With more seniors and disabled folks choosing to remain at home, there has been an increase in the demand for medical beds for home use. To help you choose the best medical bed for you or your family member, I researched all the different types and sizes of medical beds on the market.
Best Medical Beds For Home Use: Types And Sizes. The main types of medical beds are electric and manual. A fully electric medical bed is best for easy movement. The best length, width, and height range for a medical bed depends on the size of the person using it and the space available in the home.
There are several different kinds of electric and manual medical beds, and they come in a variety of sizes. This guide covers the specifics of each type of medical bed and includes recommendations for the best medical beds for different people and circumstances.
Medical Beds for Home Use
The types of medical beds for use at home are:
- Fully electricSemi-electricManualLowBariatric
The dimensions of medical beds differ by type and brand.
Electric Beds
A fully electric medical bed can move up and down with a remote control. The height of the bed, and the positioning of the head and feet can all be adjusted separately.
With a semi-electric bed, the head and feet positions can be adjusted electronically, but the height must be adjusted manually with a crank. A semi-electric bed is a good option if you will rarely need to adjust the height.
Many electric beds also have a lock feature, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally moving the bed and injuring the person in it.
Manual Beds
As the name suggests, manual medical beds are ones that you have to adjust manually. They have hand cranks to adjust the height and the positioning of the head and feet.
Manual medical beds are significantly cheaper than other types. If you have a tight budget, and you will not need to adjust the bed often, a manual bed is the best option for you.
Other Bed Types
Low medical beds and bariatric medical beds are less popular since they are more specialized types of medical beds.
Low medicals beds are designed for anyone who may struggle to get in and out of a taller bed. These are the best medical beds for children as they may not be able to easily climb into beds with standard heights. Most low beds have adjustable heights, while still being significantly lower to the ground than other medical beds.
Bariatric beds are wider than standard medical beds. They also have a higher weight capacity, so they are ideal for larger people. Bariatric beds are also recommended if a physical therapist will need to be in the bed with the person to perform various rehabilitative exercises.
Sizes
The standard medical bed is a twin-size bed with the dimensions 80” by 36”. Some medical beds for home use are XL which means they are 84” by 36”. XL medical beds are ideal for taller people.
The height ranges of different types of medical beds vary. The average height range for standard medical beds is 17” to 35” off the ground.
There are also adjustable beds for home use that can be double, queen, and even king-sized. They generally have the following dimensions:
- Full: 75” x 54”Queen: 80” x 60”King: 80” x 76”
Alternatives to Traditional Medical Beds
If you don’t want your house to look like a hospital, you may not want to purchase a medical bed. Instead, consider an adjustable bed frame and mattress. Adjustable beds offer much of the same mobility as medical beds, but they look more like regular beds.
Adjustable beds often offer more choices for design, color, and size than traditional medical beds making them ideal for home use.
One downside is that adjustable beds lack the side rails that many medical beds include. Side rails protect people from falling out of bed and injuring themselves. They also provide stability when getting in and out of bed. If you think you will need side rails, you can purchase add-on rails for your adjustable bed.
Comparing the Best Medical Beds
The chart below compares some of the most popular medical beds for home use:
