Trundle Beds for Kids: A Space-Saving Solution for Sleepovers

Sleepovers are a big deal when you're eight. They're also a big deal for the parent hunting for the air bed at 9pm. A trundle bed takes most of the faff out of it: a second bed that lives under your child's own bed and rolls out when a friend, cousin or sibling stays over. Here's how trundles work in kids' rooms, what to check for safety, and why the size of the second mattress matters more than you might think.

Why trundles work so well in kids' rooms

• Floor space for play. Most of the time it's a single bed, so the rest of the room stays free for toys, a desk or just rolling about on the floor.
• No climbing. Unlike a top bunk, both beds are close to the floor, so there's no age limit and no ladder to worry about.
• Ready in minutes. The trundle rolls out on castors. Keep its bedding in a drawer nearby and it's made up before the pizza arrives.
• Both beds at a normal height for changing sheets, which matters when someone inevitably spills juice.

If you're weighing up the alternatives, our parent's guide to mid sleepers and high sleepers covers raised beds and their age limits.

Child-size or full-size trundle?

This is the biggest choice you'll make. Many trundles sold for children use a smaller, thinner mattress on the pull-out. That's fine for a six-year-old, but children grow quickly, and the same bed is soon hosting teenagers who are as tall as you.

Our guest bed with trundle is the full-size kind. Both levels use the same UK standard single mattress, 90 x 190cm, 25cm deep, with 1000 pocket springs, and both take adult weight. So it does sleepovers now, a teenager and a friend in a few years, and grandparents or grown-up children visiting long after that. It also works as one large bed 182cm wide when the trundle is raised level, which is handy if the room later becomes a guest room for a couple.

Safety and practical tips

• Clear the path. Keep toys and rugs out of the trundle's way so it rolls out smoothly and nobody trips over the edge in the dark.
• Push it home in the morning. A trundle left half out is a shin-bashing hazard. Make putting it away part of the routine.
• Night lights help. A visitor in a strange room will want to find the door and the loo without stepping on anyone.
• Protect the mattresses. A washable mattress protector on each bed saves a lot of bother. Blot spills quickly with a clean cloth and let the mattress dry fully before remaking the bed.
• Little ones. Duvets and pillows aren't recommended for babies under 12 months, so follow NHS safe sleep advice and save sleepovers for when they're older.

Planning a sleepover

A little preparation keeps the evening calm. Make up the trundle before the guest arrives, with its own pillow and duvet, and agree a lights-out time with the parents dropping off. If the visitor is younger or has never stayed away before, let them choose which bed to sleep in. Being nearer the door or the window can make a surprising difference to a nervous first-timer.

Making it their own

Children like to have a say in their room. Our guest bed comes in 11 colours across Plush Velvet (Grey, Pink, Cream, Blue, Black, Mink) and Grampian (Cocoa, Mink, Seal, Coal, Dawn), with an optional full floorstanding headboard in Plain or Howarth 3-bar. Pink or Blue velvet is cheerful without being babyish; Grey, Mink or one of the Grampian shades will see them comfortably into their teens. Fun bedding can do the rest and is easily changed as their tastes do.

For other ideas, read our guide to choosing a children's bed, or browse our trundle beds, guest beds and kids' beds.

Our guest bed costs £995 including both mattresses and comes with a 12-month guarantee. It's hand-built to order in Yorkshire and arrives fully assembled, usually in 2 to 3 weeks, with free delivery to England, Wales and most of Scotland. For Christmas sleepovers, order by 30 November.