Both wood and metal are suitable options when it comes to manufacturing bunk beds. Wood is certainly the more favored material, but that does not mean metal bunk beds don’t have their advantages. On the contrary.
The most important qualities in any bunk bed, bar none, are sturdiness and durability and both of the above mentioned materials fare well in this department — of course, if the product is properly built. Wobbling and flimsiness, sometimes associated with wooden bunk beds, are the result of either poor build quality or an improper treatment of the raw material, especially when it comes to drying it.
Metal bunk beds can be constructed of metal rods or wrought iron, but most commonly these days they are made of steel tubes. They ooze out a modern, contemporary look and are very sturdy and durable. Metal bunk and loft beds are also somewhat less expensive, which is in part due to lower production costs, and in part to their simplicity; they usually come with less optional items and additions than their wooden brethren and that of course has an influence on the price.
Wood bunk beds take up more than three quarters of the market today; as a result, they are available in a much larger variety of styles and arrangements and have much more to offer in the field of add-ons and optional items. The following types of wood are used most often in bunk bed manufacturing today:
Rubberwood — valued for its dense grain, stability, attractive color and acceptance of different finishes.
Maple — hard and heavy wood with high resistance to abrasion and wear and a fine, uniform texture. The color varies from creamy white to dark reddish brown.
Cherry — medium density wood with good bending properties and medium strength and shock resistance.
Engineered wood — manufactured by bonding together wood strands, particles, veneers, and other forms of wood fiber to produce an integral composite unit that is stronger than the sum of its parts. This results in a strong but light weight material — composite materials are often stronger and more durable than their solid counterparts.