You may be interested in my updated review of the Stuva loft bed - The Stuva loft bed from Ikea, an updated review.
Recently we were talking about how we should get Harry a desk for his room, so over Christmas we took a trip to Ikea with the plan to measure up some desks and see what we could find.
When Mia heard about our plans, she of course made it known that she also would like a desk for her room. Unfortunately her room is quite a bit smaller, and there just isn't the space. But when we visited Ikea, the Stuva loft bed caught our eye, and we decided that it would be perfect for her space. I had a similar bed when I was younger and I loved it, and as we predicted when we showed her the picture in the catalogue her little eyes lit up and she was so excited.
We spent a happy couple of hours on the Ikea website working out the combination that we wanted and making sure that we had added all the bits and pieces. You can build the bed in several different configurations. We decided to have the desk sticking out at an angle with the wardrobe doors opening underneath as there wasn't much space to the right for the doors to open outwards, but you can also have the doors on the other side and the desk directly underneath the bed, which takes up less floor space.
Putting the Stuva together was a big job, and it took us a whole day to assemble. You definitely need two (fairly strong!) adults as you have to lift the top part up and over onto the shelf unit, and although it's designed for small rooms you do need quite a bit of floor space for the assembly. There's also no way that it's going to fit out of her bedroom door, let alone down the stairs, so it's not a piece of furniture to buy if you are planning on moving house in the near future!
I've condensed the build down into just six minutes in the video below, I edited out lots of shots of us looking puzzled as we examined the instructions, and faffing about trying to work out which way the pieces need to go!
As soon as we were finished Mia was desperate to get organising. I love how she's arranged her shelves with her favourite things on display, and it was also a good opportunity for a bit of a clear out.
We also purchased a pink Stickat bed pocket which hangs over the side and can store her water bottle and book. We also bought some Slakting inserts which are perfectly designed to fit into the drawers. There are also lots of other pieces of furniture in the Stuva range which would co-ordinate really well. We also had just enough space to the side to add a Trofast unit with plastic doors which is perfect for storing all her teddies.
The bed is really cosy and comfortable, if a bit of a pain to climb up to when I want to change the sheets or kiss her good night. I'm afraid that I've not been making the bed each morning as I usually do - you can't see that it's not made from the floor anyway! We have a wireless light switch so that she can turn the lights on and off from her bed, but we might look into putting her up a small shelf as well.
She has had no problems climbing up and down. I must admit that I find it a bit awkward myself as the ladder is so steep, but it certainly feels stable and I'm not worried that it's going to fall apart on me, so it would do for adults to sleep in too. The desk is lovely and she's been enjoying sitting down and doing her colouring or reading. The wardrobe is a good size too, she already has a generous wardrobe for her clothes so it's perfect to store her princess dresses and other dressing up bits.
It was definitely the best solution for her space and will hopefully grow with her and last for a good few years yet. I'd definitely recommend if you are looking for furniture for a smaller bedroom.
Click here for an updated review - The Stuva loft bed from Ikea, an updated review.
This looks a fantastic bed...I have been thinking about something like this for my youngest. Her bedroom is tiny and she has been asking for a desk.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bed and fantastic use of space! My son has bunk beds and LOVES being up high.
ReplyDeleteHi, I have a question I am hoping you can answer... we are looking into this bed for our girls who share a space, but I can’t find the dimensions from the floor to the top of the mattress. Trying to determine how much head space there would be. Hope you can help!
ReplyDeleteHello! The space under the bed is about 141cm, I hope that helps!
DeleteThis looks amazing! I was just wondering the height of your ceilings as this is a thought for me but I’m worried about the ceiling space!
ReplyDeleteOur ceiling height is nearly 250cm. There is plenty of room above the bed, and I can sit up in it comfortably (I am quite short though)
DeleteBrilliant team work you make it so easy wish you lived next door to me .Ive made my mind up I’m getting one of these now for my daughter.Thanks for sharing this 👍
ReplyDeleteThank you, you are welcome!
Deleteim a 12 year old girl and i want to know is there enough space for me in the bed
ReplyDeleteYes there will be plenty of space for you in the bed, I'm an adult and I've slept up there! We have quite high ceilings and I'm able to sit up in it.
DeleteHallo. I am a little bit concerned about tje mattress ikea proposed which is afoam mattress.i am considering buying a spring mattress but maybe that would be too heavy. What kind of mattress are u using and are u happy with it?
ReplyDeleteWe use a foam mattress from Ikea which is probably the one that you mention. It's very comfortable (I've slept on it a few times). You do need to be careful not to choose a mattress which is too high as that can make the bed unsafe.
DeleteHow convenient/safe for kids is the climb up and down with the vertical stairs ?
ReplyDeleteThe children cope absolutely fine with it and I don't have any concerns about safety. I do find it a bit awkward to get up it myself though!
DeleteHow deep is it from where the mattress lays to the top of the top rail? Also is it wobbly at all? My 2 daughters share a small room and I was thinking of getting 2 of these so they can have their toys on the floor yet and then desks when they are out of the toy stage. Bunk beds just havent worked well for us as they constantly fight over who gets the top bunk and storage is sooo limited in our apartment.
ReplyDeleteFrom the bottom of where the mattress lays to the top of the rail it is 36cm and our mattress is 20cm deep. It's not wobbly, I'm often climbing up in there to put my daughter to bed and to change the sheets and I don't feel unsafe. It would be a great solution for your daughters, the only thing that I would say is that you do need quite a lot of room to assemble it and it wouldn't fit through a door once assembled so it needs to be built in the room. If you were trying to build two in a small room it might be a bit of a squeeze. There's a link to my video in the post above which might give you an idea of the space needed for assembly. I hope that helps!
DeleteI am thinking about this option and I know you have been asked this a lot in the comments but I am looking at this for my daughter and she is quite tall and I would hope to have this bed for a while and I was wandering if you knew the distance from the mattress to the ceiling? It is just we have ceilings that are 140cm and I am not sure if there would be enough room for her to sit up in the bed.
ReplyDeleteHello! The height of the bed from the floor to the top of the mattress is about 165cm (the actual sides of the bed come up higher than this). Our ceilings are 250cm, so quite high, and so there is plenty of room above the bed in our house. I can easily sit upright in the bed (although admittedly I'm not that tall, I'm about 162cm tall). I hope that helps, let me know if I can give you any more information!
DeleteThanks so much for sharing your experience with this, it really helped me make up my mind on getting one for my daughter's Birthday! Time-lapse of build was really great too - at least I know to set aside a whole day now ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that it was helpful!
DeleteThank you so much for your review! I am thinking of getting this bed for my 9 y/o daughter; we are currently unable to go into an actual ikea..do you think the desk part would be a good size that might also last a few years, or is it just for small children? She is 138cm. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it was useful! I think that the desk is a very good size, I'm 162 cm and I can sit comfortably at it and don't need to worry about my head. We do have a child sized desk chair for it (I think it's the Orfjall), again I could use the chair comfortably too so it's not too small.
DeleteHi what is the width of the desk or the width of the ladder
ReplyDeleteThe width of the desk is 155 cm and the width of the ladder (the inside step part) is 36 cm. Hope that helps!
DeleteHi...If i put the closet door the other side...Can the bottom space fit a full size bed? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi there, no you aren't going to be able to fit a full size bed underneath because the wardrobe still takes up quite a bit of space under the bed and there is a solid piece of wood on the other side. You could fit one at an angle, sticking out, if you didn't install the desk underneath.
DeleteThank you. Appreciate your quick response. I was thinking of buying it. Good to know I can put a full size bed sticking out.
DeleteYou are welcome. Please do check your measurements with the official Ikea description though to be sure, as I'm not affiliated in any way with Ikea and I can't guarantee that you'll be able to fit it!
DeleteHi! Can I ask what size is the mattress? Is it a child's mattress or a normal single? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's just a normal single mattress
DeleteHello! I’m 17, 170cm and I was thinking of getting thing bunk bed. Do you think it is sturdy enough to hold an adult? Also, if I was to roll around, would the bed shake a lot?
ReplyDeleteYes I have slept up there myself (although I'm a little shorter than you!) and felt that it was sturdy, I sit up there with my daughter to read to her at bedtime and it feels fine. I don't think it would shake if you rolled around while sleeping, no more than a very slight wobble anyway.
Deletehello would you be able to tell me the height of the desk please
ReplyDeleteThe height under the desk is 70cm, I hope that helps!
DeleteDoes this include a mattress?
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't
DeleteHi, I'm 16 and currently looking to save space in my small room. I am 5'4 or around 162 cm, do you think that the desk would be comfortable? From what i saw on Ikea the height underneath the bed is kind of short. Do you think I could sit comfortably at my desk and maybe even stand up underneath? I'm afraid of hurting my back from bending too much. Thank you ^^
ReplyDeleteI am very slightly shorter than you, so I just popped up to check! Sitting at the desk should be absolutely fine, although you might want to choose a smaller chair rather than a high-backed office chair. My daughter has a child's one from Ikea which is still a good size for me, but an adult one should also be fine if it's not too tall. You won't be able to stand up underneath the bed though and will have to bend slightly to sit down. That's fine if you're sitting down for a long period but maybe not if you are constantly getting up and down. It's a very good sized desk with plenty of space for legroom and to work. I hope this helps!
Deletedoes this come with a matress?
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't come with a mattress, we bought one separately from Ikea.
DeleteHello Jennifer, thank you for this. Very useful. I bought it for my son and he is very happy with his new loft bed/desk. It is indeed a big job assembling it. I did it alone and it took me around 11-12 hours in total over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that it was helpful and that your son is happy with the bed!
DeleteHi Jenni, by any chance do you have the assembly instructions? Ikea seems to have discontinued this loft bed. I got a second hand one and I’m really struggling to put it together.And can the ladder be put on either side? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Barb, I'm sorry I don't still have the instructions however it looks as though they are available on the Ikea website here https://www.ikea.com/us/en/assembly_instructions/stuva-loft-bed-frame-desk-and-storage__AA-2044772-4_pub.pdf and there is also a video here which might help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5BMXttGHi0
DeleteThere are various different ways to put the bed together but unfortunately I don't think it is possible to put the ladder on the left officially. However if you have a look online there are instructions on how to do it with a bit of modification.
Hi, I’m hoping you may be able to tell me how much swing space I need for the doors if they are assembled on the outside? Trying to work out if the length of the bed plus the length of the open closet doors will fit in our space. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThe doors open out to about 31cm (although you'd want a bit more space than that next to the wall to access the wardrobe easily)
Delete