Best Hospital Beds for Home Use: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Hospital beds are no longer solely reserved for the hospital. Whether you’re caring for an aging loved one or faced with a sudden medical crisis, you may find yourself in need of a hospital bed for home use.

There are various models to consider, from electric beds with all the bells and whistles to manually-adjustable ones, and beds with a mix of each. With the wide variety available (and the wide range of prices), narrowing down the best hospital bed for home use can be confusing. That’s why we put together this post with our top recommendations for at-home hospital beds.

With ultra-quiet motors and a sleek, modern look, the Amerisleep Adjustable Bed+ combines functionality with modern-day comfort.

The adjustable bed has a wireless backlit remote, so you can return to your favorite preset or adjust your head and foot sections quickly and easily. Unlike many adjustable beds, the Amerisleep Adjustable Bed+ includes pillow-tilt articulation—taking the benefits of head and foot articulation one step further. The pillow tilt feature, as you might guess, tilts your head forward to support your neck, ensuring comfort and support as you sit up and relax.

The benefits don’t stop there, either. The Amerisleep Adjustable Bed+’s Wallhugger® technology keeps your nightstand within reach no matter how you adjust the head and foot of the bed. And to top it all off, the MicroHook™ retention system keeps the mattress in place as the base moves, eliminating the need for a retention bar.

We also recommend the Amerisleep Adjustable Bed+ for its generous 25-year warranty, protecting your investment for over two decades. Plus, shoppers in need of a better bed can bundle the adjustable base with one of Amerisleep’s eight mattresses for greater savings.

While their products are made with athletes in mind, people of all activity levels can benefit from sleeping on a Zoma product—the Zoma Adjustable Bed can improve a person’s circulation, clear up breathing, and reduce pressure on the body with its fully electric design and handheld remote.

The Zoma Adjustable Bed frame has a convenient zero-clearance design, and it even works as a stand-alone base. If you would prefer a more homey touch, though, the Zoma Adjustable Bed also works with your current bed frame; simply remove the base’s legs and slip it inside or on top of your existing frame.

Another great thing about Zoma’s Adjustable Bed? It’s highly affordable for an electric bed, ranging from $770 to $1540. On their website, you can choose from a twin XL, queen, king, California king, and split king size bed base. Plus, every Zoma Adjustable Bed comes with free shipping and a 10-year warranty. (And Zoma also offers bundle deals if you choose to add one of Zoma’s mattresses to your order.)

Best Manual Bed: Hill-Rom® 305 Manual Hospital Bed

The Hill-Rom® 305 Manual Hospital Bed offers quality and safety features at an affordable price. It has a convenient wheeled design to allow for easy transportation if the user ever wants to set up shop in a different part of the house, or just within their bedroom. Plus, brake and steer pedals are accessible on all four of the bed’s corners.

This manual hospital bed has an angle indicator for the Trendelenburg and Reverse Trendelenburg position. These positions are often used to relieve heart conditions and to ease breathing difficulties, making this adjustable bed a wonderful option for sleepers with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.

Hill-Rom®’s 305 Manual Hospital Bed also has side rails that move with the bed, preventing the user from rolling off the sides or falling as they stand. Plus, this offers a little extra sense of security. In addition, this manual adjustable bed features a CPR quick release handle at the head of the bed in case of emergencies. To improve comfort, this hospital bed has a contouring sleep deck to keep a body from slipping to the mattress’s foot and feeling uncomfortable.

The Hill-Rom® 305 Manual Hospital Bed is not available with a sleep trial or warranty, and prices for the base will vary from retailer to retailer. While this base does have a number of handy safety features, it’s a risky investment since it doesn’t come backed by any warranty coverage. (That said, some retailers may offer warranty coverage with this base, but this will vary depending on where you shop.)

Best Bariatric Bed: Drive Medical Full-Electric

Bariatric beds are heavy-duty hospital beds designed to support overweight sleepers, so they often range in width and can have higher weight capacities. For example, Drive Medical sells electric bariatric beds ranging from 42 to 54 inches wide, and the exact size you choose influences how much weight the bed can hold, with larger sizes accommodating more weight.

Drive Medical promises a quiet and smooth movement with their all-steel bed frame. While there is a hand control with multiple position options, there’s also an emergency manual crank. The bed height can range from 18.25 to 26.25 inches. Shoppers can also add T-rails to make it easier to move in and out of bed.

The warranty is split into several coverage areas. There’s a limited lifetime warranty for welds, a 5-year warranty for the frame, and a 1-year warranty on all other parts.

Types of Hospital Beds to Consider

Nobody necessarily wants to put a hospital bed in their home, while they do provide comfort and pain relief, most of them aren’t very eye-catching. Thankfully, there are more modern-day adjustable bed options to choose from, it’s just important to understand how all of these different types of hospital beds compare so you can find the most appropriate option for your needs.

Let’s start with the most basic types of hospital beds and work our way up:

Manual Hospital Beds

Manual beds have no electric components at all. To make adjustments to the bed’s head or foot, sleepers use a hand crank.

Manual beds tend to have lower prices than hospital beds with electric parts, so they’re a good way to save money while still receiving the benefits of head and foot articulation while you sleep. Considering they’re manual, they’re also a great fit for people who don’t need to make many adjustments to feel comfortable.

On the downside, many people who require a home hospital bed lack the strength to operate a manual crank. They may need a caregiver to make adjustments. Plus, they can’t match the range of adjustments that most electric beds offer. Usually, they lack adjustable height functions.

Semi-Electric Hospital Beds

Semi-electric beds usually have parts that are adjusted electronically and manually. Often, the head and foot sections are adjusted with the simple push of a button, while the bed height is changed by turning a crank.

Naturally, semi-electric beds cost more than a wholly manual one. There’s also the fact that manual adjustments may still be difficult for the patient to operate—they often need a second person to adjust a semi-electric bed’s height.

Full-Electric Hospital Beds

A full-electric bed gives a person the freedom to easily adjust the height of the bed and its sections. Most medical facilities rely on electric beds because they’re the easiest for patients to use.

However, a full-electric bed costs more than just a partially electric bed. It’s quite the investment to make when shopping for a mattress for home use. Still, they’re usually the best option when it comes to long-term comfort.

Specialty Beds

Aside from manual and electric beds, there are also hospital beds designed to meet specific needs, such as bariatric and low hospital beds.

Bariatric hospital beds are named after the branch of medicine that tackles obesity. They are excellent for heavier patients because they have greater width and strength than the average hospital bed. Many bariatric hospital beds have a weight capacity of 1,200 pounds.

Low hospital beds have a wide range when it comes to adjustable heights, able to lower close to the floor. A low hospital bed limits the chances of a fall and makes it easy to move in and out of bed.

Specific Bed Positions

Most hospital beds allow you to raise and lower the head and foot sections as you please, giving you the chance to find what works best for you. However, there are a few specific positions you may want to know.

Trendelenburg

In the Trendelenburg position, the bed is positioned to raise the patient’s feet above their head. While often used in surgery, this position is also helpful for people with heart conditions.

Reverse Trendelenburg

As the name implies, the Reverse Trendelenburg is the opposite of the standard Trendelenburg. The patient’s head is brought upward, while the legs and feet remain low. This position improves breathing and relieves head pressure in overweight patients.

Fowler’s Position

In Fowler’s position, the patient is semi-upright at a 45 to 60-degree angle, with straight or bent legs. This position is used to alleviate respiratory distress.

Zero Gravity

The zero-gravity position promotes neutral body posture. This position gives patients a “weightless” feeling by easing pressure on the body. A person’s upper body is lifted to be about 120 degrees from the thighs in the zero-gravity position. The knees are raised to the level of the patient’s heart, while the head is slightly above the heart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would someone need a hospital bed at home?

Hospital beds often make it easier for a person who moves slowly and has difficulty getting in and out of bed. They can adjust the bed to help them sit up. A person can also hold onto side rails for steadier movement. Plus, many hospital beds are compact and mobile, leaving room for other medical aids like wheelchairs and lifts.

Do you need a prescription for a hospital bed?

A prescription is not required for you to buy a hospital bed. However, getting one can save you money. If your doctor decides a home care bed is necessary, your medical insurance will cover a significant portion of the bed’s cost.

For example, Medicare Part B covers home hospital beds as durable medical equipment (DME), but certain conditions must be met to qualify for Medicare coverage.

Can I use a regular innerspring mattress with a hospital bed?

We do not recommend innerspring mattresses with hospital beds for two reasons:

• One, an innerspring mattress does not move fluidly with an adjustable base. The mattress may become damaged and unsupportive.
• Two, innerspring mattresses are not well-suited for patients who need to spend a lot of time in bed. They do not relieve pressure well and may cause bed sores.

Instead, we recommend memory foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses for adjustable beds. Memory foam mattresses are an excellent choice when it comes to affordability and pressure relief. Specialty medical mattresses also exist.

What kind of sheets do you use for a hospital bed?

White cotton sheets are often used on hospital beds. They’re durable, easy to care for, and can be laundered at high temperatures. Cotton is also soft and breathable, keeping a person comfortable throughout the night and day. The sheets should also snugly fit the mattress to ensure they won’t slip as the bed is adjusted.

We recommend changing the sheets of a hospital bed at least once a week. However, they may need to be changed more often if the patient is prone to sweats or accidents.

How do you get rid of a hospital bed?

If you no longer need a hospital bed but it’s in usable condition, try donating it to a local or national organization. For example, your local Red Cross may accept a gently used hospital bed. They may also direct you to another organization such as American Medical Resources Foundation, an international group that accepts donated medical equipment. Other places include free clinics, hospices, and not-for-profit nursing homes.

You could also ask around and see if there’s someone in need who would appreciate a hospital bed. For example, a local church may know if any of its attendees need a home hospital bed.

Is a Home Hospital Bed Right for You?

The best hospital beds can make a medical condition easier to live with at home. People who struggle to move can regain a measure of independence with a hospital bed, using a remote to sit up and handrails to help them out of bed. Home hospital beds can also increase comfort by relieving pressure on the body.