Camping bunk beds for kids: Hi Gear Duo Bunk review

When you’re camping for any length of time, it’s ALL about space-saving. Oh the conversations – ok, heated chats – the husband and I had about what we could and couldn’t take on our three-week camping road trip to France. One thing we agreed on from the beginning though, was stacking the kids on top of each other. And by that I mean, once we had discovered they made camping bunk beds for kids (in this case, the Hi Gear Duo Bunk Beds from Go Outdoors), we thought they’d be the perfect solution for our daughters’ (aged 5 and 3 at the time) sleeping arrangements during our camping adventure.

The Hi Gear Duo Bunk Bed camp beds also seemed like they would be super handy for future trips where we might need to put them to bed in a smaller space than usual. The camping bunk beds for kids were one of the new-equipment successes of our holiday, let me tell you why…

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Are they easy to assemble?

There’s an awful lot of construction that goes into a setting up camp, even with an inflatable Berghaus tent. I have to say rolling things up – mattresses, sleeping bags, you name it, is my LEAST favourite part of the camping experience. I think this is partly why the Hi Gear camp bunk beds appealed to me! I like the fact there’s no faffing around with pumps, and no issues with having to deflate beds like you get with blow-up mattresses.

These portable kids bunk beds are collapsible, concertina-style, so you can make them into two single beds if you prefer. They are connected together by a steel frame, which is easy to build – simply slot into place and fasten with a thick strip of velcro. They take about five minutes to set up.

They feel really sturdy – my husband even ended up sleeping on one for a night, during a bed-hopping evening with the kids – you know the kind. I’m 5’8″, so you can get an idea for the length of the bunk bed in the photo above.

Click here to purchase the Hi Gear Bunk Beds from Go Outdoors

Hi Gear Duo bunk bed dimensions – are they actually space-saving?

Once broken down, the foldable bunk beds come in a carry bag which measures approximately 83x18x31cm and is quite heavy. If you’re tight on space in the car it can be easier to separate the poles from the bag so it packs down into smaller spaces. The actual Hi Gear bunk bed dimensions are 180 x 72 x 78cm.

The Hi Gear Duo bunk weight limit is 110kg.

Once they’re up and in the tent though, as they only take up the same amount of room as one camp bed, there is plenty of space left for the sprawl of kiddo paraphernalia. 

One of the sides of the top bunk is also fitted with three little net pockets, which are really handy for storing stuff that kids like to have within easy reach, such as bottles and nappies etc.

Are the Hi Gear Duo bunk beds comfy?

If you’ve ever slept on a canvas camping tent bed, you’ll know how comfy they are. In terms of sleeping bags for bunk beds, our young kids slept in these padded Vango Starlight sleeping bags and were more excited by the prospect of who was going on the top bunk, than the softness of the bed, so were very happy with their lot.

If you were really worried about kiddy-sleeping comfort though, you could always buy a portable mattress topper for the camping bunk beds, however I found the little ‘lip’ of the edges was great at preventing our wriggly three year old from falling out of the bottom bunk. The side panels on the top bunk naturally stop that from happening.

A nice cosy sleeping bag and a proper pillow (not the inflatable camping pillows shown below in the photograph – they just flew out from under their heads constantly) make this a pretty snug child-sleeping option. Being elevated off the ground meant they didn’t get cold at night either.

What age group are the bunk beds for?

My daughters were 5 and 3 years old when we first bought these foldable bunk beds and as mentioned above, they were absolutely fine on them. I think if you have a child who is used to sleeping in a bed, they’d manage very well, especially with the side panel and lipped edges. If you were at all concerned, you could also separate the bunk beds and just use them as single camping beds, or keep younger children on the bottom bunk.

How much do they cost?

You can buy the Hi Gear Camping Bunk Bed for around £69 from Go Outdoors, which is a 50% discount on the retail price of £200. If you have a Go Outdoors card (which is free), you can often get another 15% off this too. I think this is great value for money, when you consider a good quality airbed costs around £50 and is in danger of puncturing as soon as the kids bounce on its tempting surface (I speak from experience). We’re going to get loads of use out of the fold up bunk beds in years to come too, not just as tent camping bunk beds, but for weekends away, self-catering stints and staying with friends and family.

Would I recommend the Hi Gear Duo camping bunk beds?

Yes I highly recommend the Hi Gear Duo bunk! The bunk beds are portable, practical, convenient, durable and strong. Our kids loved them and took it in turns each night to sleep on the top bunk. They slept really well in the bunk beds, better than they have slept anywhere EVER before – sometimes even until 10am (!) in the morning (although this was also to do with the busy, outdoor, late-night camping lifestyle).

The camping bunk beds were a great bit of kit to take with us on our three week road trip, but we also regularly use  them for staying at friends’ and families’ houses, as well as when we stay in self-catering apartments on holiday. They have also proved invaluable for when we have guests with kids come to stay in our humble-sized house – they fit neatly into the corner of the room, meaning we can easily accommodate for a family of 4 in one bedroom.

Liked this post on kids camp bunk beds? Read more:

While these Go Outdoor bunk beds are great for young kids, you’ll need a different kids of portable camping bed for babies. 

Best inflatable family tent? The Berghaus Air 8 reviewed

Trip to France and Spain: our French road trip itinerary

Take your kids camping bunk to the Peak District with this handy camping guide to the area from Peak District Kids.

Campsites on the Dordogne river: Camping le Capeyrou, Beynac France

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