Under Bed Storage Ideas for Kids Rooms

The space under a kid’s bed is usually the biggest unused storage spot in a small bedroom. I like it because it hides bedding, off-season clothes and toy overflow without adding a single piece of furniture.

This guide covers how to measure, which containers suit which beds and what they cost. It also covers what is safe by age, common mistakes and a few DIY options.

In this article (10 sections)

1. What to Store Under a Kid’s Bed
2. How to Measure Under Your Bed Before Buying Storage
3. Best Under-Bed Storage Containers for Kids’ Rooms
4. What’s Safe Under the Bed by Age
5. How to Organize Under a Kid’s Bed
6. Common Under-Bed Storage Mistakes
7. DIY Under-Bed Storage Ideas
8. Maintaining Under-Bed Organization
9. Frequently Asked Questions
10. Conclusion

What to Store Under a Kid’s Bed

The space under the bed works best for things you need now and then rather than daily. Good candidates:

• Extra bedding and pillows
• Out-of-season clothing
• Toy overflow (larger, age-appropriate pieces)
• Sports equipment
• Books
• Keepsakes
• Craft supplies, for older kids only

What to Keep Out From Under the Bed

• Food and snacks
• Damp items, which can mildew
• Batteries, especially button batteries
• Aerosols, cleaning products and craft chemicals
• Loose cords
• Small parts, if anyone under 4 can reach the bins
• Magnets and magnetic toy sets, if anyone under 6 can reach the bins
• Strong, high-powered magnets, at any age

How to Measure Under Your Bed Before Buying Storage

A bin that is half an inch too tall will never slide out, so measure before you buy. The Under-Bed Storage Kit at the end of this post has a measuring sheet for these numbers.

1. Measure height. Run a tape from the floor to the lowest part of the frame.
2. Measure the footprint. Write down the width of the bed and the depth from the side to the center.
3. Mark obstructions. Note center supports and legs.
4. Subtract for clearance. Take 1-2 inches off the height to get your maximum bin height.

Clearance varies by frame, so treat these as rough ranges rather than rules:

• The top bunk is for ages 6 and up. Per the CPSC, children under 6 should not sleep on the top bunk.
• Guardrails run along both sides of the upper bunk. The wall-side rail is continuous, and the only gap on the open side is the opening for the ladder.
• The mattress top sits at least 5 inches below the top of the guardrails.
• The mattress is the correct size for the frame.
• Ladders and guardrails are clear, with no bins or stacks near the rail that a child could use as a step.
• Everything stays within the bed’s weight limits.

Best Under-Bed Storage Containers for Kids’ Rooms

Here is how the six main options compare. My short recommendation: low, flat, lidded bins suit most standard beds, and rolling drawers are best kept for an older child’s daily items.

Wheeled Bins and Drawers

These suit frequent access and heavier items. They come as rolling drawers, wheeled plastic bins or wooden drawers.

The downside is that they can roll out unexpectedly and the wheels can break. Choose locking wheels where you can, and skip wheeled drawers for toddlers, who can climb in or get pinched.

I find wheeled bins tend to drift out of line on carpet, so I lean toward flat bins there.

Flat Storage Bins

Flat bins with lids fit very low beds and are the most affordable choice. They are harder to slide on carpet and not great for heavy items, so keep them for lighter things you reach for less often. Lids reduce dust but do not eliminate it.

Baskets and Soft Containers

Woven baskets, fabric bins and canvas containers suit soft items and look good if part of the bin shows. The soft sides are kind to little hands and fold flat when not in use. They protect less from dust and can snag on carpet, so use them for pajamas and stuffed animals rather than heavy things. Expect $10-40 per basket.

I pick bins in one or two colors from the room’s palette. A matching row reads as one quiet line, so the space under the bed stays calm even when it is full.

Vacuum Storage Bags

Vacuum bags shrink bedding and off-season clothes dramatically, which makes them the best choice for the back of a shallow gap. Check the care label first, because down and memory foam can be damaged by full compression. Skip compression for stuffed animals too.

They need re-compressing each time you open them, so keep them for seasonal items. Expect $15-40 per multipack.

Bed Frames with Built-In Storage

Storage bed frames, including platform beds with drawers and captain’s beds, give the cleanest built-in look and need no separate containers. They only make sense when you are buying a new bed anyway, since they replace the whole frame and the drawers may not suit a different layout later. Expect $150-600+ for the bed.

Bed Risers

Risers lift the bed legs to add clearance and work with the bed you already own. They also raise the sleeping surface, which means a longer fall and a possible need for a step stool. Not every bed suits them. Expect $15-40 per set.

What’s Safe Under the Bed by Age

What belongs under the bed changes as your child grows. Use the row for the youngest child who can get into the room. If that child is under 4, every bin they can reach should hold only large, soft, toddler-safe items.

Magnets and button-battery items stay out of reach until every child in the room is at least 6. Strong magnets never go under the bed.

For toddlers and preschoolers, the bins pair well with our toy rotation system, which shows how to keep fewer toys out at once. Clear or labeled bins help kids find things and put them back correctly.

With older kids, let them choose the organization system, because ownership makes them more likely to keep it up. If two children share the room, our shared bedroom storage solutions can help you split the space fairly.

For clothes that will not fit under the bed, see our kids’ closet organization guide.

How to Organize Under a Kid’s Bed

Set aside about an hour and work through these steps in order:

1. Empty and measure. Pull everything out, vacuum, and note the clearance and obstructions.
2. Sort. Make keep, donate and store piles, and leave behind anything on the keep-out list.
3. Pick bins by clearance. Use the maximum bin height from your measurements.
4. Label. Use photo labels for non-readers.
5. Load. Put heavy and seasonal items at the back and weekly items at the front.

Here is one way to lay out a standard twin bed with three bins:

Sorting by Category and Frequency

Give each bin one job, such as bedding, toys, clothes or sports gear. Then place bins by how often you reach for them, as in the layout table above.

Weekly items and current-season clothes go in front. Seasonal items, backup bedding and keepsakes go at the back.

Labeling

Labels mean kids can find things and put them back, and there are no mystery bins under the bed. Use photo labels for non-readers and simple tape or chalkboard labels for readers.

Common Under-Bed Storage Mistakes

Most under-bed storage fails in one of five ways. Each has a simple fix.

Planning for a baby’s room instead? See Small Nursery Ideas: Maximize Space in a Tiny Room for more small-space layouts.

DIY Under-Bed Storage Ideas

Three budget options, compared:

For the sliders, press one hard plastic glide into each corner of the bin base. Hard glides slide better on carpet than felt pads, which are meant for hard floors. For the rolling trays, cut plywood slightly smaller than the gap, then screw a locking caster into each corner.

Maintaining Under-Bed Organization

Kids from about 4 can pull out and return their own bins and help with seasonal swaps. Our guide to seasonal clothing storage for kids walks through the swap itself.

Related: Guest Room Nursery Combo: Keep the Guest Bed and Add a Crib

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Measure your space tonight, buy one bin that fits and test it for a week. The Under-Bed Storage Kit for Kids’ Rooms below has the measuring sheet, bin-zone map and labels.

Sharing a room? Shared Kids Room Ideas: Making It Work for Siblings has layouts that work for more than one child.