Children's beds are mostly bought online these days, and for good reasons: a wider choice, better comparability, often lower prices and no trip to a furniture store with a tired two-year-old in tow. For most families it is the more practical route.
Even so, something regularly goes wrong when buying online – and almost never because of the quality of the bed. It goes wrong because the sleeping surface was confused with the external dimensions. Because the package ends up on the kerb instead of on the fourth floor. Because the return window expired before it was clear whether the child would sleep in the new bed at all.
These are all avoidable mistakes. They happen because a bed is a bulky, heavy product you did not touch before buying and cannot simply carry back after delivery.
In this article we go through nine points that make the difference: from measuring properly to decoding product details to delivery, returns and the first few nights. Ten minutes of preparation saves you a return.
The short answer: Three things decide whether buying a children's bed online works out: the right measurements, the delivery terms and the return period. Always measure the bed's external dimensions, not just the sleeping surface – with upholstered and house beds they are 10 to 25 cm larger – and check door widths, the stairwell and the lift as well. Settle before buying whether delivery goes into the flat and what that costs. And look for a return period long enough to judge whether your child actually sleeps in the bed: 14 days is not enough for that, several weeks' home trial is.
- Always check the external dimensions, not the sleeping surface – and allow 60 cm of movement space along the long side.
- Settle the delivery terms: “kerbside” means the bed is left outside the building.
- The return period matters more than the price: you need weeks, not days, to judge whether your child sleeps in it.
- “2-year guarantee” is usually just the statutory warranty – ask what goes beyond it.
- Photograph the packaging before opening it: with transport damage that is your evidence.
Tips 1 to 3: measuring properly
Tip 1: measure the external dimensions, not the sleeping surface. “90×200 cm” describes the mattress. The bed itself is wider and longer – by 5 to 10 cm with a plain frame, by 10 to 25 cm with upholstered and house beds. Look specifically for “external dimensions” or “overall size” on the product page. If it is not there, ask.
Tip 2: allow movement space. Reckon on around 60 cm along the long side so you can walk past the bed and make it, and at least 40 cm at the foot end. Mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape – that is the most reliable reality check, and it takes five minutes.
Tip 3: measure the route, not just the room. A bed is delivered flat-packed, but the side panels are still over two metres long. Check: door widths, stairwell width, spiral staircases, ceiling height in the stairwell and the lift depth. A lift with 190 cm internal depth only takes a 210 cm package diagonally – or not at all.
In small rooms it is worth looking at the overall layout before measuring; ideas are in our article on setting up a small children's room.
Tips 4 to 6: reading product details properly
Tip 4: translate the wording. Product descriptions are marketing texts with technical data inside them. The overview below shows what sits behind the most common phrases.
| Wording in the shop | What it actually means | What you need to check |
|---|---|---|
| “90×200 cm” | The sleeping surface, not the bed | Look for the external dimensions separately – often 10–25 cm more |
| “Solid wood” | May also mean glued laminated or part-solid | Which parts are solid: frame, legs, headboard? |
| “Slatted base included” | Often a simple roll-up base | Number of slats and the gap; above 4 cm is too much |
| “Mattress not included” | An extra item of CHF 150–500 | The maximum mattress height the bed allows |
| “Kerbside delivery” | The package stands outside the building, not in the flat | Is room-of-choice delivery available? What does it cost? |
| “14-day right of return” | Too short to judge whether your child sleeps in it | Is there a home trial? Who pays for the return? |
| “2-year guarantee” | The statutory warranty, not an additional promise | Is there a guarantee beyond it, and spare parts? |
Tip 5: look at images critically. Product photos are taken in large, bright studios, often with a slightly wide-angle lens. That makes beds look smaller and rooms larger. Rely on numbers, not on pictures. Close-ups of edges, joints and the slatted base are helpful – if they are missing entirely, that is a signal.
Tip 6: put reviews in perspective. The interesting reviews are not the five-star ones but the three-star ones – they usually state concretely what bothers people. Watch for recurring themes: creaks, assembly takes ages, delivery damaged. A single outlier says little; the same problem in five reviews says a lot.
Tips 7 to 9: delivery, returns, guarantee
Tip 7: settle the delivery terms. “Kerbside” means the bed is left outside the building and the rest is your problem – with 40 kilograms split across three packages and four floors without a lift, that matters. Ask specifically about delivery to the room of your choice and what it costs. Also clarify whether you get a phone notification and whether you can choose the time slot.
Tip 8: watch the return period. This is the most important point when buying a children's bed online, and the one most often overlooked. The statutory withdrawal period answers whether the bed arrived undamaged. It does not answer whether your child sleeps in it – for that you need two to four weeks, because children need seven to fourteen nights to adjust. An offer with several weeks' home trial is therefore worth more than a discount.
Tip 9: check what “guarantee” actually means. “2-year guarantee” in Switzerland often corresponds simply to the statutory warranty. What is interesting lies beyond it: is there a voluntary five-year guarantee? Are spare parts such as slats, covers and fittings supplied later? That question decides whether a broken part means a replacement delivery or a new bed.
Delivery day, step by step
A good routine on delivery day prevents most of the problems that are hard to sort out later.
1. Before arrival: clear the floor space, dismantle the old bed, lay out tools, make sure the stairwell is accessible.
2. On arrival: count the packages and check them against the delivery note. If one is missing, note it on the document immediately.
3. Photograph before opening. Every side of every package, especially corners and edges. That is your evidence in case of transport damage – it cannot be reconstructed afterwards.
4. Note visible damage immediately. On the delivery note, before the driver leaves. A report three days later is considerably harder to push through.
5. Unpack and count the parts before you start. Check against the manual.
6. Assemble and retighten everything. Then run your palm over all the edges and check the gaps – the full list is in our safety checklist.
7. Keep the packaging while the return period runs. With bulky furniture that is the difference between a simple and a complicated return.
Common mistakes when buying online
Mistaking the sleeping surface for the external dimensions. The classic, and the most common cause of returns for children's beds.
Not checking the delivery route. Door width and lift decide whether the bed gets into the room at all.
Forgetting the mattress. It is not included with most beds and costs an extra 150 to 500 francs. What matters is set out in our children's mattress guide.
Ignoring the mattress height. Many beds state a maximum height; if it is exceeded, the fall protection no longer works as intended.
Throwing away the packaging straight away. It makes a return unnecessarily complicated.
Looking only at the price. Shipping costs for bulky goods, assembly services and disposal of the old bed belong in the sum. An overview is in our article on children's bed prices in Switzerland.
Ordering just before an event. A birthday, a house move, a new sibling: allow two to four weeks' buffer.
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Making real use of the first weeks
A trial period is not an advertising promise but a tool – but only if you use it deliberately. For the first two weeks, jot down how long falling asleep takes, how often your child wakes at night and what they say in the morning. Three keywords a day is enough.
Expect an adjustment. Children need seven to fourteen nights before a new bed feels normal. A restless second night says nothing; an unchanged situation after three weeks says a lot. If falling asleep is difficult in general, the bed is often not the cause – our article when your child won't fall asleep works through the other factors.
And do not start the change in a week that is already unsettled. A new bed the day before nursery starts or in the middle of an illness gets no fair chance. How to introduce the bed is described in our article from cot to toddler bed.
What is better online – and what is not
Better online: the choice, especially for sizes and colours beyond the standard. The comparability of technical details. The prices, because there is no showroom space to pay for. And in many cases the return conditions – a home trial lasting several weeks is practically never available in a shop.
Better in a shop: the first impression of fabric quality and finish. You can see in two seconds whether an edge has been cleanly made. Online that takes good close-up photos and follow-up questions.
A good combination is the middle route: research online and narrow the choice to two or three models, ask the shops specifically about external dimensions, slat gap, maximum mattress height and spare parts – and then buy where the return period is longest. Because the only test that really counts happens at home anyway: whether your child sleeps well in this bed.
Frequently asked questions about buying a children's bed online
Which measurements do I need before ordering online?
Take four: the bed's external dimensions from the product page, the floor space in the room including around 60 cm of movement space along the long side, the width of every door on the way to the room, and the internal dimensions of the stairwell and lift. The sleeping surface alone is not enough, because the bed is 10 to 25 cm larger depending on its construction.
What does “kerbside delivery” mean?
It means the packages are left outside the building and you take them up to the flat yourself. For a children's bed that is two to four packages weighing 30 to 60 kilograms in total, depending on the model. Ask before buying whether delivery to the room of your choice is offered and what it costs on top.
How long should the return period be?
Longer than the statutory withdrawal period. Two weeks is enough to establish that the bed arrived undamaged, but not to judge whether your child sleeps in it. Children need seven to fourteen nights before a new bed feels normal. An offer with several weeks' home trial is therefore worth more than a price reduction.
What do I do about transport damage?
Photograph every side of every package before opening it and note visible damage on the delivery note before the driver leaves. Report the damage to the retailer immediately and attach the photos. Keep the packaging until the case is settled – without the original carton, returning bulky furniture becomes considerably more complicated.
How can I tell online whether a bed is well made?
Look for close-ups of edges, joints and the slatted base. If these are missing entirely, that is a signal. Check the technical details: number of slats and the gap between them, maximum mattress height, external dimensions, material stated per component. Read the three-star reviews, which name the concrete weak points.
Is the mattress usually included when buying online?
Mostly not. Reckon on an extra 150 to 500 francs depending on quality. Also check what maximum mattress height the bed allows: if it is exceeded, the fall protection no longer extends far enough above the mattress and does not work as intended.
