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One of the ultimate challenges of living in a dorm room is working around limited space. To make the best of your new living area, one constructive solution is lofting your dorm bed. Doing so provides several benefits for making dorm living easier, though it might not be for everyone. This guide to lofting your dorm bed will help you determine whether or not you want to loft your bed. And we’ll help you get through the process of how to safely get it done, step-by-step.  

This guide includes:

• Why you should loft your dorm bed
• Why you might not want to loft your bed
• How to loft your bed

Why You Should Loft Your Dorm Bed

More Floor Space

Lifting up the dorm bed significantly opens up the floor space. That way, you and your friends will have more room to hang out. Many students opt into buying a couch or a futon to place underneath, to allow for extra seating. 

Here are a few options for some affordable futons:

• Naomi Home Store Leather Futon Couch
• Innisworld Twin 64” Wide Cushion Convertible Sofa
• Room Essentials Black Futon Sofa

Instead of a futon, a lot of dorm residents choose a bean bag or zero gravity chairs as other forms of seating. 

A more unique way to use up the space is to place a hammock or a hammock chair underneath. It will be way cheaper than a futon and also more relaxing. Plus, its assembly will be easy as you just attach the straps to the railings on the side of the bed. 

The extra floor space can also be used for your own study area. Placing your desk underneath will provide more space elsewhere, as you’re using the vertical space to your advantage. 

Improves dorm room aesthetic 

With the bed out of the way, your room will seem more spacious, giving you more room to decorate. 

One way to freshen up your room is by adding bed skirts to your bed, especially if you want to hide the contents underneath. Or if you plan on using the underneath area as a seating or desk area, hanging regular curtains can allow for a bit more privacy and dimmed lighting. 

Increases Storage

The most obvious advantage is the amplified storage space you are now granted. If you choose not to use the space for studying purposes, you can place storage shelves or bins underneath the bed. 

Consider buying Dormify's solid storage bins or place your laundry basket, a mini-fridge, a microwave, or extra luggage in this open space. 

Why You Might Not Want to Loft Your Dorm Bed

There are only a few reasons NOT to loft a dorm bed, as the benefits generously outweigh the negatives. But once you put it up, you may decide several months later to place it back, which can be more of a hassle. Here are a few things to consider before you make your decision. 

Temperature changes

The higher you are, the hotter it is going to be. If you get hot really easily, you might want to consider another option. A possible fix to this could be purchasing a fan that can clip onto the bed’s railing. 

Bedding changes

Changing your bedding will also be more of a struggle when it comes to having a raised bed. It's one thing to already struggle with getting a fitted sheet on your bed, it’s another thing to struggle while raised up high. 

Accessibility

Obviously, when the bed is up to the ceiling, there are some challenges to face. Say you have a late night emergency or feel nauseous, it’s going to be harder to get down from that tall bed without spewing all over it. Plus, you might knock yourself out by hitting your head on the ceiling. The beds also tend to wobble, which could be irritating to sleep in.

Think about the difficulty of getting in and out, climbing up and down the ladder. You get into bed and then realize you forgot to do something. So now you have to take the effort to go back down, and tired as you probably are, you’ll get tired of climbing back up. If that seems like too much work just to get into your bed, then lofting just might not be for you. 

And for some people, the height of the bed might be a little too high. The beds typically raise up to 58 to 60 inches. So if you are scared of falling out, especially without having a railing on the bed, you could consider not to loft your bed. 

School rules

Sometimes, based on your college or university, they will warn against lofting the bed due to potential hazards. If your school does not allow lofted beds, then you should consider not to opt in. That is, unless you want to get a potential charge for doing so. 

How to Loft Your Dorm Bed

Look at your dorm layout and regulations

Before you start the process of lofting the bed, be sure to check for the school’s policies and information regarding it. Most likely, the school will have the dimensions of your dorm room as well. This lets you know where the best possible position for your lofted bed is. It also helps to see what obstacles might come in the way, including fire alarms, outlets, windows, or slanted ceilings. 

Talk with your roommate

It’s also considerate to talk with your roommate about whether or not they want to loft their bed as well. Work on a plan together that will allow the process to go smoother and to make sure the room is able to fit two lofted beds. And if both of you decide to loft your beds, it opens up even more space in the small room.  

Talk to others who have had a lofted bed

It’s always good to hear other people’s experience of having a lofted bed. They can tell you the pros and cons as well as any tips they have. 

Find the correct equipment

Making sure you have the right equipment is one of the most crucial steps to ensure your bed is lofted correctly and safely. It’s important to figure out if the necessary parts are already provided by the school or by rental. If you don’t follow the rules of the school, you could possibly face charges. Schools usually restrict the use of cinder blocks to lift up the bed, as they can damage the floor and leave you with a property fee. 

Investing in a lofting kit will provide all the necessary materials needed for the process, if your school doesn’t already provide one. They make lofting much easier and without the need to disassemble anything. 

Bed risers are also an option if you can’t purchase a lofting kit. They will only provide a few lifted inches, usually about three to five added inches. But the bed risers will cost way less than some lofting kits and still give some extra space under the bed. Be sure to never stack bed risers or else you will have a really unsteady bed which could collapse at any second. 

Preparing the area

Be conscious of the things surrounding the bed area so that nothing will get in the way of lofting. Take everything off the bed, including bedding and the mattress, to ensure the process is easier. The last thing you want is to knock or break something during the procedure.  

Have someone help you

It’s almost impossible to do the heavy lifting all by yourself. Have a designated person help you with the process, whether it is a family member, a friend, or your roommate. Ultimately, the more help, the safer the procedure will be. Have one person on one side and yourself on the other to ensure that the legs go into the pegs or slots correctly. The same goes for taking down the dorm bed at the end of the school year, you will need someone to help from the bed potentially falling on you. 

The step-by-step guide

Here are the most basic steps of how to loft the bed:

• Lift the bed and place it on its side, if possible
• Attach the pegs or leg extensions onto the bed legs
• Test how secure the attachments are
• Lift the bed back up, one person on each side
• If the bed has pegs, guide the legs into the holes
• Congratulations, you now have a lofted bed! 

That’s it for our how-to guide for lofting your dorm bed

Now that you know the pros and cons for lofting your dorm bed, you can make your decision. Then you can follow the necessary steps to properly raise the bed. With that, the possibilities for what to do with your raised bed are endless. Whether it's for extra storage space or more room to decorate, you can make the most out of your small living space by lofting your dorm bed.