Should You Really Loft the Dorm Bed

Loft beds are the biggest trends in campus dorms. For the past decade or so, student have been raising their beds five or six feet in the air to create more floor space in the dorm rooms cramped quarters. As you or your child prepares to leave for college, you will surely ask yourself if you should really loft the dorm bed. There are arguments for and against lofting dorm beds.

Lofts bed are great because they create a room within a room. A student can have an large desk, or a desk and dresser under the bed. When they get tired, they literally climb upstairs to go to bed. If you are a clothes horse, Raising your bed and adding a curtain will create a walk in closet without impeding in your roommates space. They can also keep people from sitting on your bed, which many people find unsettling. But if loft beds are so great, why are more and more colleges not allowing them?

Just recently the visiting mother of a college student fell off a raised bed and died due to head trauma. It was certainly a freak accident, but these things can happen. Just from reading the comments section of that article, it is clear that students have hit their heads, had accidents bad enough to require stitches, and let’s not forget the drunk attempts at getting into a loft bed.

According to Duke University Student Affairs , “lofts do pose safety issues and concerns. Using a lofted bed means that students may be sleeping as much as five feet off the floor. Because of these safety concerns, our enthusiasm for lofts is limited… We recommend that students wait, try out the furniture in your room first, and then decide if you really want a loft.

So what that said, if you still feel a loft bed is for you, then you will need to take precautions. First, get sheets that are easy to put on the bed. Full size flat sheets can be tucked under the mattress a lot easier than fitted twin sheets can. Get a proper step ladder for making the bed and even for getting into and out of the bed. Finally, install a guardrail, so you don’t fall off the bed in your sleep.

If space is an issue there are other ways to take advantage of vertical space in the room without lifting the bed six feet in the air. Many colleges have Jr. Loft beds with adjustable mattress heights up to 4 feet. The bed is typically only about waist high, so it is fairly easy to get into, plus a dresser and extra storage can easily fit underneath.

Another way to save space in the room is purchase over-the-bed space saver bookshelves that will allow you to place shelves over the bed, desk, and/or dresser, eliminating the need to take up any more floor space than your furniture requires.