Best Montessori Floor Bed for Infants and Toddlers
You may be wondering what a floor bed is and which one is the best for an infant or toddler. It is important to choose the right floor bed that fosters independence and develops safe sleep habits. Let’s look at the best Montessori beds on the market that align with the Montessori philosphy. Beds that allow the child freedom of movement and support their independence. Montessori floor beds do not just represent a trendy choice. Rather, they are designed to support the natural progression of a child’s development by granting the child freedom of movement in their bedroom.
Understanding Montessori Floor Beds
If you are unfamiliar with a floor bed, you may consider it odd and be alarmed that a child isn’t in a crib. In today’s day and age a floor bed definately goes against the grain in terms of what typical parenting may suggest. A floor bed can be as simple as that, a bed on the floor. There are a lot of great options of floor beds for a Montessori-inspired bedroom. We have made due for over a year by just using a twin-size mattress on the floor as my twins’ floor bed. This is a good option if you are on a tight budget or just prefer a very simple style.
A floor bed is a part of the home environment that can support the natural progression of an infant’s development. A baby is wired to explore and move. By offering them a safely prepared bedroom with a floor bed that has at least one low side for them to get on and off, they will be able to explore freely. I found that my twins also learned healthy sleep habits. As their parent, I was able to guide them towards sleep based on different nap and bedtime routines but ultimately they need to be the ones to fall asleep. When a child’s room is prepared in such a way that they are trusted and free to move about, it sends a big message to a young child.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Montessori Floor Bed
Safety
There is a lot to consider when deciding to get a toddler floor bed or even an infant floor bed! Safety concerns are a hurdle for sure. I think it is important to remember that a floor bed is a low bed, just a few inches off of the floor. I also like to think of an alternative to a floor bed, which is a crib. A crib can be a safe space, but so can a floor bed. As a child get older they may learn how to climb out of their crib. Causing them to potentially fall from many feet off of the ground.
Alternatively, a child may roll off of a floor bed that is just a few inches off of the ground. In all the time that my twins have been using a floor bed, they have never once hurt themselves falling off the bed. They have tumbled off, but they learned quite quickly how to navigate getting on and off of the bed. When considering the safety of a floor bed you will want to consider a low-profile mattress and a frame with sturdy construction. The bedroom itself needs to be baby-proofed and free of any potential hazards. Check out this blog post for how to babyproof a Montessori nursery.
Size
Another consideration is the size of the bed. You can have a floor bed in many different sizes. We started out using a crib mattress and then ultimately transitioned to a twin size. I would have opted for a full-size mattress, however the twin is what we had on hand. I enjoyed lying to nurse my boys to sleep in the middle of the night and that was just not possible on a crib-size mattress. It was doable on a twin mattress but would have been my personal preference to have a full, maybe even a queen size with twins. Then all three of us could have been on one large floor bed. You will need to decide what size will work for your needs.
Materials and Assembly
It is important to choose non-toxic and durable materials for a floor bed. You will also want Montessori floor bed frames that are easy to assemble.
Montessori Floor Bed Options
Sprout Sosta Bed
Sprout offers the most customizable and beautiful Montessori floor bed made from solid oak. Their Sosta bed is available in any way you can imagine to customize it! You can even make it a bunk bed for older children. All the different configurations allow for easy access on and off of the bed. If you are hoping to create a beautiful sleep space with a high-quality wood bed frame, then you need to check out the Sprout Sosta bed. Use my code “TWINMAMA10” for 10% off of your Sprout order!
This bed is very different from traditional beds. Because it is so customizable you can purchase any of the parts a-la-carte to make whatever configuration meets your needs. That also means you can go back later and purchase the legs or an additional side if you need something new. Currently, this bed comes only in the twin size, but they have plans to make it a full size at some point. A neat feature of the bunk bed is that you can have the bottom bunk a floor bed or raise it off the floor to make it more of a big kid bed. This bed is an investment piece but has beautiful craftsmanship!
Birch Montessori Floor Bed
The Birch Montessori Floor Bed from Sprout is a simple design floor bed that comes in crib size, twin, and full-size. You can customize the sides to be low, high, or scooped. Use the high side against the wall to prevent any wedging between the bed and the wall. Use the frame with two low sides for entry on both sides of the bed with the head of the bed against the wall. This floor bed is a great option for getting your mattress up off the floor but staying in line with the Montessori philosphy allowing for freedom of movement.
The frame can be turned over, raising it off the floor making a toddler bed and even a bed that could meet their needs into their teen years depending on the size of the mattress. Sprout recommends using a mattress thickness of 4 to 8 inches. There are so many benefits of a floor bed, and this one is sure to unlock all of the potential when it comes to a floor bed.
Use my code “TWINMAMA10” for 10% off of your Sprout order!
Mattress on the Floor
You can go the minimalistic route and just place a mattress on the floor. This is a great way to get a floor bed at a very affordable price. A mattress directly on the floor is a good option if you live in a dry or cool climate. You want to be careful of any moisture under the mattress which is why an elevated bed may be a good idea for warmer and more humid climates. A simple platform to allow airflow underneath the child’s mattress will be sufficient. You can also purchase an organic mattress for this bed. Regularly lift up the mattress and vacuum underneath as well as allow airflow under the mattress.
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Montessori Floor Bed with Slats (and optional feet)
This floor bed reminds me of the Sosta bed, however, it comes with options for a twin, full, or queen-size mattress. This bed is made of high-quality wood and supports a small business. You can customize the orientation you would like.
Basic Floor Bed Frame
If you are looking for a Montessori floor bed frame that keeps that mattress at floor level but doesn’t break the bank, then this may be a good option. It is available in a crib, twin, and full-size. It is simple but gets the job done in terms of keeping the mattress off of the floor. There are no bed rails or sides, making this an authentic floor bed expereince allowing for total freedom of movement in the child’s bedroom.
House Floor bed
There seems to be a trend with these Montessori-house-style floor beds. If this is something you are looking for, here is a good choice and one I would recommend. However, if this is not your style, know that there is nothing pedagogically significant about a bed shaped like a house.
Montessori Floor Bed with Build-in Shelf
This bed is a unique design that stood out to me. It is a floor bed on a platform, but still very low to the ground. There is a shelf at the foot of the bed, which is a unique feature. It is made from maple plywood and coated with a nontoxic varnish. This company also sells organic mattresses which would be perfect for any floor bed expereince!
Tips for Setting Up a Montessori Floor Bed
Setting up a Montessori bedroom with a floor bed is a fun endeavor. The first thing you will want to do after you get any furniture is to baby-proof the entire room. I have a whole blog post dedicated to helping you with this. Know everything that you need to to do to make a safe place for using a floor bed with your baby or toddler.
Consider the layout of the room. Ideally, the bed would come out into the middle of the room to avoid any chance of a child being wedged between the mattress and the wall. With some of the floor bed frames I recommended, having the bed in this orientation would not be necessary becuase of the floor bed frame which will prevent the child slipping down between the wall and the mattress. You could add a Montessori wardrobe and a shelf for toys at the child’s reach. Montessori bedrooms should feel simple, beautiful, and purposeful.
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Value of a Floor Bed
There are so many great floor bed options out there. There will be one to meet any need preferences or needs you have. Some have a higher price tag than others. Whereas using a mattress on the floor is a very affordable way to have a floor bed. A Montessori floor bed is the perfect way to promote independence with your child. It is important to be diligent and prepare the environment to be safe for the use of a floor bed. Once those preparations have been made, allowing that freedom of movement to your child just makes sense! Probably my favorite part about the Montessori floor bed is how it has promoted healthy sleep habits for my twins both as infants and now toddlers.
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