Best Step2 Hot Wheels Bed Review in 2023

There are no rules when it comes to your kid’s room. You could have unicorns hanging from the ceiling, fake dragons around the windows, and a car-shaped bed too.

A car-loving kid will love getting cozy in a bed that’s shaped like a car. I’d probably find it just as cool. Sure, it wouldn’t match anything in my bedroom in terms of interior design, but it’s definitely something appealing.

The Step2 Hot Wheels bed was introduced in 2016, and it’s still one of the best-selling and most popular beds for kids out there. The unit is designed and shaped like a car, with a mattress in the middle. It hasn’t been through any major upgrades, meaning Step2 got it right from the beginning.

Now, looks aren’t everything, so what else should you know before getting the Step2 car bed?

1. Who is the Step2 car bed for?

Given its colorful car design, the Step2 race car bed is ideal for kids who love cars, boys, and girls.

When fully assembled, it measures 52×91 inches, with just over 30 inches in height. It’s aimed at kids between 2 and 10 years old. At the end of the day, it depends on your kid’s size.

Pay attention to the height and keep in mind that they grow pretty fast. The bed might be alright today, but it could be too small in less than a year.

The bed is easy to use, and while it looks like a car, it doesn’t have a roof. The central part is replaced by a mattress, so the whole fuss is basically in the frame, which is designed to look like a vehicle.

2. What’s included?

The package has everything you’ll need to assemble the bed. You have all the frame parts, as well as the supporting elements, on the inside. Basically, the parts are meant to hold the inside parts of the bed.

You won’t need to buy any tools to assemble the bed, but I must say the ones included are not incredibly strong. They’ll get the job done, but personally, I chose to use my own tools.

Very important to know, the mattress is not included in the package.

Pretty much every Step2 Hot Wheels bed review claims on this aspect, but it’s pretty obvious, since most sellers mention it. You’ll have to purchase the mattress separately. If you already have a bed in the same size, you can just transfer the mattress to the Step2 Hot Wheels bed.

Further extras and improvements can be purchased separately, but they’re not included, such as car tracks. Other than that, the car lights turn on, but you’ll have to purchase batteries yourself.

3. Features

The car’s appearance is by far the most important thing when it comes to the Step2 Hot Wheels bed. If your little one loves cars, they’ll love this bed too.

But then, it’s not all about the design.

Take a look around it, and you’ll see air intakes on each side of the bed. They’re meant to give your kid a bit of storage space. They could put a cup in there, a book, or perhaps a few toys.

Headlights turn on. I know you probably don’t care, but your toddler will love the feature. They run on batteries. Make sure you don’t let them on overnight. Not only will they drain batteries faster, but they’ll also affect your kid’s sleep.

Now, back to the actual design, based on how thick the mattress is, your kid will have a bit of frame protection all around the mattress. It’s a cozy and safe place that will also prevent falls.

4. How to install the Step2 Hot Wheels bed

Before I go on with the Step2 race car bed installation, you should know that it’s pretty versatile and can take a twin mattress too.

Everything you’ll need for the installation is included in the package. If you have the right tools yourself, I recommend using your stuff. Nothing to worry about if you don’t, the ones included in the package will work too.

The Step2 car bed comes with a manual of instructions, but you can also find installation info online.

5. Best Step2 Hot Wheels Alternatives

The Step2 Hot Wheels bed has the Hot Wheels brand behind it, hence its popularity. However, it’s not the only car bed out there. It wasn’t the first one, and it won’t be the last one either.

If your little one likes cars, there are actually better options out there. Sure, not as popular and not backed by Hot Wheels, but made with higher-quality materials and offering better value for money.

Cool Toddler Beds offers an impressive range of products. Not only are they better built, but they also come in more shapes and sizes, not to mention the overall appearance. After all, you’d rather have wood and solid frames than the plastic in Step2’s bed.

As unusual as it may seem, you can even find bunk beds designed like cars. There are more types of cars out there too, from sports cars to large SUVs.

Needless to say, the design is the only thing your kid will be bothered about. But if you truly care about quality, there are better choices than the Step2 Hot Wheels bed. Plus, your benefits go further than that:

• Faster shipping
• Free shipping
• Better value for money
• Coupon code “5off” for a $5 discount
• Can buy now and pay later

The option to buy now and pay later is available through Klarna, probably the most reliable online platform for such applications. You can normally split the price over four payments.

6. Bottom line

The Step2 Hot Wheels bed is clearly a front runner because of Hot Wheels and its colorful appearance. It’s not the best, though.

If your kid had to choose between this bed and another one, they’d probably go for it. Hot Wheels is colorful and attractive. However, the heavy amounts of plastic and a kid’s abuse won’t work well.

Quality is more important, and luckily, there are great choices out there that last longer, offer a stylish car design, and provide excellent value for money.