Caitlen's email landed in our inbox, perfect for kicking off February's theme of bedroom and sleep: Maybe this is out of the realm of the "nursery", as my son is going to turn 3 this summer. However, I'd love it if you could ask your readers about tent beds. I've been looking into something like this (pic above) because I know that when I was young I would have thought this was the absolute best bed in the world. I'd love to know if any readers have any experience buying and/or using tent or loft beds. Any manufacturer suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Dear Caitlen: What little boy or girl wouldn't enjoy a bed like that? But we agree that before purchasing such a large piece of furniture, recommendations are helpful. We suggest checking out Flexa, a company based in Denmark with a factory in Suffolk, Virginia. They have a wide range of lofted beds in varying heights with a ton accessories to customize the look you want. Flexa practices sustainable forestry and all of their products are made from solid Nordic pine. While they don't have any retail stores in New Jersey, they will be opening a store in the DC in a few days - watch for an upcoming Ohdeedoh post!
So, Ohdeedoh Readers, give Caitlen your recommendations and reviews (especially of any local stores in New Jersey) in the comments section below.
Try http://www.maxtrixkids.com/ I've seen the line in Larry's Baby & Teen Furniture in Westwood, NJ. We're considering their bunk beds for when our girls are older.
view knittergirl's profile
One thing to keep in mind is that all these accessories are not good for kids with dust mite allergies.
We have a flexa bed for my son (and like it) but have not bought any of the nice play curtains etc because of this.
view lieve's profile
@knittergirl - wow, those beds are gorgeous! Just by the look of them, they may be out of my price range, but I'm definitely going to go and see them in person. Thanks!!
view caitlen315's profile
I've read good things about this Flexa dealer in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ: Kiddie World.
view geekita's profile
These things are mad expensive.
I planned to DIY one, but then realized, as lieve pointed out, it would be dust mite heaven (and eczema/asthma hell). So I decided not to do the curtains and tent. But think about it - how easy would it be? Ikea sells a cheap tent, and since I can't sew, I was going to buy some discount fabric and pay a friend a nominal amount to make the curtains. I had this whole plan... I was going to paint the curtains with fabric paint to make it into a train... oh well.
What I ended up doing was buying a used loft bed with slide (orginally from Ikea, discontinued) off Craigslist for $75. Then I bought the face - just the face - from the Little Tykes Thomas the Tank Engine toddler bed for $35. And hung it on the end of the bed with a long screw. And my kid was thrilled to pieces.
But for reals, if dust mites are not a concern, just DIY this!
view mjoe's profile
Those beds look amazing. When I was little my dad put a small tent on top of my bed and I thought it was so cool.
view krisnic's profile
We've looked in to both Flexa and Maxtrix. Flexa is oco-tex certified, uses non-toxic finishes and pine. The downside is that the pine dings pretty easily (a friend of ours has one for her 3 year old) and they recently pulled out of all mom and pop stores to focus on their own retail storefronts, which makes them harder to find without heinous shipping charges. It was easy for my pal to put it together though and her child loves it.
Maxtrix was started by a designer from Flexa, is US based and not as environmentally friendly. They use sustainably forested birch but their site makes no mention of the finishes, etc. The birch is harder and therefore doesn't ding as much. The designs are a little fancier than Flexa and it's also a bit pricier. The models in our local furniture store look brand new after much test-riding and sliding by kids.
view MissyW's profile
Thanks for the tips!
view caitlen315's profile
Ikea has some adorable loft beds for kids. The one my daughter wanted was about $200 that came with a starry tent canopy. Though we did end up buying one similar off Craigslist for about $100. P.S. There is a Ikea in New Jersey.
view theannans's profile