Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/1/2007

Question
Hi, I want to buy my nieces (4 & 6) a set of bunk beds. One set is made out of maple the other made out of Poplar. The one made out of maple is about $500.00 more even though the 2 look similiar. Which one would last the longest or should I say stand up to 2 toddlers?

Answer
Hi Elayne,

There's no doubt about it, Maple is far superior to Poplar in terms of durability. It's one of the hardest woods out there. In fact, they use it for everything from bowling alley lanes to hardwood floors, furniture to paneling.  I think the better question for you is- are you one of those people who intend on keeping this bunk bed set around for eternity?

My parents still have the bedroom furniture that I grew up with - luckily, as a child, I wasn't too hard on the furniture, so it looks as nice today as it did 40 years ago. They certainly got their money's worth! So the question is this - do you see this as being something you'll want in your home in 30 years? Will it survive the nieces who will be using it? Is it well made?

The next question is- can your budget afford the extra money?

I think if I was making this decision, I would want the Maple set because I know I'm not hard on furniture, so it will last a long time. But if you know the bedroom set is going to take a beating, and it's likely that it won't survive, then I would save the money and buy the Poplar. Those are questions you have to ask yourself.

On the other hand, since you mentioned that the two beds look the same, then my thought is this: the Maple set might be priced higher for a couple of reasons. It's a better wood, and (perhaps) the construction of it is superior to the construction of the Poplar set.  Still, $500 is a pretty big difference, isn't it? It's a tough decision.

One last thing to think about is if the bed set can be taken apart and used as two lower beds down the line. Bunk beds are cool for kids, but 20 years from now, when you have company, they might not want to climb into that top bunk. I know I wouldn't!

It's a tough decision, but you need to look at the construction of both, to compare it. And then your budget. If it were me, I would want the Maple. Don't know if this helped, but if you have more information, or can send me a link where I can see these two beds, I will do more comparison for you.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com