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are all bed rails created equal?

WiggleBabyWiggleBaby
in Attachment Parenting

we were given a bed rail from a family member, but they only used it rarely at grandma's with their older children.  it's only about 2 feet long maybe? does anyone have a bigger/longer rail?  i'd hate to spend money if we already have one but DD is a huge roller and i'm not sure this one will cut it.  maybe we can buy a second one and put them next to each other, but DH says that is unsafe.  do you recommend a certain bed rail?  (our floor bed/box spring are a double, if that matters)

TIA! 

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Re: are all bed rails created equal?

  • EcoBabyEcoBaby
    It seems like ours are about that long. We bought ours at Target - I can't remember which brand now. There is a gap  near the very top of the bed, and a gap near the foot of the bed. We positioned it where he normally sleeps (which is under my arm). However, DS doesn't move around at all at night, so I've never been terribly worried about it.
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  • JulieandBenJulieandBen member
    I have the extra long bed rails from onestepahead.com. They go almost the entire length of a bed. You can get one side or both sides and they slide under the mattress when not in use. I wasn't able to use this feature as my son's bed wouldn't allow it. My husband made a nice, but much shorter, wooden rail that we lifted off and put under his bed during the day that I liked much more. Just because I didn't like the look of bed rails. The OSA ones function great. They also pack in a small bag (think tent poles 2ft long) for traveling if needed.
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  • EcoBabyEcoBaby

    I was just reading about safe co-sleeping, and I came across this info from Dr. Sears about what to look for in a bedrail:

    Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice that baby could sink into.

    He doesn't mention length, though.

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  • WiggleBabyWiggleBaby
    imageEcoBaby:

    I was just reading about safe co-sleeping, and I came across this info from Dr. Sears about what to look for in a bedrail:

    Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice that baby could sink into.

    He doesn't mention length, though.

     

    interesting, because according to the link i was reading last night from Consumer Reports (Cant find the URL now), it said ALWAYS get bed rails for both sides of the mattress.  said the wall is not a safe way of keeping a child in bed as they can become trapped... but i think then a poorly installed bed rail could pose the same risk.  we'll be putting them on super tight, since i'm anal about safety and she moves around a lot!

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  • WiggleBabyWiggleBaby

    imageJulieandBen:
    I have the extra long bed rails from onestepahead.com. They go almost the entire length of a bed. You can get one side or both sides and they slide under the mattress when not in use. I wasn't able to use this feature as my son's bed wouldn't allow it. My husband made a nice, but much shorter, wooden rail that we lifted off and put under his bed during the day that I liked much more. Just because I didn't like the look of bed rails. The OSA ones function great. They also pack in a small bag (think tent poles 2ft long) for traveling if needed.

    thank you!!!!!!

     and while looking on their website i just saw this inflatable bolster too - hmm interesting idea!

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  • EcoBabyEcoBaby
    I've read that about the wall, too. We put our bed against the wall - I felt like it was so much safer than a bedrail. I just shoved a blanket between the gap in the wall to make it an even space. The gap was very small anyways, but the blanket just gave me extra assurance.
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  • WiggleBabyWiggleBaby

    imageEcoBaby:
    I've read that about the wall, too. We put our bed against the wall - I felt like it was so much safer than a bedrail. I just shoved a blanket between the gap in the wall to make it an even space. The gap was very small anyways, but the blanket just gave me extra assurance.

     

    yeah - we've always put pillows along the wall side when she sleeps with me, cuz she rolls so much she would bang into the wall.  the pillows kinda jam into the crevice, so it's not a big deal for us either... i guess we'll just keep doing that

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