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A used bunk bed is a sensible buy, since children outgrow them long before they wear out. The things to check are safety ones: guardrails high enough above the mattress, no gaps a child's head can get through, a solid ladder and every original bolt.
A stapelbed has two beds above each other. A hoogslaper is a loft bed with one high bed and space underneath, often for a desk. A halfhoogslaper is a mid-height loft bed for younger children. Many brands sell beds that convert between these, so search all three terms.
Note the mattress size. Most Dutch children's beds take 90x200, but some, including several IKEA models, take 90x190 or 80x200. Buy a new mattress that fits exactly, since a gap at the side is a trapping hazard.
Bunk beds sold new in Europe are made to the EN 747 standard, and a well made used bed will match it. You cannot run a lab test in someone's bedroom, but you can check the main points.
Most used bunk beds are sold taken apart, or you take them apart together with the seller. Do it together if you can, and put all bolts and small parts in labelled bags. Ask for the assembly manual or download it, since most brands keep them online.
Check that the bolt holes are not stripped or split. Pine beds that have been taken apart several times often have worn holes, and a bed that cannot be bolted tight should not be used as a bunk. Replacement bolts for well known brands can often be ordered, but count on the parts being complete.
Flexa (Danish) and Life Time are the brands people look for: solid wood, modular, and spare parts exist. They keep their value well. IKEA bunk beds like Mydal, Tuffing and the Kura loft bed are everywhere on Marktplaats and are fine when complete and undamaged, at low prices.
Be more careful with old no-name pine beds and anything clearly home made. They can be perfectly sturdy, but there is no manual and no way to check how they were designed.
Skip the old mattresses. You do not know their history, and children's mattresses are cheap new. Also skip beds with cracked slats or rails, beds with a broken or improvised ladder, and fabric tents or slide add-ons that are torn.
The usual advice printed on bunk beds is that children under six should not sleep in the top bed. Keep that in mind when choosing between a bunk and a lower halfhoogslaper.
Bunk beds are bulky and most people want one within driving distance. If you describe the size and features you need, like a wooden bunk for 90x200 mattresses with a storage drawer within 20 km, vindje.com can filter out the doll beds, mattresses and single beds that crowd the normal results.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| IKEA Mydal or Tuffing bunk bed | EUR 40-100 |
| IKEA Kura reversible loft bed | EUR 40-90 |
| Pine bunk bed, no brand | EUR 40-150 |
| Flexa bunk bed, complete | EUR 200-550 |
| Life Time loft or bunk bed | EUR 200-600 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Wooden bunk bed for two 90x200 mattresses, complete with ladder and guardrails, Flexa or similar solid wood, under 300 euro, within 20 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Yes, if it is complete, assembled tight, has guardrails on all sides of the top bed and no gaps where a head could get stuck. Buy new mattresses.
The common guidance on bunk beds sold in Europe is from six years. Younger children are safer in the bottom bed or a low loft bed.
A stapelbed has two sleeping places stacked. A hoogslaper is a single raised bed with space underneath for a desk, sofa or play area.
Flexa parts are often available through their dealers and online, and there is a busy second-hand market for Flexa parts on Marktplaats too.