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Caspian Twin Loft Bed With Desk
Basic Facts
- Constructed of solid wood
- Mortise and tenon connections
- Weight capacity: 250 lbs
- Dimensions: 69.5” H X 41.5” W X 80.25” L
- Built-in desk: 41” W X 19.75” D
- Space underneath the bed: 54”
- Guardrail Height: 16” (?)
- Available in 5 finishes
- Net weight: 123 lbs
Introduction
The Hillsdale Caspian twin size loft bed (branded Harold at Wayfair) features a traditional and simple slat style design with a built-in desk that still leaves plenty of open space for storage or a play area.
The bed’s 69.5 inches of height is about average for this type of loft bed. The under bed clearance is specified at 54 inches, plenty enough for most kids to walk in underneath straight up. Most adults would have to duck, though.
The guardrail is specified by one retailer to be 16 inches high. I have my doubts about that. The manufacturer unfortunately provides no information about it, but: if the under bed vertical space is 54 inches and the bed is 69.5 inches tall altogether, then that leaves us with a 15.5 inches difference. And there is still the bed’s foundation, the mattress slats, to be accounted for. My estimate would be that the guardrail is no more than 14 inches high. Possibly less.
One clue the manufacturer does provide is the recommended mattress thickness. In the user manual it is phrased like this: “Ensure thickness of mattress and foundation combined does not exceed 8 inches.” I myself find this phrasing rather inadequate. How is a buyer supposed to know what the thickness of the foundation is? It seems as if, whoever wrote this, expects the customer to buy the bed, assemble it, take the required measurement and then go shopping for a mattress. One retailer recommends an 8 inch mattress to go with this bed, but I don’t know. Personally I would go with a 6 inch mattress to be on the safe side. More free guardrail is always a good idea.
Okay, enough about mattresses and guardrails. Let’s move on to the ladder. That appears to be done right. Slanted for easier access to the bed, with nice wide rungs and metal hooks for secure connection to the main rail. Couldn’t tell you if the rungs are grooved, though. Hard to tell from the available images. Also, there is no mention anywhere of the ladder being reversible, which would mean it can be fitted to either side of the bed. Probably it can’t, but please don’t take this as gospel.
The desk here is fitted to one end of the bed, which is an approach that has its advantages as well as drawbacks. The main drawback is, the desk surface is smaller than with desks that spread out to take the entire length of the bed. On the other hand, a smaller desk takes up less space, leaving more of it for other purposes. Storage, perhaps. Or a lounger. You could even fit in a twin size bed in there, although it would get a little cramped. Wouldn’t leave much room for the chair. And, at almost 20 inches, the desk boasts a pretty decent depth and offers enough comfort for both study and play.
The Caspian loft bed is specified to withstand 250 pounds of static load. It’s a decent enough figure, certainly adequate (in theory) for its main purpose which is to accommodate a single child. The mattress is supported by 13 plywood slats which some users feel are too thin to offer sufficient foundation. But more on that later.
The bed is available in 5 finishes: black, white, gray, pink and navy.
What Users Say
At the time of this writing this bed had nearly 1000 ratings on Amazon, with an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. At Wayfair, there were over 1000 ratings and the average was 4.5 stars. So: the bed is quite popular and buyers seem to like it well enough. Not a bad start.
The Pros
Quality Of Build: By and large, the feeling is users are pretty happy with the sturdiness of the Caspian loft bed. Here are a few corroborating quotes taken from user reviews: ‘wood feels solid and sturdy,’ ‘looks like high quality wood,’ ‘bed is pretty sturdy and quiet,’ ‘bed frame is sturdy and does not creak,’ ‘seems sturdy enough for my kids,’ ‘very solid and sturdy,’ — it goes on like this.
One buyer who is 160 lbs reported she had climbed up the ladder a few times herself and ‘didn’t feel any give or cheapness at all,’ adding that she could certainly sleep on this if she needed to. Another user mentioned the bed holds her daughter of 170 lbs well and added that she never heard a squeak or any creaking from it.
The desk has received some independent praise for its sturdiness but also its spaciousness. A few buyers declared they were pleasantly surprised on both accounts.
Ease Of Assembly: Assembling this bed seems to not be too difficult by most accounts. It is a loft bed, though, so it’s not a breeze either, and nearly all reviewers will tell you two people are needed, at least for some parts of the job. Using powered tools is also recommended; apparently, if you’re going to rely on the included Allen wrench you’ll probably end up with blistered fingers.
The Cons
Most of the complaints I have seen have to do with mattress slats. According to some users they are not strong enough. Here are some quotes: ‘I’m a little wary of the thin wood planks they provide to hold up the bed as they bend quite a bit.’ ‘When my daughter climbed up in it, it was clear the slates that held the mattress were weak.’ ‘I only took away one star though because the slats are a bit weak.’ ‘One concern is the flexibility of the bottom slats holding the mattress. They seem thin and bow down when my 10 year old just climbs normally and lays down.’
Note that the majority of buyers who were not happy with the slats reported they ended up reinforcing that part of the bed and were content afterwards.
There are a few reports of damaged parts. Dings, dents, scratches. However, I noticed that several buyers commended the manufacturer for sending the replacement parts pretty quickly. It’s still a bummer, though, having to postpone the assembly or take the bed apart days later to put the new parts on.
Bottom Line
The Caspian is a nice looking loft bed, its uncomplicated design means it’ll fit in pretty much anywhere, it is quite popular, has high ratings. About the only fly in the ointment are those reports of weak slats, but that’s not an insurmountable problem. If you even perceive it as such.
