Solid wood sits firmly at the top of the list of materials used in the production of bunk beds and loft beds. Two main types of solid wood are hardwood and softwood. This may surprise you, but these terms have little to do with the degree of hardness; rather, hardwood refers to all leaf-bearing trees, while softwood comes from trees with needles or foliage that remain green all year round.
Hardwoods, considering their exceptional strength, stability and shock absorption qualities, are the best choice for furniture production, especially for frame construction and other interior or weight-bearing parts. However, due to their high price they are used mainly in the manufacture of hi-end furniture. A possible exception to that rule is rubberwood, which has characteristics similar to that of walnut, but is somewhat more cost effective and as a result used more extensively.
And this brings us to softwood. Almost all softwood used in bunk and loft bed manufacture is pine of one sort or another — a straight and even grained wood with a medium to coarse texture and usually of creamy white color. Pine has relatively low strength and shock resistance (compared to hardwoods), but is very stable in service, and holds together well. It is also relatively inexpensive — a winning formula — hence the majority of bunk beds sold today are made of pine.
On this page you’ll find an assortment of solid wood bunk beds reviewed at this site. For a more comprehensive selection follow the links below.
