10 Best Toddler Beds of 2025 That Are Actually Worth Buying – ryan

For parents of young kids, efficiency is no small consideration. How many burp cloths fit in the diaper bag? How organized is the stroller? How many to-dos can be packed into an hour-long nap? For those facing the task of furnishing a smaller nursery or a shared kids’ room, the importance of streamlining is magnified tenfold.

Enter the toddler bed, a somewhat controversial item, largely due to the fact that many consider it a waste of money: Why purchase a bed frame you’ll only use for a couple of years when you could skip straight to a twin instead? But for households short on space, a bed that shares the same tidy footprint as a standard crib (and makes use of the same mattress and sheets) can be a godsend. What’s more, many parents report that their little ones slept in toddler beds well past the age of five; others argue that its snug measurements, clocking in at 20 to 30 inches smaller than a twin, makes for a more soothing adjustment to a big-kid bed.

Of course, the decision is up to you. Many cribs include conversion kits and guard rails that make quick work of sizing up to a twin bed. But for those without convertible cribs—or who don’t own cribs or may have skipped them altogether—we’ve listed 10 standalone beds that meet our top requirements: high quality materials; safe, smart design; and enough unquestionable cuteness to earn their keep.

Our Top Picks for the Best Toddler Beds:

Most Colorful

Upholstered in cushy velvet, the Bodhi Toddler Bed offers tiny sleepers a soft place to lay their head after a tough day on the playground. The rounded corners and stubby legs resemble a daybed in miniature, and it comes in a range of hues (from classic pastels to all-black for the very modern nursery). It also boasts more than 2,000 positive reviews from happy parents, who vouch for its solid construction and elegant design.

Best on a Budget

Another Montessori style that considers design while still delivering on safety is this columned style from Wayfair. Fiberboard and solid pine make for a sturdy construction without sharp corners, and the low-set frame makes the transition from crib to bed all that much easier. Lastly, the soft gray makes it a suitable neutral for any children’s bedroom, regardless of how bright or subtle the surrounding decor may be.

Best Classic

For families drawn to more traditional designs, the Toddler Shelter Bed from Pottery Barn Kids features a classic silhouette with rounded sides and sweet molded feet straight out of a storybook. Still, it’s not overly precious: Its unfussy frame and hand-applied white finish are understated enough to match decor of all kinds.

Best Minimalist

Low to the ground and protected on all sides, this floor bed is designed for your tot’s safety and comfort. Eight colorways allow maximum customization potential—from a classic espresso finish to playful pinks and yellows.

Best Modern

Modern, minimal, and responsibly made, the Oeuf Perch Toddler Bed features a birch plywood frame that’s sophisticated without ceding kid-friendly character. A notable perk of its sustainable design: With its side rail removed, it can easily be repurposed as a mini daybed.

Best Montessori-Style

When people refer to Montessori beds, they’re typically describing a floor bed that encourages independence and freedom to move with abandon. Though Montessori beds can take the form of something as simple as a mattress on the ground, we like this birch plywood Sprout model for its low profile and customizable details (parents are able to vary the heights of the bed’s sides depending on how the bed will be positioned). The real draw, however, is its flexible design: When turned upside down, it becomes a taller bed for older children. In the meantime, a generous weight limit of 250 pounds means parents can comfortably snuggle in for bedtime stories. (It’s also available as a twin-size or full-size bed.) It also comes with a removable bed guard to help prevent middle-of-the-night falls.

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More AD-Approved Toddler Beds

This whimsical house-shaped bed puts another roof over their head as they snooze, combining the safety of a Montessori-style floor bed with a playful silhouette. Built-in guard rails ensure that they don’t tumble out during the night, while a solid wood frame with a bed of wood slats underneath keeps them supported and snug as a bug during sleep.

Cribs and beds are major purchases for parents, which is why so many gravitate toward a convertible crib. With a conversion kit, you can help your baby graduate from a crib to toddler bed in just a few steps. The Acorn finish perfectly matches the brand’s classic Mid-Century Bed.

In addition to being strong—with its frame and slats made from durable New Zealand pinewood—this clever Dream On Me bed has a surprising trick up its sleeve: Once it’s ready to be retired, it can be converted from a sleek wood toddler bed to two child-size chairs to use for years to come. Available for under $150 on Amazon, it’s also a surprisingly affordable find.

Though it’s a bit longer than a standard US toddler bed (see below for a note on mattress sizing), Danish brand Ferm Living’s Sill Junior Bed occupies a similar scaled-down footprint and puts forth the same cozy vibe. It can also be outfitted with a hanging steel shelf for safekeeping of books or a night-light—or, for an extra dreamy twist, add Ferm’s Patch Bed Canopy, with organic cotton “walls” and roll-up curtains.

How We Chose These Toddler Beds

When evaluating the market for the best toddler beds out there, we prioritized style, safety, durability, and age-appropriate sleeping environments. Overwhelmingly, this translated as low profile designs (like the Montessori-style, a good keyword search if you’re online shopping) with guardrails and sturdy construction. Look for approvals from the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) and JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) for additional safety verifications.

FAQs

Is a toddler bed worth it?

In short, yes. For starters, toddler beds are an affordable option as opposed to opting for a twin or full with rails. A toddler bed is also helpful if you plan to have other children that will need to use your older child’s crib. And if your child is prone to jumping off of things, a tot bed is a good route to take since they sit lower to the ground.

What are the benefits of a toddler bed?

Some toddler bed benefits depend on your preference (like the style of the bed and available colorways), but here are key notes to keep in mind:

• Structure: The build of a toddler bed typically includes shorter frames with built-in rails.
• Takes up less space: Unlike nearly any other bed (think twin-size bed or bunk bed), a toddler bed takes up substantially less space, which gives kids more room for playtime.
• Versatility: While it can vary based on the model, many crib mattresses and sheets can be reused for a toddler bed.
• Sleep Transition: This type of bed can be especially helpful for kids to adjust to, as many are similar in size to a crib.

Is it safe to place a toddler mattress directly on the bedroom floor?

No, as mold can grow underneath the mattress, so it needs a proper foundation for ventilation.

When do you need to get a toddler bed?

If your child is big enough to crawl out of their crib on their own, it’s time to evaluate the transition to a bed. Without supervision, your child may injure themselves in the process of crawling out, especially as they feel increasingly independent into their toddler years, which is why a low-to-the-ground toddler bed can be the perfect middle ground between a crib and a full-size mattress.

What is considered a safe bed for toddlers?

There are specific qualities, safeguards, and best practices you can keep in mind while purchasing a toddler bed. For a better understanding of toddler bed safety, we spoke with two experts: Lois Lee, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, associate professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention; and Elizabeth Hawse, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the AAP.

For starters, when do you know if it’s the right time to transition from a crib to toddler bed? “Parents should consider switching from a crib to a toddler bed when the child is 35 inches tall or the rail of the crib is at the child’s mid-chest (nipple line) when the child is standing in the crib with the mattress on the lowest setting,” Dr. Hawse says.

Toddler bed safety checklist

Before adding a toddler bed to your cart, there are a number of considerations outlined by Dr. Lee and Dr. Hawse. To promote safety, a toddler bed should: