Moving from a cot to a "grown-up" bed usually happens at around three. The cot with bars becomes too small, while an ordinary bed seems too big and unsafe.
Let's look at what's really needed at this age and what you can skip.
Why 80×160 cm
A three-year-old is about 95–105 cm long when asleep. A hundred and sixty centimetres gives roughly four years of margin — certainly until the first year of school, and often longer.
A width of 80 cm is enough at this age. A child doesn't yet sprawl in their sleep the way a teenager does, and extra centimetres of width take away floor space that's more needed for play.
It's the most common size in our catalogue — ten models: CAT, DOVE, GRACIA, SOLO, ZAYKA, TEAMO, KAYA, NIMBA, SONNI, TOPPY.
The safety rail: what it actually protects against
The common idea is that a child "tosses and turns and falls out". In fact, falls don't happen in the night but on the edge of sleep: the child wakes up, hasn't yet got their bearings and crawls the wrong way.
That's why the rail shouldn't run the full length, only part of it. It should stop the movement, not close off the bed. The child must be able to climb out on their own — otherwise they'll call you every time they need the toilet.
A safety rail can be ordered for any of our kids’ beds: 80 cm long, 30 cm high, 40 mm thick, ₴1,890. It is exactly the kind described above — along part of the length: on an 80 × 160 cm bed it leaves a clear gap so the child can climb out on their own. On the model page the rail is a tick box among the optional extras; if the model you chose doesn’t have it yet, our manager will add the rail to your order. All models are in the kids’ beds with a safety rail selection.
When the rail can come off
Go by behaviour, not age. The rail is no longer needed when, for several months, the child hasn't once come near the edge in their sleep. Usually that's at five or six.
An in-between option that works well: take the rail off, but put a rug or a mattress on the floor next to the bed for a few weeks. If there are no falls, that can go too.
Bed height matters
The lower the bed, the less harmful a fall — and the easier it is for the child to climb in on their own. Independence matters at this age: a child who can't get into bed by themselves won't love their bed.
A practical test: when the child sits on the bed, their feet should reach the floor. If their legs dangle, the bed is too high for them.
The mattress: firmer than an adult would think
The main mistake is choosing a soft mattress for a child "so it's cosy". The spine is still developing at this age, and it needs even support, not a dip.
A medium-firm mattress is the right choice until the teenage years. A child doesn't find it uncomfortable: they simply have no experience of soft mattresses to compare it with.
And a separate point about the gap: a gap between the mattress and the side of the bed is unacceptable. In an adult bed two centimetres is a trifle; in a child's bed it's a place where a hand or foot can get caught. So it's better to order the mattress together with the bed — then the size is matched automatically.
What people usually regret
Buying a 90×200 straight away "to grow into". The bed took up half the room, there was nowhere left to play, and four years later they wanted a different design anyway.
Buying a car bed. The excitement lasts about a year. Then the child considers it "for little kids", while the bed still has years of use left.
Not thinking about lighting. A night light or wall lamp by the bed solves half the problems with fear of the dark — and people remember it only after the purchase.
Read also: a kids' bed by age and beds for two children.
In short
- 80×160 cm — lasts until about the age of seven
- A partial rail, not a full-length one: the child must be able to climb out on their own
- Take the rail off based on behaviour, usually at 5–6
- The feet should reach the floor when the child sits on the bed
- A medium-firm mattress, with no gap between it and the side of the bed
If the room is small or the bed has to fit into a recess, give our manager the dimensions. We're a factory, so the bed is made to your figures, not the other way round.
Kids' beds with safety rails — safe sizes for ages 3–6.
Beds with a safety rail →
