Stepping up onto bunk bed ladders are painful to step on making them uncomfortable and unsafe. Loft bed ladders are painful to climb up to the top bunk. But, with a little creativity and some bunk bed ladder padding, you can make your loft bed ladders safer and more comfortable on your children’s feet.
When we had our RV toy hauler that had a loft bunk bed, anytime I stepped on the ladder, I’d shriek out in pain. Because those hard ladder rungs are not fun on the feet, no matter what age.
And, learning the hard way, I also discovered they are actually quite dangerous and slippery when wearing just socks, slippers or even bare feet!
So, we’ve put together some creative padding solutions to make bunk bed ladders safer and more comfortable for kids of all ages to climb.
These bunk ladder ideas can be used in RV bunk houses, loft beds, at camp, in cabins and cottages, and in the home too.
Bunk Bed Ladder Padding Hacks – How to Make Loft Bed Ladders Safer
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Foam Pipe Insulation Tubes
Insulating pipe foam is a great way to pad your bunk bed ladder. They typically are already slit lengthwise and can be cut to size based on your ladder rungs’ width.
Some have an adhesive strip that seals the foam around each round ladder rung.
Pool Noodles
Since pool noodles have a continuous hole that runs from end to end, they make great ladder covers to make it easier for your child to climb into their bunk.
To pad your ladder, simply slit the whole pool noodle from end to end. And then, measure the width of each ladder rung and cut your pool noodle in even sections.
Then, open the foam tube and slide it over each rung. You may want to cover them entirely with some fun tape or just close the open slits. Also, use cable ties to secure each ladder step securely so they don’t slip or turn.
| ♦ PRO Camping and RV Tip ♦ There’s tons more you can do with pool noodles around your campsite and RV! Check out our Pool Noodle Camping Hacks for RVs and Campers |
Spiral Foam Wraps
Curly spiral foam wraps or snakewraps are great for bunk bed ladder padding. The only thing you have to do is cut to fit each bunk ladder rung and wrap it around it.
By the way, you can also use these to wrap around your RV toy hauler ramp cables, garden or water hoses for insulation and even electrical cords to prevent chafing.
Jumbo Clamp Foam Tubes
Similar to the above pool noodles, these jumbo clamp foam tubes are made from a proprietary foam compound that’s more dense than other foam for improved durability and padding.
They are nontoxic and safe to use around children. And, since they are of a closed cell design, they resist wear and tear.
Not only are they great for wrapping around bunk ladders with round rungs but also great for protecting edges of RV slides, cargo racks, canoes and kayaks, and bicycles being hauled on bike racks.
They come in 10 different colors so you can make them a fun part of decorating your RV bunk house.
Seat Belt Pads
For those bunks that have ladders with flat steps as opposed to round rungs, you can soften the hard edges by using seat belt shoulder padded protectors.
Simply wrap each shoulder pad tightly around each ladder rung; attaching them with the velcro enclosures.
These are actually best used for flat steps on bunk bed ladders because of the way they are designed.
The best part is they can be changed out easily. Also, they are machine washable. You can also get them in a soft faux sheepskin fur for a soft fuzzy feel.
Kid friendly ladder padding options:
Also comes in red or black Spider Man, Dinosaurs, Space Ships, Pink Rainbows and Unicorns, Pink and Purple Hearts. |
Comes in 2 packs and 4 packs of several different colors; gray, red, tan, purple, black, pink & blue | Cartoon Theme Padded Covers
Available in Dinosaurs, Jungle, Mermaids, Ocean Life, Space Ships, Unicorns and others. |
♦ PRO Tip ♦ Keep a set of 4-6 seatbelt pads in your camping kit for when you rent a cabin or cottage that has bunk beds! Easy to install; easy to take with you! |
Multifunctional Foam Bumper Guards
These multifunctional foam bumper guards are a fantastic way to pad bunk ladder steps or rungs or cover sharp corners. They will absorb impact and protect your child’s feet as they climb up into their bunk.
While these foam step pads are nontoxic, odor-free, phthalates free and fire-retardant, never allow your child or pet to bite or chew into them.
For best adhesion results, follow the manufacturer’s instruction. What’s even cooler is they come in different colors!
U Shape Foam Edge Protectors
A premium high density u-shape foam edge guard can be applied to soften the rungs and steps on bunk ladders or sharp edges or corners.
While this padding is nontoxic,, never allow your child or pet to play with, peel, bite or chew into them. They come with adhesive strips for easy installation.
For best adhesion, follow the manufacturer’s instruction. What’s even cooler is they come in several fun colors!
First Aid Wraps
Why not have some fun triaging your bunk bed ladder by using stretchable ace bandages to wrap and pad each ladder step. But, don’t stop there.
Follow up by wrapping colorful athletic tape over the ace bandage wraps for extra padding. This also adds safety grip so little feet don’t slip. Your child can help by decorating their bunk bed ladder using one or more colors!
Grip Tapes
Tennis players use grip tape to add a little more padding and grip to their tennis rackets. You can use it for your bunk bed ladder padding as well!
It’s made of a cushioning PU material that will help protect little feet from those hard and slippery ladders if you wrap them multiple times.
You can also wrap your ladders using bicycle handlebar grip tape as well. They too, come in a variety of different colors.
Yoga Mats
Yoga mats have nice padding that’s easier to step on than those hardwood ladder rungs.
So, they’re perfect to make your own custom bunk ladder padding! And, they come in tons of different colors.
Just figure out how many times you want to wrap each rung and measure the circumference (distance around) of each ladder rung.
Then cut the appropriate width and lengths. You can secure them using fun and colorful duct tape that come in a variety of themes and colors.
Final thoughts on our bunk bed ladder padding ideas
Once you install your bunk bed ladder padding to your children and their little feet will thank you. These creative padding solutions will help prevent slips and falls as they provide grip and cushion on the rungs.
Lastly, when installing, make certain padding installations are secure and won’t spin or slip off. Occasionally inspect the padding to ensure they’re not falling apart or degrading.
To keep them from slipping or sliding, you can use good two sided tape to keep them securely in place.
But, all in all, these are great creative padding methods will make your family’s bunk beds more fun to climb without tears or shrieks.
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40+ Best Camping Theme Toys for Kids! *GIFT IDEAS*
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