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Whether or not your toddler sleeps in your bed or in their own bed it has its challenges. Some are natural and can’t be avoided while others can. One of the challenges parents can face as toddlers grow is for them to roll over and fall out of bed during sleep or a nap. This does not only put an end to that nap or sleep cycle but it can also hurt them and make them anxious. This is not great and makes the already difficult job of getting a little one to sleep much harder.
Some custom made kids beds may come with their own barriers but a ‘normal’ bed tends not to, which is annoying and poses a problem which needs to be resolved another way. To help solve that problem and put an end to accidents in the bed and to give them a safety barrier to rebound from, you can make sure get your toddler the best bed guard. These can come in many shapes and sizes to accommodate for the different type of beds your toddler might sleep in.
We’ve proposed a top 6 list of the best toddler bed guards which are available to buy in the UK to help your precious little one sleep through the night.
Top 10 Best Toddler Bed Guards and Rails
Contents
1. Banbaloo Bed Bumpers for Children
One of our favourite and perhaps the best bed guards is the bumper by Banbaloo and there are a few reasons why we think you should consider it. First and foremost, is that it can be used in a cot bed, a toddler bed, metal bed or a wooden bed and of course your own bed if you’re cosleeping. This makes it versatile in the home or if you go on holiday somewhere. Secondly, the Banbaloo bed bumpers work by being passive and not a complete stop for your baby on the edge of the bed – it also retains easy access in and out of bed when awake. Because of its soft shape, a baby who rolls into it won’t be woken up by a sudden stop but encouraged to simply roll back when they make contact.
We think this is the best method of providing safety and encouraging a good night’s sleep and the best bed time experience for your little one. With over 1,000 positive reviews it’s hard to argue with that so make sure to check it out.
The bumper is made out of memory foam which is very similar to the best bed mattresses on the market. There is no assembly required as it’s designed to fit between the sheets and the mattress itself so no messing around there. The dimensions are 53″ or 4 foot 4 from head to toe so it will cover even the tallest of toddlers. It is so soft it could even double as a pillow! The width of the bumper is 7.50 inches with a height of 4.7 inches. It can be a bit of a squeeze on single beds if it isn’t against the wall, so bear that in mind but if the bed is up against the wall it makes it very cosy. Ideal for children from 18 months up to 5 years and beyond.
These bumpers are a brilliant and easy product to make night time safe. It protects the side of the bed and offers a gentle way to get your little one to roll back instead of waking them up abruptly. It’s not a cheap product by any means at around £20-£30 but there’s an awful lot of product here.
2. Safety 1st Portable Bed Rail
The Safety 1st bed rail is by far the biggest selling bed guard on the UK market due to its simplicity, portability and low price. It is possible one of the best bed rails It clips on the side of a single bed, double bed, metal bed or a wooden bed by going under the mattress above the wooden bed slats. This makes the weight of the mattress and its occupants keep it secure. The bed rails are covered by a soft mesh which is breathable and not hard if they were to whack into them during a roll. The mesh bed guard has enough spring to try and roll them back, however, the main objective of this versatile bed rail is to keep them safe from a fall rather than keep them asleep.
Aside from that, the Safety 1st Portable Bed Rail is fully assembled out of the box and ready to be used as soon as you get it. Easy to fit. When in place it measures 101c, x 37cm x 42cm so perfectly sized for even the biggest of toddlers. When not in use it folds flat for easy storage, easy access in and out of the bed and its of course very portable. It will even work with beds which have raised sides as it tucks in between the sides of the bed and sides of the mattress.
Overall, this is a quick fix and one of the best portable bed guards/bed that work on beds of any size and with over 9,000 positive reviews there’s almost no doubt that you and your little one will be happy with this and with hopefully plenty of peaceful night’s sleep ahead.
3. Lindam Easy To Fit Bed Guard
The Lindam Easy Fit Bed Guard and bed rail is a particularly strong bed guard with a see-through panel which enables parents to easily take a look at their sleeping infant if they sleep behind the bed rails. This offers better peace of mind over models which are not transparent. Perhaps the keyword associated with this particular toddler bed rails is safety as they come with a much stronger double lock than most of its competitors. This means that the Lindam Easy Fit Bed Guard rail is perhaps the best toddler bed rails for bigger and older toddlers to be able to withstand a more robust roll in the night.
The chunky arms of the easy fit bed guard fit under the matters on the slats. The structure of the support arms has been designed to easily take the force of a rolling child. With a height of 27cm this is high enough for a toddler to not be able to accidentally roll over them for even better safety and peace of mind. However, it has not been designed for use with beds with raised sides so please bare that in mind before you take a look and buy for your little one. The width of the bed rail itself is 52cm. The whole thing weighs 2.5 kg which is testament to its strength and stability.
Overall, this is one of the best bed rail to keep your child safe in the middle of the night but do not buy if your frame has raised sides. With over 300 positive reviews from UK users it is a safe purchase to make. Price range is usually between £20 and £30.
4. Safetots Bed Guard Extra Wide Wooden Bed Rail
This wooden bed rail is one the largest and more traditional looking and working bed guards to stop babies and toddlers from rolling out of bed. It is attached by securing the legs underneath the matters like most models but because of its sheer size, it is one of the most secure on the UK market because of its length, height and weight. When used with a wooden bed frame it makes it look natural, as if it’s part of the original construction.
Suitable for single, double and cot beds and it is easy to install this is definitely a good choice for parents who may want their bed rail to look like it ‘fits’ and not an afterthought. Of course, safety is the number one concern and this wooden bed guard easily keeps your child safe during a night’s sleep. Exact measurements are 38 x 110 x 38 centimetres which is so big that it can turn most standard-sized single bed into a makeshift toddler cot. Ideal for toddlers who may have grown out of their old cot but were familiar with that environment.
This is quite cheap for its size and the fact it’s made out of wood – a wooden bed rail usually carries a premium. You can often snap it up for around £30. At the time of writing, the Safetots bed guard extra wide wooden wed guard had almost 300 reviews with an average rating of 4.5/5 on Amazon and other UK based retailers.
5. Greensen All Around Kids Bed Rail
Greensen tries a different approach to stop kids rolling out of bed by offering a singular bed guard rail which can link to another and cover three sides of a bed. If you think this turns your bed into a playpen then you’d be right, but it is designed for safe sleeping and not appropriate for that purpose. Indeed, for parents who have a bed which isn’t by a wall that needs to extra coverage then this may be the most convenient and cheapest as the Greensen all-around kids bed rail has been designed so that they do lock together properly.
They are easy to fit to a bed but they do require some DIY as they need drilling into the base of the wooden bed side, this may put some people off but it does add a lot of structural integrity to be able to withstand a lot more than most of their competitors. We have found a lot of reviews online about how easy it is for kids to push this over because they placed the hinges under the mattress rather than following the instructions. Please! Make sure if you purchase these bed guards that the instructions are followed and they are drilled into the bed slats! Not suitable for a single bed.
On top of the obvious construction and installation, the bed guards themselves are also well designed with quality materials. The main part of the bed guard has breathable and transparent mesh which offers two benefits – the ability to see your sleeping child from any angle and protection from overheating. The material is made with Oxford which is soft and durable and can withstand years of use. Underneath the mesh is iron tubes which again offer superior strength over a hard plastic bed guard.
For safety, the bed guards also have a double lock system which can make the bed guard mesh fall down for easy access – this works really similar to a baby gate and means that once installed it doesn’t need to be taken off and on again constantly.
Of course, no product doesn’t have its drawbacks and for sure the DIY aspect of this will put some people off as well as the cost which covers the superior materials. But, if you want to leave no margin for error when it comes to keeping your child or toddler safe and you have the kind of bed which can accommodate it probably is the best one on the market.
6. IKEA VIKARE – Bed Guard and Rail
The Vikare from IKEA is a back to basics guard rail which clippers on to the side of the bed as opposed to under the mattress etc and intended as a basic safety measure which isn’t cumbersome or in your face. It’s a simple design made out of painted wood with a length of 90cm. Perhaps it’s the biggest benefit is how quickly and easy it can be put on and off and that it won’t leave any marks on making the bed off-putting.
However, it isn’t super strong and may not put up with a larger toddler roller over but it will be enough to wake them up before they fall, though. Being an IKEA product you’ll know it’s easy to assemble with a reasonable price. A simple and effective choice which can keep your bedroom decor the same whilst offering the obvious safety measure. Available in a pack of 3 at a discount.
Children’s Bed Guards Buyer’s Guide
What is the best bed guard for toddlers?
There are a few different types of products out there for bed bumpers, bed rails and bed guards so which product is the best to buy really comes down to the type of bed your child will be sleeping in, how much or little DIY you want to do to install them and how much you want to spend.
Overall, we think the best guard is the Banbaloo Bed Bumper for Toddler which requires no DIY, no installing under the mattress and promotes a safe stop if our child was to roll over and helps them roll back rather than wake them up. It’s not expensive, it looks great and to be honest we feel it makes the bed more comfortable.
If you want a more classic bed rail then look no further than the Safety 1st Portable Rail, which slips under the mattress and provides a safety net if they should roll towards the edge of the bed.
Do toddlers need bed guards?
This is a tricky question to answer because bed rails and bed guards to provide a tangible benefit and added safety to guard children from falling out of bed. But, parents can still have no incidents whatsoever at bedtime without one. However, for babies and children who sleep in beds with sides which are exposed and they may regularly sleep on their own or even co-sleep then some form of bed guard is needed whether it’s extra pillows or indeed some of the bed bumpers, bed guards or a bed rail which we’ve advertised above. Otherwise, they may well roll over and hurt themselves.
Despite this, kids do seem to have a sixth sense to keep them inside the bed so a bed guard really is a safety net and not a necessity.
Does a 3-year-old need a toddler bed guard?
The bigger they are the less space they have in bed and the more likely they are to get close to the edge of the bed during sleep. But, the answer is the same as above – plenty of parents will never have used the best bed rail and will have no stories of accidental falls. Then, there will be parents who may have experienced a fall and wished they had purchased bed guard to guard their children against it happening in the first place. These parents will have certainly ended up buying bed guards afterwards.
We find 3-year-olds would definitely benefit the most from a good bed rail or bed guards as they are more likely to sleep in their own single bed (or double if they’re lucky) and out of the cot bed which have built-in bed guards. Plus, they may now be in their own room without someone actively keeping an eye on them.
What age is suitable for a toddler bed
The answer to this is subjective but our honest answer is when they’re ready and certainly after the 2-year sleep regression has run its course. Sleep is one of the hardest things to deal with when it comes to toddlers and every child is different from one another. Even if you invest in the best bed money can buy but they’re used to co-sleeping the may not want to anyway.
Summary
The best bed rail is a little bit like car insurance – you feel like it’s a complete waste of money until you really need it and then it’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. Essentially, it’s a safety net for your little one to catch them before they fall over the side of the bed and other times it’s just a piece of wood, plastic or metal. However, if you are looking to buy one then we highly recommend our UK based recommendations above. If you do buy one from the recommendations of Best For Parents then please let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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