Marlow Staircase High Sleeper with Desk, Wardrobe & Storage Steps

Most high sleepers use a ladder. The Marlow uses a staircase, and that one choice changes both how the bed is climbed and how much it holds. Five broad steps make getting up and down easy for younger children and anyone who'd rather not use a ladder in the dark, and every one of those steps is also a cupboard. Add a desk, three drawers and a full-height wardrobe beneath the platform and it's a bedroom's worth of storage in one piece of furniture.

The staircase is the part that sells it. Behind each step front is a storage cupboard, five in all at varying depths, with round inset handles. It's space you'd otherwise lose to the staircase, and it takes books, games and spare bedding off the floor and out of sight.

Underneath, the whole length of the bed is put to use. A curved-front desk runs 144.6cm wide, with 71.7cm of clearance beneath it and a raised back edge so pens and paper don't disappear behind. Three deep drawers sit under the desk, and a full-height wardrobe at the far end has a full-width metal hanging rail with more storage in its base. There's nowhere for clutter to go except away.

At 162.9cm high overall, the Marlow is low enough to work in rooms with sloping ceilings where a taller high sleeper wouldn't fit. It's also long, at 235.2cm, so measure the wall run before you order. It arrives flat-packed for self-assembly, in 2 to 5 working days. If you'd rather someone else built it, there's a link to book a local assembler below the returns policy.

The sleeping platform has metal side safety rails and takes a standard UK single mattress, 90cm by 190cm, up to 15cm deep. That depth is a safety limit rather than a suggestion: a deeper mattress raises the sleeping surface and leaves less rail above it. The three mattresses shown above are the right size and depth for this bed, and the MemoryDream 15 is the one we'd put on it.

Key facts

• Size: 235.2cm long x 97.5cm wide (104.4cm to the front of the curved desk) x 162.9cm high
• Mattress: UK single (90 x 190cm), maximum 15cm deep
• Staircase: Five broad steps instead of a ladder, 37.6cm wide, with a storage cupboard behind every step (five in all, at varying depths)
• Underneath: A curved-front desk, three drawers and a full-height wardrobe
• Desk: 144.6cm wide with a raised back edge; 71.7cm from the floor to its underside, with 96cm of clear width beneath it between the staircase and the drawers
• Drawers: Three, under the desk, each 39.9cm wide x 33.4cm deep x 11.8cm high inside
• Wardrobe: Full height, with a full-width metal hanging rail and storage space in the base
• Ages: For children aged 6 and over
• Maximum weight: 100kg on the sleeping platform
• Material and finish: Laminated particleboard, in white or grey
• Safety: Designed to meet BS EN 747, with metal side safety rails on the sleeping platform
• Assembly: Flat-packed for self-assembly, with full instructions
• Delivery: Free, in 2 to 5 working days
• Guarantee: 1-year manufacturer's guarantee

Room fit

The Marlow needs 235.2cm of wall, considerably more than a standard high sleeper, so measure the full run before you order. It comes 97.5cm out from the wall, or 104.4cm at the front of the curved desk, and you'll need room in front to open the staircase cupboards, the drawers and the wardrobe door. At 162.9cm high overall it suits many rooms with sloping ceilings: measure the ceiling where the bed will stand, and allow about 70cm above the mattress for a younger child to sit up, or 80 to 90cm for a teenager.

Questions parents ask

Why stairs instead of a ladder?
Five broad steps are easier to climb than a ladder, especially for younger children and in the dark. Every step is also a storage cupboard, so the staircase adds storage instead of taking up space.

Will it fit my room?
Check the wall first: at 235.2cm long it's considerably longer than a standard high sleeper. It comes 97.5cm out from the wall (104.4cm at the curved desk) and stands 162.9cm high, so it often suits sloping ceilings, but measure where it will go.

Which mattress does it need?
A standard UK single, 90cm by 190cm, no deeper than 15cm. The MemoryDream 15 is the one we'd put on it.

What's Included

• Marlow high sleeper frame in white or grey
• Five-step storage staircase with five cupboards
• Curved-front desk with raised back edge
• Three-drawer unit
• Full-height wardrobe with metal hanging rail
• Metal side safety rails
• Fixings and assembly instructions