Is Your Kiddo Outgrowing Their Crib or Toddler Bed? Here Are 26 Items That Can Help the Switch to Their First Big Kid Bed

This is a great option if your little one isn’t sleeping well in their crib, but they’re just a bit too young for a real bed. Because this bed lies flat on the ground, you won’t have to worry too much about a tumble. The distance between the mattress and the floor is minimal — basically just the height of the mattress. Most of the bed is surrounded by railings (shorter than a crib’s), with a small 19.1-inch (in.) gap for your child to climb in and out, which also helps lessen the risk of them rolling out in the middle of the night.

Ah, the classic race car bed — the thing little boys’ (or girls’) dreams are made of. This is great for the car-obsessed kid, and will make the transition to “big kid bed” extra magical. Parents can choose to use it without a box spring, which means the mattress is closer to the floor, leaving guardrails on each side to help your kid stay on the bed all night. A box spring will raise the mattress higher, which may be the best setup for an older toddler.

With realistic race-car details, this bed measures 47.5 in. by 94 in. and stands 22.5 in. high. Kids can choose between red, black, blue, and pink options. The plastic frame makes for easy cleaning, and the product is GreenGuard Certified, meaning it’s tested for over 10,000 chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

If you’ve got double trouble and a small home, as I do, a trundle bed is the perfect solution. This is the twin bed we just set up for my 4-year-old, and while we haven’t moved my 2-year-old to the under-the-bed trundle just yet, that time will be upon us before we know it. Since we live in a two-bedroom home and we don’t yet trust our rambunctious boys to refrain from jumping (or tumbling) off the top bunk of a bunk bed, this was the logical solution. I love the beautiful rattan frame, and my son loves that we can set this up like a couch during the daytime. This bed comes in full size as well, or you can opt for the drawer-style trundle to keep clothes, toys, linens, or whatever you need stored away.

While this mattress is crib-sized, it also works for toddler beds, which usually use the same size mattress. We had this mattress in my son’s crib and in his toddler bed as well. One of my favorite features is the two-sided design, with a firmer side for infants and babies and a softer side for toddlers. Avocado also makes a great organic mattress in twin and larger sizes, which editorial director Simone Scully described as “luxurious.”

Our son uses this mattress in his new bed, and I’ll admit, when I lie with him at night before he falls asleep, I don’t want to get up. The gel memory foam is meant to keep the sleeper cool, and while we haven’t used it during the summer months yet, it feels cool and comfortable as it molds to the body. The mattress is a bit on the thick side, at 11 in. It’s OEKO-TEX certified, so it’s tested for harmful substances. 

I wouldn’t recommend this mattress for younger toddlers, as it’s quite soft. However, it’s a great option for older toddlers, preschoolers, and kids. 

Memory foam can, at times, be too soft. This one’s fitted with individually-wrapped coils as well as memory foam, so you’ll get softness and support. “We tested this mattress in my son's room,” says Scully. “His bed is very low to the floor, and our previous mattress (a foam mattress) was very difficult for me or any adult to sit at the edge of because we'd fall off — the edges would sink in. This mattress is way better at that: there's good support throughout most of the mattress, including the edge, so you're less likely to roll off or sink in when you're near the edge.” She also mentioned that the mattress is noticeably breathable, as her son experienced fewer night sweats.

The bed is 100 percent fiberglass-free and made with CertiPUR-US certified foams, meaning they’re free of phthalates regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, flame retardants, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, and other dangerous toxins. You’ll also appreciate the 365-night home trial and the forever warranty.

You may not want to spend an arm and a leg on your child’s first pillow, and that’s okay. I can think of plenty of ways that a little one’s pillow might not make it for the long haul. So if you want to keep it simple, the SKOGSFRÄKEN pillow from Ikea is just the thing. It comes in at under $20, it’s fluffy (but not too fluffy), breathable, and moisture-absorbing.

“I found this pillow to be well-suited for side sleeping, offering enough support without feeling too firm or too soft,” says writer Brittany Scaniello, who tested this pillow. “The softness felt balanced — supportive without being overly firm.” This pillow can be machine-washed at 140°F, which is great info to have when you have kids who get sick often, and you want to keep family illnesses to a minimum.

We like that this pillow comes with two inserts, so it can grow with your child. You can start with just the low-weight insert, making for a lower-profile pillow for younger kids, and add the other insert if they need it or as they grow and need a taller, fluffier pillow. “Very easy to adjust,” says writer Crystal Hoshaw. “I loved that it was just two smaller pillows inside the bigger pillow case.” The adjustability also means it's suitable for all kinds of sleepers, so if your child is a back sleeper, a stomach sleeper, or a side sleeper (or all three), you’re in good shape with this pillow.

The pillow has a breathable cotton side and a cooling nylon side, though Hoshaw said she didn’t find it particularly cooling. This pillow is antimicrobial and fully washable, two more bonuses if you’re going to give this to your kid.

This breathable pillow is adjustable: just zip or unzip the side panels to make it fluffier or more compressed. It’s also cooling and washable. “I loved it,” says writer Mary Sauer, who tried this pillow out. “It was soft but also held its shape really well. It’s my new favorite pillow. It was just the right height for me, and I liked the adjustability feature.” In fact, we liked the Marlow so much that it made our Best Pillows of 2026 list.

Kids have a way of tossing and turning that will mess up a newly made bed in no time. But these sheets have something I’ve never seen before — the fitted sheet has extra elastic corner straps that help secure it in place. My son, who moves around a lot in his sleep, has yet to tear this fitted sheet off the bed (the flat sheet is another story).

These are made from 100% organic bamboo and are super soft and silky to the touch. They’re designed to wick moisture away to keep sleepers cool. They also fit a mattress up to 20 in. tall. You’ll be happy to know they’re OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, one of the strictest textile safety certifications, meaning every component has been tested for harmful substances and deemed safe for human health.

If you’re looking for something a little more chic, look no further than this gorgeous knit blanket. While you may want to layer it with a warmer blanket in winter, it works nicely as a throw at the foot of the bed or draped across the top. It’s crafted from natural fibers, sustainably made, and produced to order.

“This is neither the warmest blanket I tried, nor the most practical, nor the most affordable, and yet, it's one of my favorites,” says Scully. “It's soft, without being overly soft, and it is colorful. It looks almost handmade (which is because it was made [by] artists). I also really love that it is made of 100% Egyptian cotton, and it has quickly become my favorite blanket in the living room. It's also pretty enough to keep out all year long.”

If you have a hot sleeper, a cooling comforter can be just the trick to keep your child cozy without overheating. “I've tried two cooling comforters, and of the two, this one has more weight to it, which I actually like,” says Scully. “It does make it a bit less cooling than the other one I tried, but it definitely does cool you down and prevent night sweats. I had my son try it too (he sweats very easily in his sleep) and this is the first time he didn't kick off all his covers or wake up sweaty in a while.” 

This is available in four colors that skew neutral, like navy, cream, beige, and gray. “It's very soft to the touch and honestly, is one of my favorite things I tried,” Scully adds. “I like that this one is more about temperature regulation… It keeps you comfortable - not too hot and not too cool.” 

Most kids experience fear of the dark at some point in childhood. A nightlight can do wonders. But Hatch Baby is much more than a night light. It’s a sound machine, a clock, a sleep trainer, and more. And just because it has “Baby” in the name doesn’t mean it’s not still useful for your toddler or preschooler (we still have an older version in our preschooler’s room and another in our room where our toddler sleeps). “Before I had a baby, I gawked at how much Hatch sound machines were, but once I had one, I realized how amazing they are,” says health writer Julia Childs Heyl. “There are so many different settings. My brother-in-law, who is childless, uses one for himself and loves it.”

What’s great about this device is that you can control it via an app on your phone, so you won’t have to leave the light or sound running all night. The light also isn’t overly bright, so it’s fine to leave it on all night, if that’s what your kiddo needs. You can choose from several different colored lights as well as different soothing sounds and songs to help your little one drift off to sleep. This can also work as an “ok to rise” light, as you can schedule a time for the light to turn on, giving kids the ok to leave their room if early wakings are something you’re dealing with.

“This is more than a kids' alarm clock; it's a motivational tool, toy, alarm clock, and planner all wrapped up in one for kids,” says Scully, who tried this device with her son. When you set this up, your child can choose their virtual “pet,” which they get to reward when they complete task prompts set by you on the app, such as getting out of bed (you can set an “ok to rise” alert), doing their homework, brushing their teeth, and more. 

“These reminders then pop up on the screen for a set period of time (for 1 minute, which seems short, to about 30 minutes),” Scully explained. “The idea is that it encourages your child to remember their responsibilities and get them done on time in order to collect points, level up their pet, and strive towards a goal.” This is meant for kids ages 3 and up. It can also work as a night light, and kids can listen to music, stories, and podcasts on this device as well. 

A screen-free audio player is the key to helping your child fall asleep. Kids can listen to stories and songs as they drift off to sleep, each programmed onto cute figurines that are easy to pop on top to begin the audio. There are seemingly endless Tonies available, many featuring favorite characters — including Disney favorites like Woody from Toy Story and Moana, as well as beloved book characters. 

“I already recommend Tonies to everyone at this point, but I think I'd definitely recommend the Toniebox 2 to parents of younger kids because it works with the bigger toddler-friendly Tonies,” says Scully. 

We’ve had a Toniebox in our house for several years, and my kids rarely play without it streaming stories or songs in the background. My sons started using it around 18 months and still love it now at ages two and four.

This is a screen-free audio player for older kids — think preschoolers and up. We got the Yoto Mini for my son for Christmas, and it was even more of a hit than I hoped for. Kids can listen to stories, music, and lessons via the cards that fit right into the top of this device. Card themes range from Spiderman to The Beatles music, Spanish lessons to classic stories like Charlotte’s Web, and much, much more.

“My son loved being able to pick out his own stories and listen to them at night, when he got home from school, or in the car on long road trips,” Scully says. She noted that the cards offer longer listening time than the Toniebox and that the device includes a port for external speakers. Parents can set the volume in the parent app so it stays at a safe level for kids. This can also be used as a nightlight, a radio, an alarm clock, and a “safe to rise” light.

With the softest of fur and stories that warm the heart, Slumberkins are lovies with a real purpose. Each character focuses on a different emotional truth, with Otter Kin getting kids familiar with their community and focusing on who loves and cares for them. This stuffed animal comes with two books that focus on family, connections, and bonding — great conversation starters when a kid is going through big changes, like a new bedroom or sleeping alone for the first time. My son has this stuffy, and I can attest that it’s super-duper soft.

“Both of these stuffies are way, way softer than you'd expect: I mean truly, they're one of the softest stuffed animals I've ever seen, which makes them really fun to hold or sleep with,” says Scully. “My son immediately wanted to bring them upstairs to sleep with him in his bed.” Otter comes with a bonus stuffed heart, so your little will have double the snuggles.

Both ears of this cuddly pup zip open — one holds an aromatherapy oil (choose from lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, orange citrus, or peppermint), and the other holds a cooling/heat pack. The tail is also filled with sensory fidget beads,, creating an all-in-one calming sensory toy.

“My son liked this dog quite a bit,” says Scully. “He found the weight of it soothing, especially at night, because he said it felt like someone was sleeping with him and keeping him safe.” It also comes with a book about the Turbobo the dog. Just note that this product is for children ages 3 and up (weighted objects may not be safe for younger children).

Every kid gets the bedtime woes from time to time, but what do you say to the child who just wants to know why they have to go to bed? That’s what this book sets out to answer. Written by an MD, this bedtime story frames sleep as a magical power that helps kids grow, store up the energy they need for their favorite activities, and helps them get smarter. 

My 4-year-old has always had low sleep needs, meaning he doesn’t need a lot of it, and it takes him a long time to fall asleep. This book has helped us have conversations about why sleep is important. He’s inquisitive, so having the answers ready for him in book form is great on those nights when he just doesn’t want to fall asleep.