Best Toddler Bed Rails Reviews 2022 (For All Beds and Mattresses)

In this post, I have spent several hours researching and going through the specs of different toddler bed rails available in the market today. I have selected the 8 best toddler bed rails brands and have reviewed them in detail to enable you to pick the most suitable for your baby.

What Are Toddler Bed Rails

Toddler bed rails are guard rails or bed bumpers to prevent kids from falling off the bed while they are sleeping. The guard rails can be attached on one side or both sides of the bed. Unlike cribs where the child is fully enclosed, bed rails let the child get in and out of bed.

Toddler bed rails are usually made of metal frames covered with soft mesh fabric. The mesh stays secured by the child’s weight, or it’s attached to the bed frame.

Comparison table of Best Toddler Bed Rails

Reviews of the Best Toddler Bed Rails

Toddler Bed Rails for Thick Mattress-Regalo Swing Down Rail

If you have a mattress above 10 inches thick, this swing-down rail from Regalo is extra tall to make sure your child is well contained in the bed. With a 14 to 15 inches thick mattress, the rail leaves about 6 inches from the top mattress. It is also longer than most, so it fits twin size to queen size beds.

The Regalo swing bed rail is a favorite among parents because it folds out of the way. This allows your child to get in and out of bed and lets you access a bed easily accessible for bedtime stories or when changing sheets. In addition, it is easy to set up and requires no tools.

This rail is designed to last with a steel frame and nylon mesh fabric that allows airflow. It also has an anchoring strap that secures it to the bed. The most important thing to note is that this swing bed rail is designed to be used with bed and box springs.

Pros

• Sturdy and durable
• Folds down
• Easy to install

Cons 

• Only fits beds with a flat base
• Mesh guard could be taller

Toddler Bed Rails For Queen Bed and King Size Bed-Hiccapop Foam Bed Bumpers

Hiccapop foam bed bumpers provide the perfect fit for a queen or king-size beds. The foam bumper is tall enough to keep your little one contained as they co-sleep with you, yet low enough that they feel like part of the bed. You can opt for two bumpers for either side to create a cozy cocoon your child will love sleeping in.

These bumpers are super easy to install and remove. Simply unroll the bed bumper and place it at the edge of the bed between the sheet and mattress. Tuck the fabric flap under the fitted sheet, and your child’s weight will hold the bumper in place when sleeping. Additionally, the fabric has silicone beads to prevent the bumper from slipping around.

Regarding quality and safety, these foam bumpers have passed all Federal safety standards. They are also free from flame retardants, phthalates, lead, and other harmful chemicals that may affect your child’s health. Plus, they come with a lifetime guarantee, so you don’t have to worry about future damage.

Pros

• Soft and comfortable
• No installation or tools needed
• Non-skid silicone beaded fabric
• Machine washable cover
• Affordable pricing
• Lifetime guarantee

Cons 

• Some have found that the bumper constantly slides off the bed
• Very active toddlers may able to roll right over it in their sleep 

Toddler Bed Rails For Twin Bed-Munchkin Sleep Bed Rail

Measuring about 36 inches long and 18 inches high, the Munchkin bed rail is a perfect fit for twin beds. It features a metal frame with mesh fabric to keep your child from rolling off the bed while sleeping.

Set up and installation is fairly easy to do. You slide the metal bars between the mattress and box spring or bed frame, then secure using the safety straps while making sure not to leave any gaps between the railings and the side of your child’s bed.

The rail can also be folded with a push of a button located on the side to allow your child to climb in and out of bed without going all the way to the foot of the bed. It also makes it easy to make the bed and to change sheets.

Pros

• Fold downs for easy access to the bed
• Mesh fabric allows more airflow and stays cleaner longer than other thicker materials

Cons 

• The click sound that lets you know that the rail is locked in place is loud and may disturb a sleeping child
• Expensive in comparison

Toddler bed rails for travel-The Shrunk Inflatable Kids Bed Rails

These toddler bed rails inflate and include a foot pump and carrying bag, making them portable and extremely convenient for traveling.

Made from thick PVC, the rails tuck under the sheet creating a gentle and bouncy reminder to your child that they are at the edge and need to shift back in the middle for safety. The silicone bottom keeps the rails securely in place between the sheet and mattress.

With these rails, you should not worry about exposure to toxic chemicals as the material is free from Phthalates, Lead, and BPA. It is also water-resistant and odorless. The rails also come with patches, just in case of any leaks.

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Easy to use
• Fits all beds sizes
• Silicone grip strips to prevent slipping
• Easy to clean, just a wipe down
• Includes a foot pump
• Storage carry bag

Cons 

• They take quite a bit of room on the bed
• There have been a few complaints about leaks and problems with repair

Toddler Bed Rails For Convertible Cribs-Hiccapop Convertible Crib Toddler Bed Rail Guard

The Hiccapop Convertible Crib Rail Guard is the best rail for convertible cribs because of how secure it is. Unlike other rails held down by straps, a child’s weight, or mattress, the Hiccapop crib rail guard attaches directly to the crib’s frame. This is one of the reasons it is highly rated because parents can rely on it to keep their children from falling out of bed at night.

The rail is firmly secured using two adjustable steel clamps that are held with screws onto the frame under the mattress. Once attached, the lever system allows it to fold down and click back up in place as needed. You can also check out these travel cribs for toddlers

This rail guard is made of the highest quality materials and has passed all Federal safety standards. You can purchase confidently because it has a 100% lifetime guarantee to back its quality claims.

Pros

• Durable
• Can be used on both cribs and beds
• Folds down
• Fits all cribs except IKEA

Cons 

• Lowering the rail is a bit tricky
• The bars leave lumps when installed under the mattress; some have had to install under the wire springs that sit under the mattress.

Toddler Bed with Rails All The Way Around: Montessori Floor Bed

If you don’t want to buy rails separately, you could just buy toddler beds that come with their own rails. Here are some options you might want to consider.

Features fancy house bed style and is made in Europe using Pine or Birchwood. It is highly customizable into 6-bed modes and fits U.S. full-size mattresses. The side railing can be removed and attached back as many times as needed. It is available in different sizes and finishes. And if you are wondering, the mattress is not on the floor.

Dream On Me Emma 3-In-1 Convertible Toddler Bed

It is made of solid New Zealand pine and converts into a table and two chairs providing a place for your child to draw and do their homework. It comes with four complete side rails for safety and sits low to the floor to let your child in and out easily and safely. It is available in 9 lovely finishes.

Delta Children Interactive Wood Toddler Bed

Delta has many toddler bed versions designed with raised sides that act as guardrails on all four sides. These beds feature colorful character artwork like the Minnie mouse featured above, so if you want to get your child a bed they will fall in love with, check out their collection. Designs range from a princess, Minnie mouse for girls, and Pixar race cars for boys.

Do toddlers need bed rails?

Most toddlers are usually wild sleepers, so you always find them shifting in the bed every so often. They sleep one way only to find they have turned in the opposite direction. As a parent, it is worrying that they could tumble down to the hard floor.

A toddler bed rail helps to keep your child from falling out of the bed, giving you peace of mind so you can have better sleep. You need to have a toddler bed rail when transitioning your child from the toddler crib to the big bed. For most parents, the transition starts at around 18 months, and the child may need to be secured with a rail until 5 years.

How to pick the best toddler bed rails

The following are some factors to consider when buying your toddler bed rail or bumper:

Size 

Obviously, beds are not all made equal, so check the length and height mainly. You want a height of about 6.5 inches above the mattress to ensure your child will be contained. If you have a thick mattress, ensure that the rail is high enough to prevent falls.

Bed positioning

If you have the bed near the wall, you only need one rail as the wall acts as the barrier. However, if the bed is placed in the middle of the room, you will need two rails to secure both sides.

The base of the bed

This may not apply if you are looking for a bumper, but if you are buying a rail, you need to know how it attaches under the bed.

Bed bases can be wire coils, slats, or box springs. Ensure that you know how to attach the rail to your bed base. Remember, your child will lean against or climb onto the guard rail. You don’t want to imagine your child falling off and taking along the guard rail, which is very likely to happen with a faulty attachment.

Material

Bed rails are made of mesh, plastic, wood, or metal. Mesh rails are certainly lighter, but they are the least robust compared to other materials. However, they may work best for beds with a thinner mattress. Wooden rails are durable and attractive, but they also get dirty easily and are expensive. Metal bed rails are the most aesthetically appealing but can be expensive. Plastic is a good middle ground; solid than mesh and less expensive.

Our advice is that you should probably overlook the looks in favor of durability, safety, and robustness. But, if a rail with all three, then, by all means, go for it.

The other aspect you should be keen on is making sure the material does not contain toxic chemicals and that there are no pokey edges and bits that could injure your child.

Types of toddler bed rails

There are many different types of toddler bed rails but the main ones are:

Fixed child bed rails

This is the most common bed gate that most people are familiar with, where a mesh-covered metal frame is fixed onto one side or both sides of the bed to create a safety gate. This type of toddler bed rail is universal and can be used for all beds, including bunk beds and loft beds. For twin beds and queen size beds, extra long mesh bed rails are used.

Swing down bed rails

One frustration with fixed rails is that they make it hard for one to access the bed, whether lying in bed with your child for a bedtime story or making the bed. To address this issue, manufacturers decided to make foldable bed rails that look very similar to the fixed rails.

So we can say swing-down bed rails are fixed bed rails that fold down. They prevent your baby from falling out of bed but also fold down to give you easy access. Swing bed rails are also available for bigger beds.

Bed bumpers

A toddler bumper rail is placed on the edge of the mattress and tucked underneath the fitted sheet. They can be used on all types of beds and mattress types, but they are not safe for bunk beds or loft beds.

Since they are not actually attached to the bed but merely held in place by the fitted sheet, it is easy to access your child and make the bed. Unfortunately, this also means that the bumper may not effectively contain extremely active kids at night because they could dislodge the bumper. This is also the reason why bed bumpers are not safe for use on bunk beds and loft beds.

Types of toddler bed bumpers 

Toddler bed bumpers are further categorized into two types: inflatable bumpers and foam bumpers.

Inflatable toddler bed rails

Inflatable toddler bed rails are usually blown with air. You deflate when not needed, fold, and put away. These are also weightless and easy to carry, hence great for travel and sleepovers at friends’ or relatives’ houses.

Foam bumpers

Foam bed bumpers are mainly very long and narrow foam-filled pillows that you place on the edge of the mattress underneath the fitted sheets. The best ones usually have a hypoallergenic, water-resistant cover, and a non-slip bottom to keep them firmly on the mattress. Some other foam bumpers can be easily folded up and come with a compressing carry bag, so you can easily take them with you when traveling.

How to attach toddler bed rails

1. Start by removing the mattress from the bed and get your rails and mesh ready

2. Connect the upper rails uppers support bar to the bottom bar, ensuring that the spring pin clicks securely into the opposing hole.

3. Connect the two sides

4. Install the mesh onto the rail. Some brands install by sliding the mesh over the rail, while others require threading the rail through the mesh.

5. Insert the hinge into the assembled rail as shown below. The metal spring button should be in line with the access hole on the hinge.

6. Have the bed rail in a locked position as shown below

7. Place the rail on the side of the bed you want protected

8. Place the fixed plates with straps on the opposite side of the bed rail and attach them to the outer edge of the bed, making sure to get a snug fit.

9. Replace the mattress on top

Ensure to leave a 10-inch gap between both sides of the rail to the edge of the bed. This allows enough room for your child to get in and out and eliminates the risk of strangulation.

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Emily Larsen

Emily Larsen is a renowned expert in baby naming and has published various works and research on naming a baby such as the evolution of naming, the impact of baby names on a baby’s future success, the perception of middle names, among others. Emily is our baby-naming expert here at Motherhood HQ and we rely on her insight when writing guides to assist parents trying to find an appropriate baby name. Aside from publishing works on unique and creative baby names, Emily is a mother of three and a grandparent to one infant. She is trained as a Psychologist and previously worked as a Social Worker for the State of New York. Emily also runs a small personalized baby-naming consulting business and can be reached using her email, emily.larsen(at)motherhoodhq.com

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