pull them up when you leave...they also attach to the bed so that if the kids roll into them they won't fall down between the matress and the rail...a convenient safety feature.

To handle the height difference for my kids I purchased a small step stool for them to use climbing into or out of the bed...if you have a toy chest, then just station it at the bottom of the bed and your child will more likely use it than the stool anyway. If you are set on spending money, take the free bed and purchase some cute kiddie sheets in a theme your child likes. Mine where into Buzz Lightyear and Princesses and I got some fabulous deals on ebay and at garage sales.

Toddler beds are just one of those convenience items that I'm convinced the corporate giants have convinced us we "NEED" to be able to survive toddlerhood. Frankly, yes they are cute but they are a HUGE waste of money because the kids grow out of them so quickly. Use $50 to get the rails and sheets and bank the rest for his education. You'll be smarter for it.

Go with the twin! Both of my went straight to the twin. One side pushed against the wall and no rail. Neither ever fell out

I would say the twin is the way to go - at least it was for us. I moved my oldest at about 15 months since we didn't want to buy a 2nd crib (my girls are 12 months apart) At first we just put the box spring and matress on the floor and we did do a bedrail. She took to it very quickly - and that way we didn't have to have the expense of a toddler bed. I have a few friends that went the toddler bed route and later said they wish they hadn't, esp because shortly there after they had to buy a twin. Good luck with whichever way you decide to go!

We went straight to a twin with both of our kids. However, instead of buying a box spring right away, we bought a "bunkie board" instead. It's just a big board that you place the mattress on. Therefore, it adds no extra height to the bed. We didn't buy a box spring until they were a bit older. We placed their beds in a corner and then just placed a guard rail on the exposed side of the bed. Neither of our children had a hard time transitioning. They both LOVED their new big beds. =0)

I say go right for the twin bed. We bought a toddler bed (a pretty expensive wood one) and even though it had a small side rail, my son used to slide down and off of it. And, when he and his younger sister would attempt to bounce on it, the bottom wood rails cracked. My advice if you are worried about the height of a twin bed is to get a bunky board instead of a box spring. We have a twin bed with a bunky board for my son now with the side rails you can purchase from anywhere and it is SOOO much better. We can lay with him and read a story or know that if he happens to be jumping, nothing will break. All the mattress stores sell the bunky boards for like $75 or so. It just keeps the bed a bit lower while transitioning to a full height. Good luck!

We bought a toddler bed from IKEA, and our daughter loves it. we transitioned from crib to bed just at 2 years old, because she really wouldn't sleep in her crib, and it is perfect. It is very low to the floor so she can climb up herself and we really aren't worried about her falling out, etc. It also has a small guard rail. It was pretty cheap, too. It is quite long, so I envision her staying in it for quite a while....

We moved my daughter into a twin at 2.5 She did fine. We did not have it on the floor. It is very tall because it is an old bed and with the new thick mattresses it was like the princess and the pea. It was against one wall and we had a little railing for her. She only needed the railing for about a month. She had spent many nights with us in the adult bed without falling out so it wasn't really a big deal.

Go straight for the twin bed. I have 3 children. The toddler beds are cute and tempting. Sometimes I wished I had done the toddler bed since the kids like it so much. BUT... for adult comfort and practical reasons the twin is a better deal. If you ever need to lie down with your child or snuggle with them, a real bed will help you. If you have to sleep with them or stay up with them when they are sick you will be more comfortable. Putting the boxspring and mattress on the floor for the first few weeks is a nice transition. I know many who started that way. We just put the bed up and used the bed rails to keep them from rolling off.
B.

I say twin, because he can get attached to his new bed and not have to change again. We went from crib to twin bed with a trundle. We put cup blocks under the wheels and leave it in the extended position, that way we don't need a safety rail. Lots of pillows too. Our son loves to sit on the trundle to read books with us, so it's like a little sofa too! Maybe you could get a trundle to fit the bed you already have. Plus, the bedding you choose matters a lot to your child. You should both love it.

We went straight to a more toddler like bed for no other reason than we went to Ikea for the bed. My son loves it still and he's turning 4 in June. The one we bought is sturdy enough to hold us both. I still can sit and read to him or even lay down with him and snuggle before tucking him in. I think they are probably both good solutions, but like you say, the twin bed is free and you have bedding already. I can't think of any reason not to use it. Whatever you decide will work out fine. Good luck!

just go for the twin... if your worried about it - just do the twin mattress on the floor for a bit.... the in a few weeks put it on the box spring... then in a few weeks put it on the frame - this way he gets used to being in the bed with out the rails - and won't fall out.

We went with a twin and put up safey railings and it has been great. I have a friend who got a toddler bed first and she sat on it with her daughter for just a minute and it broke, since it only holds a maximum of 50 lbs.
Best of luck with the transition!

Twin! We just transitioned our 2 year old (as baby #2 is coming in July) to a full size bed actually. Like the twin bed for you, the full bed for us was free. We just put the mattress (no box spring) on the floor and pushed it into the corner. The mattress is less than a foot off the ground. We have had no problem what-so-ever with this. Don't waste your money and go with what you've got!! Good luck!

I say go for the twin. Not only is it more expensive now but it's also more expensive in the long run (because you'll need to buy another bigger bed eventually). If you ask me, toddler beds are a total rip off, not worth it at all. We went straight to a twin when our daughter was 18 months old. We set the frame on the lowest setting and have her bed on a bunkee board instead of a box spring. Does the same thing, only it's about 1 inch thick. So, her bed is only about 1 - 1.5 feet off the ground, and she's got carpet in her room. She has rolled out just a few times, but it hasn't been a big deal. In fact, she's slept right through it. She can only roll out of one side because we have it up against the wall. You can get rails if you're worried about him falling out. We made it fun, we went to the store and let her pick out her own "big girl bedding." She picked out a Dora set, and absolutely loved it, which made it that much easier to get her to sleep in it.

Good luck!

Not only won't it hold an adult--be aware that you can't use rails with a toddler bed--it's an entrapment hazard. Just go for the twin. Better yet, keep him in his crib til he's 3 if he's not a climber! Good luck!

We went right to twin beds with both of our children. However, we did buy a "bunky board" which is the type of box spring used on a bunk bed instead of a standard box spring. It made the bed much lower. We used a railing on one side and pushed the other side against the wall. Oh yeah, do get a plastic mattress pad in case of potty accidents regardless of which bed you choose. They are now 3 1/2 and 6 and are still in those same beds!

I agree with the other two posters - go straight for the twin. None of my kids ever used a toddler bed - just a twin with rail on one side and wall on the other. Save your money for the cute sheets and the rail :)

Twin definitely worked better for us. We had a convertible crib with a decent enough mattress that we had planned on turning into a toddler bed but my son seemed really uncomfortable on it. So we got a twin and put it on the floor. We used an inexpensive crib rail that slides between the mattresses to keep him from falling. Now I can lay down by him at night for our 'snuggle time', read his bedtime story to him in bed, sit by him if he wakes up with a bad dream. I dont really see a point to toddler bed now, even though I intended to use it at first. My son didnt have any issue with the size difference (although I'm sure some kids do), and I think the crib rail helped with that. If anything, he liked the size difference. I say save your money.

Go with the twin. We put all our girls right to full beds at around 3. I figure they are set until college.

Hi K.,

We went right to the twin bed for my daughter when she was 2.5 as well. For us it just made more sense than wasting the money on a bed that she would only be in for a few months anyway. Good luck!