Why is it necessary and how to choose protective bumpers for the bed

Taking care of the child's health is a priority for parents, especially in the first years of his life. In order not to worry about the safety of the baby while in bed, you should resort to using special protective bumpers.

Why are bumpers necessary

The purchase of bumpers on the bed, necessary so that the child does not fall, is not only useful, but also necessary, since they perform the following functions:

1. Protection against falls and impacts on the bed while sleeping. Also, children can stick their legs and hands between the rods and do not always pull them out with ease. This can scare the baby into twitching, which can lead to serious injury.
2. Draft fencing. You can safely ventilate the room and leave the window open during the warm season.
3. Barrier to direct light penetration. The child will not be disturbed by the bright light from a table lamp or TV screen.

At the same time, contrary to the common misconception, the sides do not interfere with air circulation in any way and calmly let it into the crib. Of course, provided that it is made from high-quality natural materials.

Note! Almost all bumpers (or covers for them) are washable, which solves the problem of dust accumulation.

Existing varieties of fall bumpers

The sides can cover either only the sides, which is suitable for newborns, or the entire perimeter, which is more important for grown-up and rather active children. They can either be part of a crib and have the form of panels without sharp corners, upholstered with soft material, or be removable. The latter option is more preferable, since it allows you to use constraints only when necessary.

Barriers are high and low in height. The former cover the rods of the crib completely and are used for babies, and the latter only partially, which makes them more comfortable for older children.

Limiters are also divided by gender. As a rule, for boys, products of turquoise, green, yellow, brown or blue tones are chosen without excessive variegation. For girls, brighter models are purchased in pink, beige or coral with the use of ornaments in the form of lace and delicate ornaments.

Soft

Soft restraints are classified according to the type of filler. The most popular materials are the following:

• Sintepon, which is usually used in barriers for babies without the use of covers.
• Fiber, which is an elastic and dense material that holds its shape well and is suitable for children of different ages.
• Foam rubber, before purchasing which you should familiarize yourself with quality certificates.
• Natural wool, which is very warm, however, can cause an allergic reaction.
• Periotec, which is a relatively new hypoallergenic material that is easy to wear off.
• Hallcon, which has high wear and heat resistance, flexibility and hypoallergenicity.
• Polyester fabric resistant to odor and moisture absorption, as well as wear-resistant and hypoallergenic.

The layers of material are twisted into tubes and fastened to each other, which makes it possible to obtain a stable and inseparable structure. Depending on the number of such rollers, the height of the barrier also changes.

For soft sides on the bed against a child's fall, removable covers are used, which must be washed regularly to remove dust. For attaching to the bed and mattress, strings or Velcro are most often used. They are thrown over the barrier and securely fix the side. It is better to use rep ribbons as ties, and not satin ones, since the latter are untied too easily.

Note! Before washing, the Velcro must be fastened to avoid the adhesion of foreign fibers.

Net

Mesh barriers are used for the cribs of older children, sleeping separately from their parents. They allow the child to observe everything that happens in the room, as well as have free access to fresh air.

Such a net must be of high strength and be able to support the full weight of the child. In order for the structure to be reliable, a frame for the mesh should be made and carefully secured. It can be made of metal restraints or wooden slats. The mesh construction itself is softened by foam cushions or fabric covers.

Wooden

They are the most popular and often come with cribs. They are distinguished by their durability and versatility, and are also suitable for almost any design solution. Moreover, they are absolutely safe for the child and easy to use. In addition, wooden barriers are used not only for babies, but also for adolescents, being used as a restraint on a bunk bed.

Plastic

Such barriers can either be bought or made independently from available tools such as plumbing pipes. Plastic bumpers are highly durable combined with low weight, which is why they usually do not wear covers. Purchased models have an original hardware system that allows the system to be attached to the bed.

What are the advantages of bumpers

The advantages of barriers include the following:

• Prevention of injuries and dislocations of the limbs when passing them through the bed rods.
• Protection against impacts in the process of turning, cushioning the fall.
• Create the most comfortable sleep environment by removing distractions from your field of vision.
• Protection from drafts and maintaining a comfortable temperature inside the bed.
• Prevent toys and pacifiers from falling out of bed and blankets slipping off.
• Entertaining the child's attention with drawings on the inside of the side.

There are also a number of disadvantages of this design:

• Collection of dust that the child will breathe.
• Inability to observe what is happening in the room for the child and the child for the parents.

How to choose a bed restraint

Before choosing a model, consider the following:

• the age of the child;
• bed dimensions;
• room design.

For babies, a soft stopper in a case is the best option. It will not only prevent falling, but will also help to soften all blows against the walls of the bed. With the onset of activity, it is worth installing a high, from forty centimeters, soft or wooden barrier.

When the child begins to walk and becomes able to climb into bed on his own, the side should be changed to a low one with a slot. Covering only part of the bed, it performs a supportive function.

What should be the size and height

The size of the restraint directly depends on the age of the child. A standard cot for children up to five years old has dimensions of 70 x 120 cm and must be supplemented with a 70 cm side. As the bed increases, the size of the barrier decreases.

Note! If you want to use the limiter mainly for decorative purposes on the beds of adult children, you should give preference to models that do not cover the berth by more than a third.

Modern cribs for babies are equipped with a mechanism that allows you to adjust the height of the side. Until the child is able to sit and move a little, it is worth setting the lowest height in order to facilitate the process of reaching and laying. With the beginning of the first activity and attempts to sit down, the height of the side increases by one level. At the next stage of activity, the limiter rises to the maximum mark, which is most often 90 cm.

How to fix the side

By the fastening mechanism, the barriers are divided into:

• stationary;
• with mechanical fasteners;
• removable;
• with a fixer under the mattress;
• with textile fixer;
• with folding mechanism.

Especially strong clips must be installed on plastic and mesh sides. Usually they are fastened by screwing with complete bolts with the attached side to the bottom of the furniture or frame. This allows you to securely fix them and provide the required security. If the stopper is foldable, it can only be attached to a wooden bed.

A number of restraints are held solely by the weight of the child in bed. Such models have a fastening element that is fixed by inserting it under the mattress. They are convenient for easy rearrangement to any furniture.

Important! Such designs cannot be used for children with low weight, since it will not be enough to securely fix the side.

The stationary barrier is a built-in part of the furniture and is therefore very securely attached. Can be used not only on children's beds, but also on teenage bunk beds. Most often it is made of wood, chipboard or MDF.

The soft sides are fixed with textile fasteners such as ropes, ribbons, ribbons, Velcro and zippers. In this case, it is worth carefully checking the quality of the firmware of the material, and if it is satisfactory, then such fasteners will perfectly cope with the fabric base, ensuring reliable attachment. There are also fixers with a higher level of fixation, which encircle the entire mattress.

The best manufacturers of protective collars

The following are considered the best and time-tested manufacturers of limiters:

• Lindam. A popular American brand that produces fold-down mesh bed bumpers. The products are of high quality, as well as a carefully thought-out fixation system.
• Ikea. A large Swedish brand that produces a wide variety of baby products, including removable soft barriers for newborns.
• Baby Safe. This is a Chinese trade mark, whose products are often found on the Russian market. Produces mainly mesh barriers.
• Leader Kids. Russian manufacturer of textile products for children. The offered models are distinguished by a variety of designs and colors, as well as high quality materials used.
• Sweet Baby. It is a joint Russian-Italian production. The assortment is represented by a variety of models of soft barriers and pillows.High quality natural fabrics are used for production.

Is it possible to make the sides yourself

For the manufacture of the simplest limiter, no special carpentry skills are required, accuracy and precision are enough.

Before starting work, you need to decide on the type of attachment:

1. Bolting the barrier to the side of the bed. The simplest option, which allows you to save not only materials, but also time. However, it does not look particularly aesthetically pleasing and, moreover, damages the material of the bed.
2. Fastening the barrier to the bottom of the bed by means of holders. From above, they are covered with a mattress, which completely disguises them. This is a more convenient option, however, not any bed design is suitable for its implementation.

The work requires the following tools and materials:

• processed wooden slats;
• screws or bolts;
• hacksaw for wood;
• screwdriver;
• paper and pencil;
• ruler or tape measure.

For the simplest bolted U-shaped barrier, 55 cm slats are required.The total height can be in the range of 15-30 cm.

The scheme of work is as follows:

1. Creation of a detailed drawing indicating the dimensions of all parts, as well as methods and attachment points.
2. Sawing slats in accordance with the diagram. If desired, they can be taken to a workshop, where this work will be performed using professional equipment and with high precision.
3. Assembling the racks with the formation of a U-shaped structure, on which it is necessary to mark the places for fixing.
4. Drilling holes in bed boards and slats.
5. Screwing the sideboard to the bed.

Note! Instead of slats, boards with the same parameters can be used to prevent the formation of a gap in which a child's limb can get stuck.

Design and colors

The range of modern limiters is extremely wide, and therefore it will be easy to choose a design that suits your needs. Recently, there has been a tendency to choose multi-colored designs with a variety of ornaments and small details. This allows your toddler to develop vision and important skills such as perception of size, color and perspective.

For this reason, the purchase of plain materials is highly discouraged. And if you do not want to use too flashy prints, you can opt for a product in pastel colors with small patterns.

Most often, there is a separation by gender, and items in blue tones are chosen for boys, and pink for girls. However, this is completely optional, and the sides in calm gentle shades of yellow or green will look more successful.

The bed restraint is an important tool to keep your child safe and calm for his parents. With the right choice of model, it will provide convenience and comfortable sleep.

Video: how to make a side for a crib with your own hands

Workshop on making a soft fabric rim:

How to make a wooden side: