Orion Oak Wooden Storage Bunk Bed review

Sold by Happy Beds who pride themselves in supporting the local economy, with most of its products having been made in the UK. Happy Beds also offer a 5 year guarantee on most products.

You can buy the Orion Oak Wooden Storage bed from Happy Beds

How we tested the product

The bed was tested by Jasmine (6 years) and Roselyn (3.5 years). They tested the bed at home during night time sleep and day time play.

Is the Orion storage bunk bed a good way to introduce a child to a bed? What age is it suitable for?

It was very exciting for my girls to get their new bunk bed. The oldest is 6 and 119cm tall – quite tall at around the 80^th percentile. She was in an Argos toddler bed and showing clear signs she was ready to move on – especially from the toddler sized duvet which she was starting to wrestle with to get full coverage.

My youngest is 3.5 years old. 109cm tall – the 98^th percentile for height! If her growth continues at the current rate her old cot bed had about another year of useful life.

I do feel that my youngest is a little overwhelmed by the new bed and misses the confines of her cot bed.

• How to get your toddler to sleep in their own bed

Will the Orion Oak Wooden bed split into two beds as your little ones get older?

No, it will always be a bunk bed. We debated about the benefits of a bed that would split – as it would give us many more years. We decided that the novelty of this bed would be a good few years of fun and enjoyment for the girls and we’d worry about the single beds later.

Does it save on space?

It’s a large bed and feels as if it doesn’t take much more floor space than their two previous beds. However, the additional storage it offers has cleared up space in our living room (yay!) where a lot of their toys used to reside.

When the bed arrived I did a big toy clear out and what’s left now fits on their shelves comfortably. There’s even still plenty of room for some of their book collection. However, I’ve let the kids decide on the majority of what they want to put on the shelving.

A major benefit of the bed is that each child now has her own space that really does reflect their individual personalities. Turns out my oldest has a lot more clutter than my youngest. The top bunk frequently needs tidying as she’s a bit of a hoarder.

The bunk bed takes standard single mattresses so the additional space it takes up in the room is because we’ve increased the length as well as the additional width from the storage shelves.

Their room is large, with reasonably high ceilings at 225cm – so before purchasing a similar bed I’d advise considering the measurements and how much space you’ll need above the top bunk:

• Length: 196.7 cm
• Width Including Ladder: 135.5 cm
• Width Excluding Ladder: 115.5 cm
• Height: 171.5 cm
• Weight: 129.8 kg
• Distance from Floor to Top of Ladder: 119 cm

My own additional measurements:

• Height Excluding Shelves (to top panel): 145 cm
• Height to base of top bunk (excluding mattress): 110cm approx

Does the bed have side rails/panels, what do you think of them?

Only the top bunk has side panels. My 3-year-old would have benefitted from panels on the bottom bunk.

As she came from quite an enclosed space, I was worried about her falling out so positioned her at the end with the ladder. One night, in her sleep, she managed to get stuck between the bottom rungs in the ladder!

When I reviewed our monitor footage - she was in a daze and had started to wiggle between the steps. She got half way, must have woken up and started to cry.

As it was early in the night, I quickly knew something was amiss because she was crying so I rushed to her rescue. My thoughts when I found her stuck between the ladder rungs were: “what on earth?”. I had to gently ease her all the way out as she wouldn’t go back in – then it was straight back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

That night I put a pillow between her and the ladder and we’ve been fine ever since.

• Moving your toddler from a cot to a bed
• When your toddler keeps getting out of bed

Is it the ideal height for your little ones to get in and out of?

Currently it is, with a bit of room for growth. They can both stand up when on top bunk. On the bottom bunk they can sit upright.

The top bunk is not for kids less than 6 years old. I found this to be accurate as my 6 year old needed no help using the ladder whereas my 3 year old found it difficult and “scary”.

The journey up and down the ladder looks very measured as if my oldest is being very cautious. But I hope in a few months my agile 6-year-old will be able to leap down in half the time.

Is it strong and sturdy?

I think it is. It’s quite heavy which gives it sturdiness and can withstand a good shake.

The bed is made from MDF – essentially wood chips with an “oak effect” cover layer – a bit like “wallpaper” (but of course more durable) over the wood chips.

MDF has a reputation of soaking up moisture and the instructions state to keep the room well ventilated and the humidity down.

Will it last the advertised time period?

There is no maximum age advertised with the bed. However, I am concerned at how quickly my kids grow and if big sis will eventually want a more grown-up option when she gets to about 10. So that gives us at least 4 years.

According to Happy Beds: The maximum weight capacity for the Orion Storage Bunk Bed is 15st (95kg) on the bottom bunk and 11st (70kg) on the top bunk.

In addition, Happy Beds offers a 5-year guarantee – which covers most of their products for manufacturer defects.

How long do you have to wait for delivery?

Delivery from Happy Beds varies depending on the product, stock and where you’re located. To have a delivery date of your choice with 2 delivery men taking it to the room of your choice costs £20 to most post codes.

Our bed and mattresses came separately and unfortunately there were delays on both deliveries. Happy Beds and their 3^rd party delivery team were very apologetic.

Is it easy to assemble; how long does it take?

Hubby and I started the assembly straight after the school run at around 9am. We both took a couple of short breaks for work/lunch while the other continued.

Hubby finished the bed while I picked up the kids and it was all done at around 4pm. I would estimate that if it had been our sole task that day it would have taken close to 5.

What did you have to do to prepare the room before the bed was built?

We cleared a lot of space. Both old beds were taken to the living room and the remaining furniture pushed to the edges of the room away from the final position we planned to have the bed.

The individual pieces of the bed are quite large and need to be arranged on the floor before being put together. We were quite spread out during the early stages.

Is it easy to find mattresses to fit the bed?

Happy Beds have a guide specifically to help choose a bunk bed mattress. The depth can not be over a maximum of 15cm for this bunk bed and mattress firmness for kids is different as they weigh less. The guide offers a way to assess the firmness according to user weight.

• Mattresses- what types are there?

What are your first impressions of the bed?

Good. The storage has been a big hit for me! I was fed up with the toys all over the living room and like that the girls now have their own place to put their favourite things in their room.

There is also a slide out drawer below the bottom bunk which I’m currently using for the kids artwork – one of the main sources of clutter in our home!

My sister in law came to visit and her reaction was “Wow!”. The bed design is unique in that it has additional storage and is clearly a fun space for young kids.

How does it smell?

It had a chemical smell – like strong glue - which is beginning to wear off after a few weeks. However, I was the only one in the family who even noticed the smell and have a notoriously sensitive nose.

How portable is it? Heavy? Compact? Can you move the bed to another room?

Once assembled you can’t easily move the bed. It weighs 130kg.

How comfortable is it?

The mattress is what provides the main comfort and feedback from the girls has been positive. I’ve tried the mattress myself but because I weigh a lot more – it’s not the same experience. No complaints from the kids and they’re sleeping the same as they did on their old mattresses.

What were the safety features like?

There are glow in the dark strips on the ladder which were exciting for my oldest to help her on toilet trips. However, she’s asked me to keep the dimmer in her room brighter since the bed arrived – so she’s not quite ready to handle the ladder in darkness.

I think that the bottom bunk could benefit from some more panels. My 3-year-old is all over the place when she sleeps and despite how far down the bed I put her she ends up right at the top with her pillow nearly falling off the bed. Unfortunately, the way the room is set up we don’t have a full wall that we could have pushed the top end against – which would have solved this issue.

How does it compare to other beds you have used?

Hubby is the only one of us who had a bunk bed growing up and this is far more fun than the traditional designs.

What do you think of the design?

Overall, I’m very happy with the design, however there is room for some improvement in the quality of the finish. MDF always makes me sceptical about furniture. But to find a design like this that is solid would be considerably more expensive.

At the top of the bunk, behind the ladder the pieces do not meet neatly, and I have frequently caught my hand on the overlap.

There are some stickers to cover up screws on the top bunk and one constantly comes loose so I will need to super glue it down or it just won’t last.

Anything you don’t like?

When I asked my 6-year-old she said that the ladder is noisy. I think she’s trying not to wake her sister when she goes to the toilet in the night so is aware of some creaking – however it is hard to notice and has never woken her sister.

Although I really like the colour of the “oak”, it’s hard to match. We’ve bought the kids room furniture bit by bit so none of it matches. But when the bed arrived, I started thinking how nice it would be to have a matching chest of drawers and wardrobe. If we do this, the choice would be limited because of the colour of the bed.

However, you can also get the bed with other finishes, white and white/grey, so that might be worth considering.

What is the price? Is this good value for money? Do you have to buy a lot of additional extras, which all add up or is everything included?

Happy Beds currently sells the bed discounted to £374.99 which I think is reasonable for a bed with storage and reflective of the fact that it is not solid wood. The mattresses we have are called Ethan and cost £79.99 each. All in £534.97 plus delivery.

We also had to upgrade all our bedding to single size spending an additional £80 approximately for mattress protectors, duvets, duvet sets and fitted sheets.

Is it affordable for what it is?

Yes, at its discounted price. Compared to more elaborate fixed pod style beds such as the Kids Funtime Beds Pod Bunk which comes in at approx. £600. Although at its full RRP of £675, it would match those.

If you already have mattresses and bedding you’re looking at less than £400 for 4+ years of fun bedtimes. If you’re on a budget, you can pick up a new bunk bed frame from as little as £125, so the Orion Bunk bed sits in the mid-price range. A bespoke bunk bed can cost £1000 or more.

What’s in the box?

The delivery came in 4 very large packages, including instructions and a large bag of nuts and bolts.

Is it easy/hard to build the product? Instructions useful?

The instructions were relatively easy to follow – all the pieces are numbered, and the screws are given a lettered reference so you know which one to use.

Some illustrations didn’t clearly reflect how the pieces looked and there was a need to count the number and position of holes to determine which way round the piece should go.

We made one mistake – but quickly realised and were able to go back and rectify.

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the item?

I wish I had known my daughter still really needs side panels. However I’ve created my own barricades and she now stays in her bed.

I would also like to have known a little more about the different materials beds are made of to make a more informed decision about whether it’s worth paying more for solid wood.

Interestingly, the other colour versions of the Orion storage bed are made from solid pine with MDF, so might have a different feel to them.

Who would the product be most useful for?

Because of the shelves and ladder this is best for larger spaces and those who would benefit from the storage.

Is the product value for money?

Yes, its discounted price is reflective of the quality of the product.

Has the product or the parent company won any awards? Is it a top seller in the market?

There is a huge range of bunk beds out there! Happy Beds has a strong Feefo rating from consumer feedback.

Is there anything unique about this product?

The amount of storage is not found on your average bunk bed. The colour of the “Oak” is quite unique too.

MadeForMums verdict

Overall, I’m happy with the bed, however in some places fun has taken the place of practicality. I’m all for my kids having an enjoyable childhood and excited to see how their little personal spaces evolve as they grow into this bunk bed.

Read on for some more bedtime tips

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