Getting Vertical: High Sleepers vs. Bunk Beds for Kids’ Bedrooms

This often pushes families to get creative when putting together tight bedrooms. A couple of go-to solutions that maximise sleeping capacity while opening floor space are high sleepers and bunk beds.

At first glance, these two furniture options seem nearly identical—both stacking beds vertically. But when you dig deeper, some key contrasts emerge in terms of decor flexibility, functionality, and determining which works best for your needs.

High sleepers (pictured above) have a top bunk and an open cavity below. They can transform into a bonus functional living space without a lower bunk obstructing floor space.

Common under-bed applications include handy homework stations, cosy media lounges, gaming zones, or wide-open play spaces.

Storage can also take advantage of the out-of-the-way locale, with dressers, shelves, and toy bins tucked away discretely without eating into the remaining floor space.

Use the space for:

High sleeper bed frames best suit one child’s room by pairing roomy sleeping capacity with functional space below. The considerable height and open space underneath also help smaller rooms feel more expansive.

Bunk beds stack two beds vertically—one on top and one below. Usually, the mattress is the same size on both levels, but sometimes, you’ll see a single on top of a small double or double on the bottom. A ladder allows easy access to the top bunk.

Pictured: Julian Bowen Domino Triple Sleeper Bunk Bed – White. Priced £571 (Save £268 on RRP) Available from Bedstar.

The key appeal of bunk beds is allowing two children to sleep in the same compact floor space a single traditional bed would take up, helping maximise sleeping capacity when two or more kids must share tight quarters.

Bunk beds prioritise fitting more kids within constrained bedrooms over offering multifunctional uses of open space underneath.

Pictured: Julian Bowen Stella 3FT Single Midsleeper – Pink. Priced £278 (Save £105 on RRP) Available from Bedstar.

Slotting in versatility-wise between high sleepers and bunk beds lies the mid-sleeper. As the name suggests, mid-sleepers lift a single mattress to a height midway between high sleepers and lower bunks, with built-in shelves and cupboards.

Unlike high sleepers, mid sleepers do not leave open clear height underneath. Instead, enclosed storage in some form fills the cavitation beneath the bunked mattress. Common under-bed add-ons include:

Bunk beds and high sleepers need relatively thin mattresses on the top bunk so the guard rails can do their job. Most beds have a maximum mattress depth of 20cm, so something like the Giltedge Beds Rome or Serenity 600 pocket spring mattress.

Pictured: Serenity Pocket 600 3FT Mattress. Priced £199 (Save £49 on RRP) Available from Bedstar.

Consider space constraints and kids’ ages when deciding between a high sleeper or bunk bed. High sleepers work nicely from school-age years through the teen zone, crafting a flexible “room within a room” for one child.

If you need to maximise bed  space for two or more little ones sharing tight quarters, bunk beds better fit the bill.

Both high sleepers and bunk beds are commonly constructed from wood or metal. An abundance of colour schemes and styles exist, and prices range from a few hundred quid for basic builds to £700 for intricate designs.

In tight kids’ rooms, going vertical expands possibilities – either solo with a high sleeper or doubled-up with bunks. Carefully measure available floor space and ceiling height to match furnishings to room dimensions. Factor in your specific kids’ ages and developmental needs and pick a bed that will grow with them.