Children's tatami mats

	The B03 model from Longwin has built-in bookshelves and drawers in the staircase. It is made of MDF.

Loft types with study areas and staircase drawers are on the rise. These are made of engineered wood.

Suppliers of children’s beds in China are launching space-saving multifunction designs.

Among these are lofts that incorporate wardrobes and study areas in one module. The latter generally consists of a desk, shelves and swivel chair. Some, however, feature extendable segments that expand the table surface, with hinged desktop lids and rollout mini cabinets offering extra storage space.

On the latest bunk beds, bookshelves are included in the lower deck. Some models come with pullout trundles, while others have bottom compartments with removable doors. This allows the spaces to be used as chests or decorative shelves.

Staircases have built-in storage units in the steps. These can be configured into separate drawer chests or stacked as a dresser.

Platform and captain’s beds have headboards that function as shelves. They can also be detached as stand-alone bookcases.

Apart from multipurpose models, makers offer traditional beds in twin and double constructions. These often come as a set with a nightstand, desk, chair and cabinet.

Manufacturers keep up-to-date on trends of all these products through professional publications and furniture magazines.

In addition, Shenzhen Eagle Creation Toys Co. Ltd and Beijing Kingwood Trading Co. Ltd participate regularly in trade shows.

One trend is for “green” materials. Most suppliers are now employing environment-friendly engineered wood such as MDF. This material can be made from recycled paper, bamboo and even polymer or steel processed with softwood. Because it has no grain, MDF is not prone to splitting like solid wood, and strength remains uniform along the plane. Moreover, its cost is stable due to an abundant supply.

Guangzhou Hengyixuan Furniture Co. Ltd and Longwin Industrial (HK) Co. Ltd purchase their MDF in Guangdong province.

Plywood and particleboard are also being utilized. Up to 20 sheets of plywood veneer can be made from one inch of timber. Particleboard, on the other hand, can be manufactured from woodchips and even sawdust.

Both are resistant to warping and can withstand high changes in humidity. This makes them ideal for areas with seasonal variations.

Besides engineered materials, companies can use solid wood on request. Pine dominates this category, and is purchased domestically or in Russia, New Zealand and Brazil.

Shenzhen Eagle adopts pine, birch and basswood in its models, while Longwin employs pine and camphor.

In addition to ecologically safe bed frames, makers are applying recyclable melamine coating and water-based paint.

Product development and safety are major considerations, with suppliers hiring experienced specialists and complying with standards.

Shenzhen Eagle has five designers, four pattern makers and six technicians. The company’s five engineers have at least 15 years of experience. Beds bear the ST mark and are SGS-certified for ASTM D4236 and EN 71 Parts 1, 2 and 3.

Beijing Kingwood invests $150,000 annually in product development. It has eight engineers and recently hired five R&D specialists. A foreign designer has also been contracted. Models are tested by Intertek for RoHS and BS 5852 compliance.

Engineers at Longwin have eight years of experience. Five new designs are developed every month and sent to the China Commodity Inspection Bureau.

Apart from R&D and safety, makers are boosting the quality of children’s beds by following industry guidelines and upgrading equipment.

For instance, Shenzhen Eagle complies with ISO 9001:2000 requirements. The company has industrial dust collectors and CNC equipment.

Longwin conforms to ISO 9001, 9004, 19011:2000 and 14001. Electronic saws and edge bonding machines are utilized in production.

Others carry out inspection in-house. Beijing Kingwood allocates $100,000 to QC each year. Models are checked for burrs and sharp edges, and undergo destruction tests.

Guangzhou Hengyixuan subjects beds to load limit evaluation and surface burr inspection prior to packing.

Suppliers are currently struggling with the effects of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as factories were forced to shut down temporarily and business visas were affected.

To compensate, Shenzhen Eagle will adjust prices upward by 5 to 10 percent in the next 12 months.

Specific statistics for the country’s children’s bed exports are not available. According to the China National Furniture Association, however, children’s models accounted for 5 percent of the $22 billion in furniture shipments for 2007.

The industry consists mostly of furniture suppliers that branched out to children’s designs, while about 200 manufacturers specialize in the line. The main production hubs are Guangdong, Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces.

OEM orders make up 90 percent of overseas shipments. The US, the EU and Asia are the major destinations.

The children’s furniture industry has been seeing annual export growth of 20 percent. The rate is expected to fall next year due to the yuan’s appreciation and higher production expenses. Other growth barriers are stricter environmental guidelines on materials and design copying.