A children's bed, a wardrobe, perhaps a chest of drawers and a small table: anyone wanting to buy children's furniture in Switzerland quickly runs into an enormous choice between discounters, furniture stores, online shops and classified ads. Prices range from under a hundred to over a thousand francs for a single piece of furniture, and at first glance it is hard to tell what makes the difference. Yet a closer look is worth it: buying children's furniture in Switzerland means choosing a piece that your child will use every day for many years, that they will hold on to, pull themselves up on and sleep in. In this guide you will learn which buying criteria really count, where parents in Switzerland can shop sensibly, what prices you should expect, and which particularities apply here when it comes to delivery, payment and returns. No brand names, but clear criteria that you can apply to any offer.
The short answer: you can recognise high-quality children's furniture by certified materials, sturdy construction, rounded edges and a size that grows with your child. Good places to buy are specialist retailers for advice and hands-on testing, specialised online shops for selection, sleep trials and fair delivery conditions, and the second-hand market for shelves and wardrobes. For the bed and mattress, buying new is worthwhile, because hygiene and safety matter most here. In Switzerland you should pay particular attention to freight delivery, return conditions and the option of buying on invoice or paying in instalments.
- Five buying criteria are decisive: material and testing for harmful substances, stability, safety at edges and corners, growing with your child, and ease of care.
- Specialist retailers, online shops and second-hand each have their own strengths – for the bed and mattress, buying new is recommended.
- A solid children's bed in 90×200 cm costs roughly CHF 300 to 900 in Switzerland; upholstered models are priced above that.
- Large furniture arrives by freight: clarify delivery time, delivery point (kerbside or into the flat) and packaging disposal in advance.
- In Switzerland there is no statutory right of withdrawal for online purchases – returns are regulated voluntarily by the retailer.
What "high-quality" really means for children's furniture
High-quality is not the same as expensive. A piece of children's furniture is good if it withstands the wear and tear of a child over years without becoming a hazard. That begins with the material: solid wood or well-glued wood-based panels with certified lacquers, and for upholstered furniture, tested cover fabrics and foams. A look at the abrasion resistance of a cover, stated in Martindale rubs, reveals how robust a fabric is; for furniture in daily use, values from around 30,000 rubs are recommended, and for children's beds ideally considerably more.
The second criterion is workmanship. Joints should be tight and not creak, drawers should run smoothly, surfaces should have no sharp burrs. If you are standing in the shop, feel free to give the furniture a good shake. Third comes growing with your child: a bed with a 90×200 or 120×200 cm sleeping surface accompanies a child from toddlerhood into secondary school, a junior bed of 140 cm in length only for a few years. You can read which size suits your room in the guide Children's bed size: 90 or 120 cm. Fourth, care: removable, washable covers and wipe-clean surfaces are a must with toddlers. And fifth, assembly: furniture that can be put together without professional tools and taken apart again for a move saves nerves and money.
Safety and harmful substances: what to look out for
Children use furniture differently from adults. They climb onto chests of drawers, pull themselves up on shelves, jump on the bed and put things in their mouths. There are therefore three points you should check on every piece of furniture. First, tip-over safety: wardrobes, shelves and chests of drawers belong on the wall with an anti-tip fixing, regardless of how stable they seem. Reputable manufacturers include the fixing; otherwise it costs a few francs at the DIY store. Second, edges and corners: on the bed, all edges that your child touches while sleeping or playing should be rounded or padded. A fall-out guard without bars is an alternative here to hard bars with potential pinch points.
Third, harmful substances. For textiles, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is the most widespread independent test; it covers covers, mattress casings and bedding. For upholstered furniture, it is also worth checking whether the cover has been treated to be flame-retardant. For lacquered wood, look for saliva-resistant, low-solvent lacquers, which furniture made in Europe usually declares. A simple test in the shop: if the furniture smells strongly of chemicals, that is a warning sign. And very practically: ask where the furniture was developed and made. Products from European manufacturing are easier to trace when questions about materials arise than anonymous imports.
Children's furniture in Switzerland: specialist retailer, online or second-hand?
There are three ways to buy children's furniture in Switzerland, and each has its place. The table shows what each route is suited to.
| Criterion | Specialist retailer / furniture store | Specialised online shop | Second-hand (classifieds, charity shop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection | Limited to the range in store | Large, often focused on one topic | Random, patience needed |
| Touching and testing | Yes, immediately | Via sleep trial and right of return | On collection |
| Advice | In person | By chat, phone, guides | None |
| Price | Medium to high | Medium, good transparency | Low |
| Delivery | Often at extra cost or self-collection | Usually by freight, often free | Organise yourself |
| Warranty and returns | Statutory warranty, returns depend on the store | Often extended warranty and trial period | None |
| Suitable for | Anyone who wants to see and compare the furniture | Bed, mattress, special solutions | Shelves, wardrobes, tables, chairs |
A sensible split in many families looks like this: shelf, wardrobe and children's table second-hand or from the furniture store; bed and mattress new, and from somewhere that gives you a trial period and a warranty. Used mattresses are not a good idea for hygiene reasons, and used beds are often missing screws, the slatted base or the assembly instructions.
What does children's furniture cost in Switzerland?
Prices for children's furniture vary widely in Switzerland, and they depend less on the type of retailer than on material, workmanship and origin. The following ranges are rough guide values for new goods and are meant to help you place offers in context.
- Children's bed 90×200 cm, basic (wood-based panels, without slatted base): around CHF 150 to 350.
- Children's bed 90×200 cm, solid (solid wood or good workmanship, with slatted base): around CHF 350 to 900.
- Upholstered children's bed with fall-out guard, 90 or 120 cm wide: around CHF 700 to 1,500.
- Children's mattress 90×200 cm: around CHF 150 to 600 depending on construction; pocket springs and a washable cover are at the upper end.
- Wardrobe: around CHF 200 to 1,200.
- Chest of drawers or shelf: around CHF 100 to 800.
- Children's table with chairs: around CHF 80 to 400.
Factor in the period of use. A bed for CHF 800 that lasts ten years costs less per year than two cheap beds that are each replaced after four years, and it spares you two rounds of dismantling and rebuilding. Conversely, a children's table that will be too small after three years does not need to be expensive. Put your budget where the furniture is used longest and most intensively: the sleeping place.
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Swiss particularities: freight delivery, buying on invoice and returns
Anyone ordering furniture in Switzerland should know three things that differ from buying a jacket or a book. First, delivery: beds and wardrobes are not delivered by parcel post but by freight carrier. That means delivery times of usually two to four weeks, a phone call to arrange the delivery date, and the question of where exactly it will be delivered. "Kerbside" means the package is set down in front of the building; "delivery into the flat" makes a real difference, especially on the third floor without a lift. Also clarify whether the packaging will be taken away.
Second, payment. Buying on invoice is widespread in Switzerland and practical for larger amounts: you only pay once the furniture is in place. Many shops also offer payment in instalments. Check whether fees apply. Third, returns: unlike in the EU, there is no statutory right of withdrawal for online purchases in Switzerland. Whether and for how long you can return a piece of furniture is set voluntarily by the retailer. Good providers offer a trial period of several weeks and collect the furniture free of charge. The statutory warranty for defects is two years; a warranty beyond that is a sign that the manufacturer trusts its product. For orders from abroad, VAT, customs duties and customs clearance fees are added on top, which often cancel out the price advantage.
Common mistakes when buying children's furniture
Deciding on looks alone. A bed in the favourite colour is lovely, but if the cover pills after a year or the frame creaks, the joy is over. Check material and workmanship first, then the colour. You can read how colours affect a child's room in the article Colours in the children's room.
Buying too small. Miniature-sized children's furniture is cute, but a child grows to around 115 to 125 cm by the time they start school. A bed 200 cm long and a wardrobe that will later hold teenage clothes save you a second purchase.
Not measuring the room. Furniture looks smaller in the showroom or in product photos than in a ten-square-metre box room. Mark out the outer dimensions on the floor with masking tape. For tight spaces you will find ideas in the article Furnishing a small children's room.
Forgetting the anti-tip fixing. The most common avoidable accident in the children's room is furniture tipping over. Two screws in the wall solve the problem.
Skimming over the delivery conditions. A low price with a CHF 150 freight surcharge and kerbside delivery ends up more expensive than an offer with free delivery into the flat.
Checklist: the right children's furniture in 7 steps
- Clarify needs: what does your child need now, and what in three years? Bed and wardrobe are long-term furniture, table and chair more transitional.
- Measure the room: draw the floor plan with door, window and radiator, and enter the outer dimensions of the furniture. More tips are in the guide Furnishing a children's room for 2 to 5-year-olds.
- Allocate the budget: plan the largest share for bed and mattress; save on shelves and tables or consider second-hand.
- Tick off the criteria: material testing (OEKO-TEX for textiles), rounded edges, anti-tip fixing, washable covers, assembly without professional tools.
- Check the retailer: freight delivery into the flat? Trial period and returns? Warranty beyond two years? Buying on invoice or instalments?
- Allow for delivery time: two to four weeks are normal for freight goods. If you need the bed for the move out of the cot, order early enough.
- Assembly and settling in: build the furniture together and let your child have a say, for example in the colour. That is how a new bed becomes their own bed.
Anyone who goes through these seven steps generally buys once properly instead of twice by halves. And for children's furniture that is in use every day, that is the cheapest option.
Frequently asked questions about children's furniture in Switzerland
Is it worth ordering children's furniture from abroad?
Usually only to a limited extent. On top of the purchase price come Swiss VAT, any customs duties and the carrier's customs clearance fees, and returns become a hassle. For large furniture delivered by freight, that often eats up the price advantage. Always compare the final price including delivery.
Is there a right of return for buying furniture online in Switzerland?
No, unlike in the EU, there is no statutory right of withdrawal for online purchases in Switzerland. Returns are a voluntary service by the retailer. So before ordering, check how long you can test a piece of furniture and who bears the cost of the return shipment.
Which children's furniture can I buy second-hand?
Shelves, wardrobes, chests of drawers, tables and chairs are well suited to second-hand buying, provided they are stable and have no loose parts. Beds are often missing the slatted base, screws or instructions. Mattresses should be bought new for hygiene reasons.
What exactly does freight delivery mean?
Large furniture is not delivered by parcel post but by a transport company that announces the date by phone beforehand. Pay attention to the delivery point: "kerbside" means in front of the building, "into the flat" means into the room. Delivery time is usually two to four weeks.
How do I recognise low-emission children's furniture?
For textiles, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is the most widespread test; for wood, saliva-resistant and low-solvent lacquers are important. A strong chemical smell is a warning sign. Ask about the place of production: furniture made in Europe is easier to trace when questions about materials arise.
How much should I spend on a good children's bed?
A solid wooden bed in 90×200 cm with slatted base costs roughly CHF 350 to 900, an upholstered bed with fall-out guard CHF 700 to 1,500. Since the bed is used for ten years and longer, a higher budget pays off more here than for transitional furniture such as a children's table.
