If youre trying to decide- buy it. I have a smallish room which makes storage a bit of an issue. I also have a low ceiling, which ruled out a loft-style bed, though that would otherwise have been the ideal solution.
This bed was the perfect compromise, being tall enough for real storage underneath yet not so tall that I cant sit up in the bed above.
My only issue was that the rails are meant to completely surround the bed, making it safe for children, obviously.
Not being a child that sort of security wasnt high on my list of requirements, but I DID need a bed that was easy to get out of in the morning.
As it happened, the railing doesnt have to be installed in the front- the frame is well-enough constructed that the railing isnt integral to the structure. As such, I left off the front pieces of the railing, giving me an open side that I can swing my legs over to drop out of bed in the morning.
The only problem with that solution was the ladder- one side of the ladder mounted to the corner post, great so far, but the other side mounted to the side of the bed and was as tall as the height of the now non-existent railing, making it a serious threat to my well-being as I climbed out of bed; I now had a single piece of wood sticking up alongside my bed for my legs to catch on as I swung them over the side. Not good.
Fortunately, some quick work with a hacksaw (not nearly as scary or ugly as it may sound) and I had cut that side of the ladder down to the level of the frame, not interfering with its stability in the least.
If I want to finish the job right Ill go find myself some coffee-colored wood stain to put on the part I cut away so it matches the rest of the bed, but otherwise I am very happy with both the bed and the solution I found for my particular issue.
I mention this in particular because I wasnt completely certain when I ordered the bed that I could leave off the railings if necessary, but it turns out you can, indeed.
Im very happy with mine.
If youre trying to decide- buy it. I have a smallish room which makes storage a bit of an issue. I also have a low ceiling, which ruled out a loft-style bed, though that would otherwise have been the ideal solution. This bed was the perfect compromise, being tall enough for real storage underneath yet not so tall that I cant sit up in the bed above. My only issue was that the rails are meant to completely surround the bed, making it safe for children, obviously. Not being a child that sort of security wasnt high on my list of requirements, but I DID need a bed that was easy to get out of in the morning. As it happened, the railing doesnt have to be installed in the front- the frame is well-enough constructed that the railing isnt integral to the structure. As such, I left off the front pieces of the railing, giving me an open side that I can swing my legs over to drop out of bed in the morning. The only problem with that solution was the ladder- one side of the ladder mounted to the corner post, great so far, but the other side mounted to the side of the bed and was as tall as the height of the now non-existent railing, making it a serious threat to my well-being as I climbed out of bed; I now had a single piece of wood sticking up alongside my bed for my legs to catch on as I swung them over the side. Not good. Fortunately, some quick work with a hacksaw (not nearly as scary or ugly as it may sound) and I had cut that side of the ladder down to the level of the frame, not interfering with its stability in the least. If I want to finish the job right Ill go find myself some coffee-colored wood stain to put on the part I cut away so it matches the rest of the bed, but otherwise I am very happy with both the bed and the solution I found for my particular issue. I mention this in particular because I wasnt completely certain when I ordered the bed that I could leave off the railings if necessary, but it turns out you can, indeed.