Toddler Bed Rail Safety
Ensuring your child's safety in bed doesn't end when he's too big for his crib. It's important to lessen the chances of your toddler falling from her new bed, whether it's a toddler, twin-or full-size bed, with a correctly-installed, certified bed rail.
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Considerations
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If you purchase a toddler bed--which he'll outgrow when he hits about 50 pounds, it will come with a low bed rail attached. If you buy a twin- or full-size bed--which will last longer--you'll have to buy portable bed rails and attach them. These rails have brackets or straps, or both, that slide under the mattress.
Toddler Bed Rails
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Toddler beds use a crib mattress. They usually come with rails that reach about two inches above the top of the mattress, according to Consumer Reports. As Consumer Reports writes, the rails "are there to remind kids that they're getting close to the edge of the mattress and to help them feel secure, not to actually prevent them from falling out."
Portable Bed Rails
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If you decide to buy your child a twin or full bed, you'll want to install a bed rail on each side. Consumer Reports recommends placing the headboard, not either side of the bed, against the wall so the child can't get trapped between the bed and wall.
Prevention/Solution
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According to Consumer Reports, the bed rails on a twin- or full-size bed should be "firmly against the mattress" when in use so your child doesn't get trapped between the mattress and rail. If you choose a toddler bed, there is a portable rail, specifically made for toddler beds, that might help keep your child from falling out.
Expert Insight
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When choosing portable bed rails, or a toddler bed, you'll want to look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association certification sticker, says Consumer Reports.
Warning
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Portable bed rails are not meant for certain types of beds, such as water beds, bunk beds, child beds or a bed that doesn't have a box spring, according to Consumer Reports.
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