How to Make a Loft Bed Taller and Raise its Height

A loft bed is a type of bunk bed with only one bunk on the top. Since there is no bottom bunk, the space below the loft bed can be used for many purposes such as: a nightstand, a workstation with desk & chairs, or even a walk-in closet.

There are three general types of loft beds with different heights:

• Low Loft – usually 50 inches tall (4.2 feet). Perfect for rooms with a low ceiling.
• Mid Loft – approximately 61.5 inches tall (5.1 feet). Compatible with low-ceiling rooms.
• High Loft – typically 74.25 inches tall (6.2 feet). Ideal for high-ceiling rooms.

To make a loft bed taller and raise its height, install bed risers on the loft bed posts. You can also create your own DIY bed risers using wood blocks and casters. A third option is to replace your loft bed with an extra-tall loft bed. Adding bed risers to extra tall loft beds is not recommended.

Read the rest of the article to learn more about bed risers for loft beds and how to create your own DIY bed risers. Also, take a look at five bed riser alternatives for more ideas and how to raise the height of your mattress.

If you want to get more information about the general features of a loft bed, take a look at our comprehensive loft bed guide explaining some of the must-know loft bed characteristics.

Any type of loft bed has enough space to store stuff or place a nightstand along with other furniture. But in the case of low or mid loft beds, there is not enough free space to add a workstation. A taller loft bed provides you more flexibility for using the space under the loft bed. Here’s how you can organize a room with a loft bed.

Benefits of Loft Beds

A wooden loft bed with an open space under the top bunk. The medium-height loft bed creates an extra space that is used for storage and also fits a bean bag. Image from Amazon.

The following are some general pros and cons of loft beds:

PROS	CONS
Provides extra space under the bed Frees up space in the room for other furniture	Not as safe for young children. Follow these tips to make loft beds safer
Provides enough space for storage, a closet, a cozy work, study, or play area	Might be difficult for some people to reach the top bunk
Children adore sleeping in loft beds near the ceiling	There is a risk of falling off the bed while sleeping or climbing the ladder steps. Here are tips to make loft bed ladders safer
The open area under the top bunk can be left untouched to make the room look bigger or you can make a loft bed look cool by using the space underneath	You need extra protection such as guard-rails around the bed

How to use bed risers to make loft beds taller

One of the most common ways to make any type of bed taller is to use regular bed risers. A loft bed is not an exception. You can buy bed risers that are available in almost every home décor and furniture store. Once you raise your loft bed, here are tips to use the space below your loft bed. 

To install bed risers, we recommend that you follow the user guide or utilize professional installation services if you don’t feel comfortable.

In general the steps to use bed risers are:

1. Determine the kind of loft bed risers you need. There are many varieties of bed risers for different bed post sizes and lift heights. You need to be aware of the ceiling height as well to ensure that you have at least 40 inches from the top of the mattress to the ceiling for you to be able to sit up comfortably (average human height while sitting).
2. Lift each bed post, one corner at a time, so that you can install the bed risers.
3. Check that the weight of the loft bed is evenly distributed on the bed riser. Some bed risers also ask that you add glue to ensure a firm seal and increase the sturdiness.
4. Make sure that all four bed posts are secure before adding any weight to the loft bed.

Some examples from Amazon are as follows:

Product Name	Specifications	Approximate Price	Link to the Product
DuraCasa 3” Bed Risers	3 inch bed risers Fits 5.5 inch bed posts Available in black and white colors	$8/piece	Product on Amazon
DuraCasa 5” Bed Risers	5 inch bed risers Fits 5.5 inch bed posts Claims to be the strongest on Amazon	$15/piece	Product on Amazon
FASONLA Bed Risers	3 inch bed risers Solid natural wood Non-slip recessed hole	$30 for 8 pieces	Product on Amazon
iPrimio Bed and Furniture Risers	Elevation up to 3 inches Durable ABS plastic Anti-slip padded foam grip	$19 for 4 pieces	Product on Amazon
DormCo Suprima Ultimate Height Bed Risers	23.5 inch bed risers Raise height by 20.5 inches Carbon steel	$99 for 4 pieces	Product on Amazon

How to make a Loft Bed Taller with DIY Bed Risers

Here are 5 steps you should follow to make your bed taller and raise its height using DIY bed risers.

• Step 1 – Prepare for creating bed risers for your loft bed by purchasing all necessary components
• Step 2 – Cut the wood into the proper-sized pieces matching the size of your bed posts
• Step 3 – Make the hole cuts and drill the holes to screw them onto the base to assemble the wooden part of the bed risers
• Step 4 – Add small wheels to make it easier to move your loft bed (Optional)
• Step 5 – Attach the DIY bed risers to the loft bed legs and make sure everything is secure before sleeping in the bed.

These general instructions are a summary of multiple blogs such as Melissa’s blog, Growing Grace, and Tarva Style.

STEP 1 – Prepare for creating bed risers for your loft bed

Our first essential step to make DIY risers is to prepare for the project. By “prepare” we mean taking measurements, getting materials and tools you need to create something, and finally, making sure that you have everything you need.

Here are some tips that will help you to prepare for creating bed risers for a loft bed:

1. Count the legs of your loft bed – it is essential to create a bed riser for each leg of the bed. Generally, loft beds stand on either 4 or 6 legs.
2. Measure the length and width of each leg. You might think that measuring just one leg is enough to create bed risers. In some cases, this might be true (especially for the high-quality beds). But in case of cheaper beds, leg dimensions might slightly vary. A difference, even in a few millimeters, will affect the quality and durability of bed risers as well as the loft bed itself.
3. Choose the material and color that best suits your loft bed. Using wood risers is better for DIY because wood is easier to manipulate and drill. Metal will require more specialized equipment and space to do the work. If you have tools that are also suitable for metals, you can also use metal pieces instead of wood. If you are a beginner and want to easily DIY bed risers, use regular wooden pieces that match the color of the bed frame. If you want to use wood for a metal loft bed, you can simply paint the wooden bed risers in the desired color to match the frame.
4. Prepare other materials and tools, including screws, miter saw, drill, hole saw, and self-adhesive foam pads.

Materials needed for making DIY Bed risers for making loft beds taller. Small Wheels, Drill Set, Self-Adhesive Foam Pads, and Wooden Pieces from Amazon.

STEP 2 – Cut the wood into the proper-sized pieces matching the size of your bed posts

As the second step, you will need to cut the wood into the proper-sized pieces that match the size of the legs of the loft bed. Even a small difference in size might affect the durability of the bed risers. Also, if your bed risers aren’t sized perfectly you might risk having the loft bed fall or having a bed riser break.

How you cut the wooden pieces is entirely dependent on how tall you want your loft bed to be. For instance, if you want to raise the height of the loft bed by 10 inches, cut the wooden piece so that it is a little bit more than 10inches tall because you’ll need to add the bed posts into a recess inside the wooden bed riser. This way you can ensure that the final increased height is about 10inches after attaching the base or the small wheels (casters) to the main wooden piece.

If you want to raise the height of the loft bed by 7 inches, follow Melissa’s blog for more detailed instructions regarding the sizes and dimensions of lumber pieces used to create bed risers.

Also, make sure that each lumber piece is marked so that you know which bed post to attach to it. Along with that, you will need to mark the spots to make hole cuts and drill the holes. This procedure is further discussed in Step 3 provided below.

STEP 3 – Make the hole cuts and drill the holes to screw them onto the base to assemble the wooden part of the loft bed risers

You can check out the DIY bed risers and estimated costs by following this link to a YouTube video.

As mentioned in the previous step, you need to make the hole cuts and drill the holes in the main lumber piece. Considering the measurements done in Step 1, you will need to use a hole saw (with the proper size) to make the middle hole cuts in the main lumber pieces. The bed posts will be placed directly into these hole cuts.

A wooden bed riser with a hole cut for the loft bed posts. After putting bed risers under each bed post, the loft bed height will be increased and it will remain as stable as it was without the riser. It is imperative to use recessed holes for the added stability. Image from Walter Drake

As you can see in the image above, there is a hole cut in the bed riser, which is used for placing a wooden or metal bed post into it. The size of the hole cut is entirely dependent upon the dimensions of your loft bed legs.

When you have made the hole cuts in the main lumber piece, it is time to attach it to the base. The wooden base is used to create more protection for the bed riser. Along with that, it acts as a protective base for the loft bed itself. The dimensions of the base must be larger than the dimensions of the bed riser so that the entire riser + base combination is stable. You can attach the base to the main lumber piece using some screws and a drill.

To protect the floor from any damage that the bed risers can do via abrasion, you can use self-adhesive foam pads designed for furniture legs. There are different-sized pads you can choose from depending on the size of the base posts for the bed risers. If you cannot find a size suitable for the base, you can use several foam pads to cover the entire surface of the base.

STEP 4 – Optionally, add small wheels (casters) to make it easier to move your loft bed

If you want to make your loft bed easily movable, you can add casters. Always buy locking casters with brakes.

Note that this step is not recommended for extra tall loft beds since it might cause unwanted movement of the bed and add strain to the loft bed posts. Along with that, try not to attach the wheels to the kids’ loft beds. It will be safer and much more secure for the kids to sleep in a bed with regular bed risers that are attached to the base. Kids might accidentally move the loft bed while playing with it or trying to climb the ladder – a regular bed base is much less likely to move.

Another tip to reduce unnecessary movement of the loft bed is to put a rug under it. This will help both loft beds with casters as well as loft beds on bed bases and risers.

STEP 5 – Attach the DIY bed risers to the loft bed legs and make sure everything is secure before sleeping in the bed

For the last step of this instruction, you will need to attach the DIY bed risers to the loft bed frame. As mentioned earlier, the hole cuts that were made in the center of each main lumber piece are intended for the placement of a bed frame. Follow the same installation instructions we presented earlier about how to use commercial bed risers.

A bed riser with a base that is attached to the bed frame. Image from Today’s Creative Ideas.

You can use some glue that is suitable for the material that you have used for the bed risers or additional screws to secure the loft bed posts into the risers.

If the bed frame is made of metal, but you have created wooden bed risers, you can simply use regular paint for wood, so that the bed risers match the color of the bed frame.

If the bed risers are too noticeable, you can cover the bed frame using a padded fabric and create a luxurious look. Follow the link to check out a simple tutorial on how to upholster a bed frame using regular fabric.

When you are done with painting and covering the bed frame, place the loft bed in the desired spot. Once you are done, lock the wheels.

If you have painted the frame, make sure the paint is completely dry until you let someone sleep in the bed.

That’s it! You’ve now increased the height of your loft bed safely. Test it out!

Can you buy extra tall loft beds?

Yes, you can buy extra tall loft beds. Extra tall loft beds are very convenient, especially in small rooms. You can easily store furniture and a nightstand underneath your loft bed. You can even create a closet or use the extra space for study, work, or play area.

Here’s a standard size twin loft bed with a desk and shelves. Extra tall loft beds usually have thicker bed posts and provide several inches more room below the loft bed. However, they are restricted to rooms with higher ceilings. Image from Wayfair.

Luckily, there are dozens of tall loft beds available online. You can also order a customized loft bed that will reflect specific characteristics and features, depending on your preferences. Consider some services like National Home Store for your custom sized and designed loft beds.

Here are some of the extra tall loft beds available on Amazon:

Product Name	Approximate Price	Link to the Product
Your Zone Twin Loft Bed	~$160	Link to Amazon
DHP Studio Loft Bed	~$350	Link to Amazon
DHP Full over Full Metal Loft Bed	~$270	Link to Amazon
Dorel Living Denver Loft Bed	~$340	Link to Amazon
DHP Adobe Loft Bed	~$310	Link to Amazon

For more detailed information, take a look at our article, Are Bed Risers Safe? You may also enjoy this article on bunk bed room dividers which maximize the space in small rooms. They’re a great alternative to tall loft beds.