When it comes to bunk bed fabrication, wood is the material of choice of the majority of manufacturers. All the different types are used: solid wood and engineered wood, hardwood and softwood.
But. If you take even a cursory look at the furniture retail scene today you’ll notice that bunk beds made of solid pine wood are by far the prevalent sort. Pine wood, whether it comes from New Zealand, Brazil or Northern Europe, seems to have stroke that sweet spot between quality and price that resonates with buyers.
Rubberwood is another material that has gained a considerable footing in the furniture manufacture in recent years. It is a medium density form of hardwood with characteristics similar to some of the other hardwoods (such as walnut), but is more affordable, hence more popular.
Hardwood materials such as maple or oak are the best choice if quality is the only criteria, but due to their price they are used primarily in the manufacture of high-end furniture.
Engineered wood carries a bit of a reputation (perhaps undeserved?) of being of an inferior quality, and you won’t find many bunk beds made of wood composite materials out there. Addendums such as shelves or storage drawers are another matter.
Most bunk beds presented below are made of pine wood, with a sprinkling of rubberwood specimens.
Twin Over Twin Wooden Bunk Beds
An assortment of fine twin size wooden bunk beds we have here. I feel like you can’t go wrong whichever you choose. The Alimi and the Caribou offer a bit less weight capacity for the top bed, if you find that of significance. Otherwise…
Twin Over Full Wooden Bunk Beds
Some classic representatives of the twin/full configuration. Like all Max & Lily products, the Classic bunk bed is made of New Zealand pine and features 400 lbs of weight capacity for the top bed. The Barnett is made of spruce (wood similar to pine that grows in Northern Europe) and has accrued thousands of five-star ratings so far. Not as good on the weight capacity, though.
Full Over Full Wooden Bunk Beds
Some more fine representatives of the class. The Classic and the Camaflexi are made of pine wood. Both are sturdy and offer high weight capacity so they can be used by adults as well.
Low Height Wood Bunk Beds
You get a low bunk bed by cutting the main posts and bringing the lower bunk down to the floor, and (maybe) reducing the space between the lower and upper bunk. These do not usually go higher than 50 inches and are therefore suitable for younger kids. They are also a good solution for rooms with low or slanted ceilings.
Wood Bunk Beds With Stairs
Stairs are good. Stairs are safe. If you fret about your little one climbing that precarious looking ladder all the time, a wood bunk bed with staircase is the way to go. Usually those staircases come with some storage built in, so, you know, win-win. You can never have enough storage. Downsides? Stairs take up some space and will hike up the price some. Or quite a bit.
Wood Bunk Beds With Storage
Bunk beds with integrated storage such as the refreshing Fredonia seen above are pretty rare. Most wooden bunk beds do actually offer some sort of storage solution as an option, but usually this comes down to a couple of drawers on wheels tucked under the bed.
Wooden Bunk Beds With Trundle
Pretty much any wood bunk bed comes equipped with a trundle bed as an option. Here’s a few classic specimens. The Columbia is made of rubberwood, the Classic from solid New Zealand pine.