Same ages and we went with a twin as well. We haven't had any issues and never needed a toddler rail. We put her on the bed frame right away.

DD's crib converts to a toddler bed, so I plan to convert it v. soon (new baby arrives in July). We used an Arm's Reach and then a porta-crib in our bedroom until DD was 1 y.o., so I figure we've got almost a year before we have to think about whether it makes sense to buy a new crib or not. We'll probably transition DD to a twin (or maybe full) when she's around 3.5. In your situation, though, I would go straight to a twin.

We switched our toddler to an ikea bed; it's the width of a twin, but shorter; has the ability to become a twin with mattress additions and bed extensions. Our child loves it!

Twin, you will only buy 1 new mattress/bed that way. Get a simple rail (or a pool noodle, that's what I did at one point)

Queen

I'm in this situation! DD just turned 3 and new baby is due next month. DD's crib turns into a toddler bed, so we just took the side off to get her used to being in a bed (we probably should have done this earlier). Baby will be in a pack and play in our room for 3ish months, so we're going to give DD a couple months in the "toddler bed" and then move her into a low to the ground twin bed after the baby arrives. Current strategy is getting her excited about being able to give her baby things (like the crib) to the new baby when she arrives. We'll see how that goes once the baby is here.

If the side didn't come off the crib, I definitely would've just gone straight to a twin bed.

OP here. Thank you so much everyone. Twin bed it is- happy not to have to waste $ on a toddler bed.

I moved DD from co-sleeping to a queen. She sleeps in my last single-lady bed. It gave me less to do (bassinet, crib, toddler bed, twin...oh my!) and makes sleep overs easy. Her mattress is heavenly.

Toddler beds seem like a marketing ploy to get parents to pay for another step, rather than going straight from crib to "regular" bed.

We are making the switch this weekend straight to a twin with my 2.5 yo. I am due in 10 weeks. I wish I had done it a bit sooner, but I'm hoping it won't be too rough of a transition. We have a bedrail and the room is mostly set up. She's very excited about her big girl bed and big girl bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:I have this same question but DD will be 2. I feel like that's too young to transition to a twin bed??

Depends on the kid, but in my experience 2 is not too young. We put the mattress on the floor with pillows around it. Kids will fall out once or twice before they get the size of the bed and how to stay in. I'd rather let them fall a little bit, short distance onto pillows, than have to worry about falling out of beds when we travel.

Twin bed.

Straight to twin a little before 3 (baby was born at 3). It was a very low Ikea twin bed so easy for a 3 year old to get in and out of.

I have this same question but DD will be 2. I feel like that's too young to transition to a twin bed??