Ethan Full over Full Bunk Bed

Great bed for price

Now I have only built one of the two beds (the top one with the rails) because our youngest to be wont arrive until december but we wanted to get my son out of ...Read complete review

Now I have only built one of the two beds (the top one with the rails) because our youngest to be wont arrive until december but we wanted to get my son out of his crib before the baby was born and eventually we will need the bunks. This bed is exactly what I expected and I am very pleased with it. I'm practical and a very picky, research minded shopper and always want to make sure I get what I paid for. I was a little reluctant buying this sight unseen but with the reviews from others I decided to go for it and am glad I did, so in return I wanted to post a straightforward review so others just like me will know what they are getting......it's a great bed for the price. Don't fool yourself and think you are getting a solid oak, top of the line, hand-crafted bunk bed that will last hundreds of years and be passed down from generation to generation. It is a sturdy, nicely built, smoothly finished pine frame held together with inch long dowels and allen bolts/screws and wood slots for the mattress support (the color in the pictures is also very accurate). A very practical solution for those needing bunk beds for young children. I think if you are getting this for kids in their teens or adults it may not be the way to go, but I guess most bunk beds probably aren't practical for adults anyway. Not to say it won't hold an adult because I lay in bed with my son (on the bottom of course, remember I havent stacked them yet) and read to him every night before he goes to bed (Im 6'4, 200lbs) but I think over time it may wear on the frame if 200 lbs are sleeping on this 8 hours a night and constanly getting in and out of it. Not to mention I think the clearance once the top bunk is in place may be a head knocker for a bigger person. I believe the manufacturer lists weight restrictions too, so check those out. Also, too thick of a mattress could leave the bed rails obselete on the top bed. We have whats probably a pretty typical 12" thick mattress (with slight pillow top) and I was worried it may not leave enough rail where my son could roll over it. It probably leaves 4" of rail above the mattress, which has been plenty to keep him from rolling off, but if you've got a real mover and a shaker beware of over doing the thickness of your matress. I will probably leave this mattress for the bottom bunk and go with a thinner mattress once this bed is stacked on top to get more railing exposed. Also, if you plan on seperating the beds and are still wanting to use the railings like I am currently doing, be aware that the partial railing on one side requires the ladder to hold the end in place (you can tell if you look at the pic close enough). I fixed this by making my own 18" piece and drilling my own holes to match the pre-drilled holes in the ladder rail (although this may be a warranty void or something). This gives the end of the partial rail side the support it needs (while still leaving an opening for my son to get out of bed) until I stack the beds and put on the ladder. Finally, the instructions aren't that great either, like others have mentioned, but there aren't too many pieces to put together anyway. I pretty much put one bed together in a half an hour once I got all my parts laid out. And unless you are not handy at all, you could probably figure it out without the instructions anyway. (One tip: Make sure you have the "barely visible" guide holes in the middle of the side safety rails facing out for the vertical supports to be screwed into, thats the one thing I missed and had to re-do). [...] Sorry I am so long winded, just wanted to help out as much as possible. Bottom line........if you need a bunkbed, its a great bed for children for the price.