Triple Bunk Bed Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right 3-Sleeper Bunk

A triple bunk bed sleeps three people in the floor space of one bed. It's a practical answer when three children share a bedroom, or when you want a permanent extra bed for sleepovers without filling the room with separate beds.

This guide explains how triple bunk beds work, how much space and ceiling height you need, which mattresses to buy, and how to choose between the models in our Triple Bunk Beds collection.

What is a triple bunk bed?

A triple bunk bed provides three sleeping spaces in one frame. In the UK, the most common design, and the one used by the triple bunks we sell, is a single bed on top with a double bed underneath:

• one person on the single top bunk
• two people side by side on the double bed below

You'll also see these called triple sleepers or triple sleeper bunk beds. They're different from three-tier bunk beds, where three single beds are stacked vertically. A single-over-double is lower, easier to get in and out of, and generally a more practical choice for a family bedroom.

Why choose a triple bunk bed?

• It saves floor space. Three separate single beds take up most of a typical bedroom. A triple bunk groups the sleeping space into one footprint, leaving room for a wardrobe, a desk or somewhere to play.
• It suits siblings of different ages. An older child can take the top bunk while two younger children share the double below, or a teenager can have the roomier double.
• It works for sleepovers and visitors. Even with two children, a triple sleeper gives you a ready-made bed for friends, cousins or grandchildren.
• A parent can sit on the bottom bunk. The double makes bedtime stories much easier than perching on the floor beside a standard bunk.

Our triple bunk beds compared

Kids Avenue Heritage 3 Trio Sleeper

A solid pine single-over-double in a white and oak finish. Its big advantage is long-term flexibility: when your children no longer want to share, it breaks down into a standalone single bed and a standalone double bed, so the furniture keeps working instead of being replaced. The steps can be fitted at either end during assembly.

Kids Avenue Haven

A solid pine triple bunk in a soft Cashmere finish, with full-length shelves top and bottom and cubby holes built in. You can add an optional drawer underneath the double, used either for storage or as a trundle bed for a fourth occasional sleeper. It's the tallest of our triple bunks at 186cm, and uses a ladder that fits at either end.

Trasman Easy Triple

Made in Barcelona from high-density particleboard with a tough Cascina wood-effect melamine finish. Instead of a ladder it has wide library-style steps, which many younger children find easier and more confident to climb, with a storage cubby underneath. At 150cm it's the lowest of the three, which helps in rooms with lower ceilings. Note that it takes continental 200cm-long mattresses, not the UK 190cm size.

Triple bunk bed or bunk bed with a pull-out bed?

If two children sleep in the room every night and a third only stays occasionally, you may not need a full triple bunk. A standard bunk bed with a pull-out bed gives you two permanent beds, plus a third when you need it.

The Trasman Easy Bunk Bed is a good example. It has the same wide steps as the Easy Triple and a large pull-out drawer that works as storage day to day. Add a trundle mattress and it becomes a sleepover bed. For more options, see our beds with trundle and sleepover beds.

How much space do you need?

A triple bunk is a larger piece of furniture than a standard bunk, so measure the room before you choose. Check:

• Length and width: compare the bed's overall dimensions (not just the mattress size) with your wall space, and allow for the steps or ladder.
• Access: leave room to get in and out of the double bed, and to open any drawers fully.
• Doors, wardrobes and windows: make sure the bed doesn't block a door swing, a wardrobe door or access to a window.

What ceiling height do you need?

There's no single figure for every triple bunk, because heights vary a lot. Ours range from 150cm (Trasman Easy Triple) to 186cm (Kids Avenue Haven). Measure the ceiling directly above where the bed will stand, then check there's enough space above the top mattress for a child to sit up comfortably.

Take extra care with sloping ceilings, beams, loft rooms or low windows. If you're unsure, send us your room measurements and we'll help you check.

What size mattresses do triple bunk beds need?

You'll need two different mattresses: a single for the top and a double for the bottom. The exact size depends on the bed:

• Kids Avenue Heritage 3 and Haven: UK single 90 x 190cm on top, UK double 140 x 190cm below.
• Trasman Easy Triple: continental single 90 x 200cm on top, continental double 140 x 200cm below.

UK and continental sizes aren't interchangeable, so always check the product page before ordering mattresses or bedding.

Depth matters on the top bunk. Guard rails are designed around a maximum mattress depth, and a mattress that's too deep reduces the protection they give. On our triple bunks this is typically 15cm, but always follow the figure on the individual product page. Our Bunk Bed Mattress Guide explains more, or shop bunk bed mattresses.

What age is a triple bunk bed suitable for?

In line with the EN 747 safety standard for bunk beds, the top bunk is intended for children aged six and over. There's no equivalent restriction on the bottom double, which is one reason triple bunks suit mixed-age families.

Six is a minimum, not a guarantee. Think about whether your child climbs steps or ladders confidently, moves around a lot in their sleep, and understands the rules for using the top bunk.

Triple bunk bed safety

Every triple bunk bed we sell meets EN 747. Day to day, the things that matter most are:

• using the correct mattress size and maximum depth
• keeping all guard rails fitted and never removing or modifying them
• using the steps or ladder for access only, not as a climbing frame
• not hanging ropes, cords, bags or lights from the frame
• re-checking the fixings every few months, and after any move or reassembly

For more detail, read our Bunk Bed Safety Guide.

Steps or ladder?

Steps give a wider, more stable route to the top bunk and are easier for younger children, and on the Trasman Easy Triple they add storage too. They do take up a little more floor space. A ladder, as on the Kids Avenue Haven, has a slimmer footprint, which can suit a narrower room.

All three of our triple bunks are reversible: you choose which end (or side) the steps or ladder go on when you assemble the bed. That's useful when a door, wardrobe or window sits close to one end.

Checklist before you buy

• Room length, width and ceiling height measured
• Door, wardrobe, window and drawer clearance checked
• Overall bed dimensions and height compared with the room
• Steps or ladder position decided
• Mattress sizes (UK or continental) and top-bunk maximum depth confirmed
• Storage needs considered
• Whether you'd like the bed to split into separate beds later
• Top-bunk age guidance understood

Which triple bunk bed is right for you?

• Choose the Kids Avenue Heritage 3 if you want a solid pine bed that can later become two separate beds.
• Choose the Kids Avenue Haven if storage matters most, with shelves, cubby holes and an optional drawer or trundle.
• Choose the Trasman Easy Triple if you want wide, easy steps and the lowest overall height.
• Choose the Trasman Easy Bunk Bed if you only need a third bed now and then.

Every bed comes with free room-of-choice delivery to mainland UK, and the manufacturer's own team can assemble it for you. Browse our Triple Bunk Beds, or see our full range of kids bunk beds.

Triple bunk beds: frequently asked questions

Can two children sleep on the bottom bunk of a triple bunk bed?

Yes. On a single-over-double triple bunk, the bottom bed is a full double designed for two sleepers. Always follow the manufacturer's usage guidance.

Can a triple bunk bed be separated into two beds?

Some can. The Kids Avenue Heritage 3 separates into a standalone single and a standalone double.

Do triple bunk beds need special mattresses?

No special type is needed, but you must use the correct dimensions for each bunk and stay within the maximum depth for the top bunk.

Is a triple bunk bed a good long-term buy?

Often, yes. The double bottom bunk gives an older child plenty of room as they grow, and a model that separates, like the Heritage 3, can carry on as two beds once your children have rooms of their own.

Still deciding? Our Bunk Bed Buying Guide covers every type of bunk bed, or get in touch with your room size and your children's ages and we'll recommend the right bed.