DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed, Black – is what I decided to review today. Although this bunk bed is one of the most popular beds out there, there aren’t many lengthy reviews of it to my surprise.
I have a lot of experience in finding, testing, and reviewing various bunk beds for our kids, and since I am a parent myself, safety and comfort are familiar traits that I seek in every product.
Is this DHP’s black twin over twin metal bunk bed worth it for you and your kids?
Well, it certainly can help certain people, but it’s not without its cons. If you are a parent who is currently on a tight budget, this bed may serve your needs. Although not the best affordable bunk bed on the market, it does its job… but not without some complications. Let me go into details about this bunk bed, and then all the pros and cons that come with it!
DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed, Black Specifications
Dimensions: Length 78″ x width 45″ x height 72″
Weight capacity: Bottom bunk 225lbs, top bunk 200lbs
How much weighs: 86 pounds when assembled
Color: Black
Material: Metal
Warranty: One year
Advantages of Having a DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed
Price
There is so much trash on the internet. If you’ve been searching for a while, and have seen some of those horrendous designs that they offer, you’d know it’s a big pain in the bottom area to find a good quality bunk bed for an affordable price.
And even if you think some of them look solid… trust me, they are probably not.
The advantage that this bed has is that it’s pretty decent for its price point. Although there are better affordable bunk bed options available, it does its job well and doesn’t fall apart. DHP is a trusted company within this area, and they do make safe bunk beds.
So if the price is a top criterion for your bunk bed, I can approve this choice. Although I do recommend checking out some other points below, especially the “cons” so you know what you are in for.
Update: The price has gone up from the last time I reviewed it. Do I agree with the price now? This bunk bed is still cheap comparatively, but it’s starting to get to the point where I want to say “it’s not worth it”.
There are still some really good bunk beds that are cheaper than this, so it’s best to keep on searching if the price is the most important point in the selection.
Ease of Assembly
Some bunk beds take SO LONG to assemble. You’ll grow a full beard before they are finished. Why does it take so long?
Material and instructions. The material is either wood or metal. Wood takes longer, metal does not. Unless the manufacturers decided to create a puzzle with instructions – a lot of them do – metal bunk beds take no time at all.
If you follow instructions properly and with care, it should take you around 1 or 2 hours to assemble the DHP bunk bed. Some wooden ones take at least 3 hours, so in that regard not only is this bunk bed cheap, it also provides an easy manual for you.
Some, however, have reported it being too difficult to assemble.
To this, I’d say that you should see what other bunk bed instructions look like. I have built a lot of bunk beds and have read through many difficult texts until I understood what’s written, so compared to that, this DHP bunk bed is fairly easy.
I do have to warn you that many bunk beds have defects upon arrival, especially the cheaper ones, so keep an eye out for many deformities. That may add to the assembly confusion.
If that happens, just get in touch with the supplier and they’ll ship you a new one.
Sturdy For This Price Point
I won’t say it’s one of the sturdiest ones because it’s definitely not. Although many think that metal provides sturdiness that’s just not the case with metal. BUT, compared to some other metal-made bunk beds that are available for around 100 dollars, this DHP twin over twin bunk bed holds its own.
That is also one of my most important criteria when I review bunk beds for kids. You do not want to go blindly into buying some beds that are out there. Some are not even certified to be safe, so as we, parents, do everything to keep our children safe, quality has to be top-notch.
Luckily, it doesn’t move much… at least in the beginning. Over time some bolts do get a bit loose, and that will create the following problem that many metal bunk beds share: Noise. I will talk about it in the con section.
But overall, this DHP bunk bed is fairly strong. I would double-check the welted parts just in case, as some have said that the welding part broke on the guard rail after some shaking.
Unfortunately, that’s the cost of cheap bunk beds. Not all of them break, but some can be faulty since bunk beds are welded by humans after all, not machines.
Just double-check the weld connections if you purchased it.
See also: Most Sturdy Bunk Beds You Can Get THIS YEAR!
Cons of DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed, Black
Noise.
Do you think it won’t be that bad? Oh, you just wait. Even if in the beginning this DHP twin over twin bunk bed does not squeak, just from continuous movement on the bed, you or your kids will start to notice the slight noise, and that will keep getting louder and louder till you have to interfere.
How do I know it? I slept on it. Not a pleasant experience.
It’s actually fixable – what you have to do is to find the source of that squeaking, and then either tighten the screws and bolts or remove everything and lubricate them with specific products. Here is a fantastic article on how to fix the noise that metal beds emit. All this, however, will take time, and as we, parents, are already busy with everyday life, we can’t spread our attention to so many little things all the time.
Metal bunk beds can be quiet, but unfortunately not at this price point. If you want a good example of a strong, quiet, and sturdy bunk bed (or loft bed in this case), check out my last recommendation for bunk beds with desk underneath. Since I really dislike metal bunk beds, it is rare that they get on my good side, but that one was so well built that I had to include it.
But this one just doesn’t pull it off.
Ladder is Painful
I’ll just say it how it is. If you step on it barefoot, your kids will probably start to experience discomfort. We always climb up barefoot, and when these metal rungs are so thin and so poorly designed, you do start to wish for something better, especially when you get heavier with age.
I actually don’t understand what went through their minds when they designed some of the parts of this bed. You just have to sleep on it yourself to experience some complications. Was it really that hard to test it out? Or make the surface of rungs a bit flatter to spread the surface?
Fortunately, there is a fix for this stupid issue. What you have to do is get some pool noodles, cut out the middle part, cut it into an appropriate size, and then zip-tied it to secure it. Pipe insulators are also something that comes to mind, but many that have tried them said that after a few weeks of continuous use they started to wear off. So pool noodles are better for this issue.
Here is how one customer made it look →
It’s another metal bunk bed but has that same stupid issue. If you think it will look too silly, then my recommendation would be to just buy a separate ladder that has proper footing for the feet.
Yes, it adds to the cost, but what can you do, really?
No Separate Bed Support
By that I mean – you can’t convert them into 2 single beds.
“No big deal” – you might say, but this is actually something that many look for when looking at bunk beds. If your kids haven’t yet fought with each other, they might when they get older. Although my kids are young, they have “argued” numerous times, and what I had to do was disconnect the bunk beds and place them in separate rooms. Luckily, my bunk bed has that support, so if you are looking for it in this bed also, you won’t find it here.
If you do want to have that kind of bunk bed, check out Storkcraft Caribou Wooden Bunk Bed in my “affordable bunk beds for kids” list. That bunk bed is not expensive and is made out of wood that provides many positive things for kids.
If customization is important to you, check out this article: List of Most Customizable Bunk Beds for Your Needs!
Conclusion For This Review
If you’ve seen my previous articles, you’d know my stance on metal bunk beds. Although this black DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed is…. decent considering its price point, I do recommend saving 50 bucks and going with something that I recommend here.
Your kids can sleep on this DHP bed, it’s easy to assemble in the beginning, but in due time it will bite you back, and the main problems come from the material itself.
I remember when I slept on my friend’s metal bunk bed. The noise was so horrible that I was sure dogs were barking outside because of us sleeping on that bed. I have no idea how my childhood friend managed to sleep on it for years. This bed has the same problem since many have reported the same issue.
I do appreciate some things about this bunk bed, and that are assembly instructions and ladder placement. I am not talking about how the ladder is built, but more like how it is diagonal instead of horizontal. The vertical ladder is something that I had to endure for more than 15 years…. trust me, it isn’t easy to climb up and down with it. It’s just too unnatural due to how your legs bend. With this diagonal ladder, you can have more balance at least.
If you’d like to see more images of this bed, I created a slideshow from different angles:
By the way, as with almost all bunk beds, the mattress has to be bought separately. If you don’t have one, these ones are suitable. Do remember though, lower bunk bed supports up to 8 inches, and the top one supports 6-inch mattresses.
So in conclusion, do I recommend DHP Twin Over Twin Metal Bunk Bed, Black? Well, if you can afford to spend a bit more, then no. All in all, I give it 5.6/10.
DHP can do better.
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