Hospital Bed vs. Adjustable Bed: Which is Right for You?

Hospital beds and adjustable beds offer head and foot angle adjustments for people who require changes in position due to pain, illness, surgery, snoring, sleep apnea, or simply for comfort. However, there are some important differences between the two.

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The main difference between a hospital bed and an adjustable bed is that a hospital bed is designed for people who need temporary or permanent medical care, whereas an adjustable bed is designed for comfort and convenience. If you or a loved one needs an adjustable bed either temporarily or permanently, being aware of the differences between a hospital bed vs adjustable bed will help you make the most appropriate choice.

Height Adjustability

Both hospital beds and adjustable beds have adjustable bed frames with independent head and foot sections. However, most hospital beds can also be raised and lowered vertically whereas adjustable beds cannot. 

Typically, a hospital bed is raised for more ergonomic caregiving&#;preventing the caregiver from having to bend over&#;and lowered when the patient is sleeping to minimize any injuries from a fall (hospital beds also come with bed rails, so the risk of a fall is low). 

Being able to raise and lower the bed can also be helpful when using patient lifts to transfer the patient between the bed and a wheelchair, power chair, or commode, and for safety while performing exercises for bedridden patients.

Size

Hospital beds are intended for use by a single patient and typically come in an extra-long twin size. Adjustable beds, by contrast, come in several different sizes, including twin, full, queen, king, and even split king&#;allowing two people to share the bed while adjusting each side of the bed separately.

A note about bed linen: Hospital beds typically require a special extra-long twin fitted sheet whereas adjustable beds usually conform to traditional household linen sizes. Linen for hospital beds is readily available and can be purchased at most medical supply stores.

Portability

As hospital beds often need to be moved from place to place, they typically come with wheels for easier portability. This is a helpful feature to have if a patient will be moved between a bedroom and a sitting room or will need to be wheeled between an operating theater and a recovery room. Adjustable beds, as pieces of domestic furniture, aren't designed to be moved around. However, some models fold up for easy storage when not in use.

Features

Hospital beds and adjustable beds have very different features, reflecting the end-user each kind of bed is intended to serve.

Hospital beds typically have:

• A handset and remote controls for changing the head or foot angle

• Safety rails

• A removable footboard

• A foam mattress with an easy-to-clean vinyl surface

• An over-bed table (optional)

• A trapeze bar (optional)

• USB charging ports (selected models)

Adjustable beds may have:

• Remote, Wi-Fi, and smartphone control

• A gel, memory foam, latex, or hybrid mattress

• Pre-set positions

• Under-bed lighting

• USB charging ports

• Massage function

• Heat function

• Wake up alarms

• Speakers

• Bluetooth

While hospital beds usually come with standard features, adjustable beds can be ordered with custom features to suit the preferences and intended use of the buyer. This reflects the fact that hospital beds have a more utilitarian purpose whereas adjustable beds are used for comfort, convenience, or fun.

Power Source

Both hospital beds and adjustable beds use electricity to run. However, there are a few differences in the options available as far as the power source is concerned.

• Manual bed. The bed is raised and lowered with a hand crank rather than with electricity. Manually cranked hospital beds were the norm before push-button hospital beds were invented in .

• Semi-electric bed. This model typically has a hand crank for the bed height and powered controls for the heat and foot sections. Some models offer powered heat and foot adjustments with a static (non-adjustable) bed height.

• Full-electric bed. A full-electric bed has a motorized bed height adjustment as well as powered controls for the head and foot sections. Specialty hospital beds and adjustable beds are typically fully electric.

Aesthetics

As pieces of durable medical equipment, hospital beds are designed for functionality rather than aesthetics. The headboard and footboard are typically simple, without elaboration, and the mattress usually has a vinyl outer layer for easy cleaning.

By contrast, adjustable beds come in a wide range of textures and colors and are often indistinguishable from traditional beds. However, with the rising popularity of in-home hospital beds, some manufacturers are starting to design hospital beds with electronic components hidden from view that blend in easily with the decor in your room.

Legal Oversight

As medical devices, hospital beds are usually manufactured in accordance with FDA guidelines and pass rigorous testing for product safety. In contrast, adjustable beds are not medical devices and don't go through the same testing as hospital beds. Instead, adjustable beds are covered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and as such must not present an unreasonable risk of serious injury.

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Cost

The cost of a hospital bed vs an adjustable bed depends on the size and features of the bed. While basic models may have a similar cost, full-electric adjustable beds with a wide range of features will tend to cost a lot more than basic hospital beds.

If you'll only need an adjustable bed for a few weeks, it's usually more cost-effective to rent hospital beds rather than purchase one outright. However, if you'll need the bed permanently, purchasing one makes more financial sense. Our mobility equipment supply store in Denver, Colorado, for example, offers credit from your hospital bed rental if you later decide to buy the bed.

Hospital Bed vs Adjustable Bed: The Verdict

After considering the unique features of each kind of electric bed, hospital beds are more suited to use by patients with health or mobility challenges and adjustable beds are more suited to use by able-bodied people who simply want greater comfort and convenience than a traditional bed provides.

If you're not sure which kind of bed you prefer or only need it temporarily while recovering from an injury, illness, or surgery, consider hospital bed rental. If you end up needing the bed long-term and find that it's perfect for your needs, you can always buy it later on.

What was once considered old is new again. What are we talking about&#; hospital beds. Now, wait! Before you say NO WAY, they are much much more than an old uncomfortable medical bed for the sick and ailing. Today they have become one of the coolest bedding options to hit the retail market in a long long time. The features and benefits are endless and the rhetoric from salespeople seems to be just as boundless. In our previous article Adjustable Beds, What You Need To Know dives into that topic, but today we are going to cover the top 10 problems with adjustable power bed bases.

Top 10 Problems With Adjustable Power Bed Bases From STL Beds

1. Noise- There are many causes of noisy adjustable foundation motors. Motor placement on the steel framing under the adjustable or hospital bed type bed can cause vibrations or rattling of the steel frame, amplifying the sound of the motor. This would be due to poor engineering and motor placement. Also, what is the adjustable base sitting on? Almost all adjustable bases come with their own legs that screw into the bottom of the base. These are always recommended over simply placing the adjustable bed foundation on an ordinary steel bed frame. An adjustable bed on a steel bed frame, wooden bed frame, wooden supports, or steel supports can cause excess noise due to the vibration of the framing. Eliminating as many points of contact as possible will cut down on excess noise.

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2. Mattresses Wear Out Faster- It is a fact that your mattress will break down faster on an adjustable platform. There are no ifs, and, or buts about it. While motorized beds have provided lots of benefits in terms of pressure reduction, medical benefits, lifestyle benefits, etc, the big downside is bending the mattress and concentrating all our weight in one area (in a seated position) of a bed. This is perhaps the most problematic thing you can do to it.

There is a reason we don&#;t encourage people to sit on their mattresses including the sides; taking all our weight and slamming it down in one area works that part of the bed very hard. When we use an adjustable bed, we are lifting the head and feet of the bed, forcing our weight down into one specific spot of the mattress. The best way to reduce excess wear is to avoid extreme positions such as elevating the head or feet all the way to the max. A slight head and foot elevation will be easier on the bed than elevating into an upright seated position. The goal is to sleep better. If an adjustable platform allows helps you to sleep better then the tradeoff is a lower life expectancy of a mattress. However, there are some mattresses that work for adjustable beds.

3. Motor Burnouts- Adjustable base motors are designed to run for short periods of time. Most people adjust their beds in a position where they are comfortable and stay in that position for the night or a few hours. If the bed is continuously used, motor burnouts can occur. For example, as a rule of thumb, you don&#;t want to run the motor for more than 2 minutes over an 18-minute period. (Please read your manual for the exact details regarding your exact base). Since the motors are not being used frequently, you should expect a long life expectancy on your adjustable base motors. Please be sure to hide the remotes from children or educate them on the proper use so you too can experience a long adjustable bed life.

4. Weight Limits- Many bases have weight restrictions on their bases which, if exceeded, void the warranty. Some adjustable beds are fit for heavy people. These can vary depending upon the manufacturer, but usually, they average around 450 lbs per Twin XL (2 Twin XL bases= 1 King), Full 500 lbs, Queen 600 lbs. For example, let&#;s take the Queen size. If you have memory foam, latex, or Tempurpedic bed (these are usually the heaviest) and it weighs upwards of 150 lbs., this gives you only 450 lbs of play (or 225 lbs per person) before you would technically void the warranty of the product (again this would depend upon the manufacturer, please read your warranty)

5. Cleaning Under and Moving an Adjustable Platform &#; Adjustable bases can be extremely heavy. With most models weighing upwards of 150 lbs to 200 lbs, these things are not designed to be moved once they are put in place. Not only are they heavy, but they are usually not easy to carry as they lack places to grab onto. It will be worth the $100 average delivery charge for most people to have their adjustable bed delivered.

6. Warranty- While most adjustable foundations seem very attractive at first glance, it is best if you investigate the warranties for more detail. Most adjustable bed warranties are prorated, meaning they are not covered fully for the full length of the warranty. An example would be that for a certain length of the warranty it is fully covered, for another length parts/labor are covered, or just parts only. Shipping of parts or labor costs may have to be paid by the customer. It&#;s always important to ask for details of the warranty before purchasing the product so that you will know exactly what it&#;s covering before making a purchasing decision.

7. Limits your choices for mattresses- When you decide to purchase an adjustable base, the mattress you purchase must be adjustable-friendly. This normally limits you to an all-foam bed or some hybrid mattresses. Certain mattresses such as memory foam, latex, some Tempurpedic mattresses, as well as online beds such as purple, ghost bed, tuft, needle, Casper, and some hybrid beds are adjustable friendly. It&#;s best to check with your salesperson before moving forward with the purchase to see if it can be used on an adjustable platform.

8. Pets under the bed- If your cat or dog likes to hide underneath the bed, it is a clever idea to have some type of blocker to eliminate their path of access. This would prevent a cat or dog from getting their paw or part of their body caught in the moving base parts of the deck when it is moving up and down during operation. While I have personally never run into an issue, it&#;s a great idea to keep an eye on your pets to make sure they are not harmed while using an adjustable base.

9. New Sleeping Positions- Sleeping on an adjustable bed does wonders for people. However, it can take some time to get used to. Sleeping with your feet and/or head elevated can be a foreign position for some. It may take time to get accustomed to your adjustable bed. I compare it to buying a new pair of running shoes. It takes time for your body to adapt to a new sleep position; like how it takes time for your foot to adapt to a new pair of shoes.

10. Fabric Bunching&#; When a bed is used on an adjustable base, the fabric can bunch up on the mattress surface and sides when the bend takes place. Depending upon the body type, the cover will sometimes bunch up in areas that may lead to discomfort. Fortunately, most mattresses that are used on adjustable beds use a stretch knit cover or spandex-type material allowing for such flexing. In summation, such materials permit the cover to be outstretched or flattened once the bed is placed in the desired position.

We hope these top 10 problems with adjustable power bed bases have helped you with your bed search.

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