Zip loves it but it’s made of plastic poles, nylon and elastic straps!

Zip loves tents. He climbs inside them and creates nests of toys and blankets. He drags them upstairs and downstairs. He tries to pull one inside another.  Our tents take a beating! So, while I’d been intrigued by bed tents, I was wary due to their extremely poor online reviews. But, when I saw one in a store last week, I bought it anyway.

And it is a flimsy piece of junk made of plastic poles that bend when Zip leans on them. My husband has already jimmy-rigged a fix for a severely damaged pole.

But Zip loves it. And he’s sleeping through the night! And he’s sleeping longer in the morning! For a child with serious sleep issues, it’s been a miracle.

If anyone knows of a sturdier bed tent, we would love to hear about it. We considered the Ikea version, but it is designed to fit a loft bedframe. We’re not thrilled with that for Zip. Also, that tent covers only part of the bed. I ignored the sign at Ikea and put Zip in their display model once, and he seemed to like it, so it is definitely an option if repairs to the current bed tent become too much.

Maybe I should start a Kickstarter project 🙂 or consider sewing a roof and curtains for a canopy frame? We cannot be the only family who needs a better bed tent.