Bunk beds can be made of wood or metal or, in some (rare) cases, a combination of both. Both options have their pros and cons; Wood is definitely a predominant choice among manufacturers, but that doesn’t mean that metal bunk beds don’t have their place in the market, on the contrary.

Metal bunk beds give a modern and contemporary look. They can be constructed from steel tubes, metal rods, or wrought iron, with the tubular design being the most common type found on the market today. Quality metal products are coated with a so-called powder coat finish, which is considerably stronger than conventional paint and offers much better resistance to scratches, chips, UV damage and weathering. oxidation. It also looks great, although the finish reportedly tends to rub off for a while when the product is new.

Since metal allows for relatively easy shaping, many modern metal bunk beds feature attractive curved shapes that add to their appeal. They are also priced slightly lower, which is partly due to lower production costs and partly due to their simplicity; Metal bunk beds generally come with fewer optional items and additions than their wooden counterparts and that, of course, shows in the price.

Wooden bunk beds make up more than three-quarters of the bunk bed market today, and as a result come in a greater variety of styles, shapes, and arrangements, and also offer more optional items: ladders, ladder types, sleep/ storage under the bed. units, drawers, etc.

There are many species of wood used in the production of bunk beds; These are some of the most common.

Maple — a longtime favorite of American furniture makers, and bunk bed makers are no exception. The wood is hard and heavy, with high resistance to abrasion and wear and has a fine and uniform texture. The color varies from creamy white to dark reddish brown.

Oak — another heavy, hard wood with medium crush strength and excellent wear resistance. The texture is medium to coarse, with a pronounced figure. Depending on the species, the color can be from white to light brown to reddish pinkish brown.

Cherry — Medium density wood with good bending properties and medium hardness and shock resistance. It has a fine grain, uniform, straight, smooth and satin texture. The color of cherry heartwood varies from deep red to reddish brown and will darken with time and light exposure.

rubber wood — an increasingly popular Asian hardwood, also known as ecological hardwood or rubber tree. The wood is prized for its dense grain, stability, attractive color, and acceptance of different finishes. It is also valued as an “environmentally friendly” wood, since it takes advantage of trees that have been cut at the end of their latex-producing life cycle and are always replaced with new seedlings.

engineered wood — manufactured by joining together strands of wood, particle board, veneer, sawn lumber, or other forms of wood fiber to produce a larger, more integral composite unit that is stronger and more rigid than the sum of its parts. The most common types of engineered wood used in furniture manufacturing are MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and veneers. MDF is made from fine wood powder mixed with a binder (a special type of glue) and heat-pressed into panels. Veneer refers to thin slices of wood that are glued to core panels (usually wood, particle board, or medium-density fiberboard) to produce flat panels. Veneer can incorporate beautiful, consistent, symmetrical grain patterns and can be shaped into graceful curves, which is not possible with solid wood. It is worth mentioning that with today’s advanced manufacturing processes, composite materials are often even stronger and more durable than their solid counterparts.

In the end, the choice between wood and metal often comes down to aesthetics and functionality; For some environments, metal bunk beds, with their simplicity and contemporary appearance, will fit perfectly, but for most people, wooden bunk beds are probably the best option: first, they will blend better with the rest of the furniture, and second, they come in a greater variety of styles and configurations and have a greater variety of optional items available; there is something for all tastes and budgets.