toddler bed vs. twin bed

mommymeg83 · June 2011

For those of you who have/are transitioning to a "big girl/boy" bed - I need help!

DD has a convertible crib & we plan on doing a mini makeover of her nursery including the big girl bed transition & new bedding for her birthday. I've been researching toddler bedding & keep running into issues cause there doesn't seem to be many choices out there.

I see a LOT of toddler bedding that is twin size. So my question is - is it best to convert the crib to a toddler bed & eventually transition to the twin bed, or should we just make the jump from crib to twin? Aren't twin beds higher off the ground??

We have a #2 on the way, so if we were to switch her to a twin bed we could use the crib for #2.

mommymeg83 · June 2011

also, if you know of some good places to find toddler bedding that is decent quality & not themed (sponge bob, princess, etc) please let me know! Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

jason&robin · June 2011

I ended up getting a toddler bedding set online. I can't remember where though. I just typed in toddler bedding sets and there are a number of sites that have non-character stuff.

ETA: https://www.ababy.com/subcategory.asp?CID=29

snicksnack · June 2011

Unless you plan on not having the baby use the crib for the first few months I would do one of two things:

Transition to the twin and make a big deal about the new room/big girl bed or convert the crib and hold off on redoing the room until you get the twin that way your DD can feel special for being a big sister and getting the new bed/room instead of upset that the baby is taking her ?new? big girl bed that she recently got away.

If you think she will be fine in a twin I would more than likely switch her over for her birthday. My mom said she transitioned me right to a twin because back then the crib did not convert and you had to buy a toddler bed, which for the short time you use the bed, did not make sense. The bed was against the wall and she had a rail that went on the side. Several of my friends have moved their children to full-size beds. My one friend did this really cute design for her DS. She got one of those beds that sit close to the floor and made it like a tent and his theme was the woods. She did the full since her LO were two years apart and she thought they would want to share sometimes and she was right. He was 22 months when she moved him to the bed.

Brewtowngrl · June 2011

I don't see any reason to go to a toddler bed. It is just one more transition down the road. We put DS in a twin bed and got a rail. We bought our bedding at a bunk bed furniture store locally.

celiabwatson · June 2011

We got a toddler bed as a hand me down from a friend so we went that route because we have one. If we didn't I would have gotten a twin bed and just used the mattress on the floor until he got used to it and then assembled the bed when he was ready to be higher off the ground.

In terms of bedding, I had a hard time finding crib sheets that didn't come with a whole set of stuff we didn't need. All I wanted was the fitted sheet. Anyway, I found a bunch at Target that were either plain blue, polka dots, airplanes or things like that. I don't like characters until he's old enough to have preferences. We're still using the same crib sheets on the toddler bed so I haven't looked for twin sized toddler bedding but I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to find something plain or patterned since adults use twin beds too.

I do plan to look soon for some additional sheets since I want him to have a pillow on the toddler bed and eventually it seems like he'll want a top sheet (but so far he refuses to sleep if covered up, even when he was an infant he didn't want to be swaddled).

Lux_Diva · June 2011

Just one woman's opinion but I am siding with the advice I received: skip the toddler bed and use the money to purchase guard rails for a twin bed. Or you could delay putting your mattress/boxspring set on the frame until LO is able to climb in and out (set the boxspring on the floor). Personally I would only convert to a toddler bed if I already had the kit for my cirb and I wanted to get the most out of it but since you are already using the crib for DC #2, you don't have that concern. Good luck!

mommymeg83 · June 2011

Just to clarify - we'll either buy a new crib for #2, or we'll buy a twin bed & use the crib for #2. So basically it's either the cost of a twin bed & rail or a new crib....I think they're probably a comparable cost, so the big question is just whether to switch a 2 yo to a twin or let her keep her "crib" for a while longer, just convert it to a toddler bed.

ntyravgmom · June 2011

With my eldest, we just went with the twin, a rail, and a step near the foot of the bed. GL!

jason&robin · June 2011

I'd probably go with a twin. That's what we did with DS. Our crib has a converter so we got the toddler bedding so DD could get used to sheets and pillows. Once she gets used to that and we need the crib for #3, we will put her on the trundle of DS's bed.

DS has been in a crib for a long time since we have been trying to sell our house and the bed is in storage across town. We have used toddler bedding inside the crib and it has worked well. He has a pillow and sheet just like in a normal bed and I think the transition will be much easier for him since he is older.

GingerCupcake · June 2011

We went straight to the twin at 14 months when DD started climbing out of her crib. We also moved her to a different room and made a big deal over the "big girl bed" excitement. It's a daybed with a little 2-step stepstool to help her get up into bed and we have a bedrail on it so that she can't fall out. It has been wonderful!

Alexandra*sMom · June 2011

We had the same situation. A convertible crib and a sibling on the way. Both Alex & Taylor moved to a twin bed without any issues. DH says that Dylan will move to a twin as well, because we have the twin frame in storage.

g8trkim · June 2011

Normally, I would say switch it to a toddler bed since your crib converts (Bed, Bath, and Beyond has a lot of cute toddler sets online). But since you have #2 coming, it seems like a waste to buy toddler bedding when you could just put the new baby in the crib and use a twin bed for #1. A lot of people get twin beds but don't put the frame on, they just put the boxspring and mattress on the floor so it's low to the ground. Also, you can get the side rail things for like $30.

g8trkim · June 2011

mommymeg83:
Just to clarify - we'll either buy a new crib for #2, or we'll buy a twin bed & use the crib for #2. So basically it's either the cost of a twin bed & rail or a new crib....I think they're probably a comparable cost, so the big question is just whether to switch a 2 yo to a twin or let her keep her "crib" for a while longer, just convert it to a toddler bed.

It's not comparable though, because you won't have use for 2 cribs for long but you can use a twin bed for many years. Eventually, you will need a twin bed so if you get another crib your spending a lot more money.

kes3237 · July 2011

I would do the twin. You will eventually have to but two twin beds, so it doesn't make sense to buy a second crib.

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