What Is the Best Hospital Bed for Home Use?
At-home hospital beds offer a wide range of features that can be helpful if you will have limited mobility either temporarily or permanently, and choosing the best hospital bed for your needs is essential for making the most of this piece of medical equipment.
To help prospective hospital bed customers choose a model that they're happy with, we've put together a guide covering the types of hospital beds available and three models we recommend.
Types of Hospital Beds for Home Use
A home hospital bed—no matter what brand—has head and foot sections that can be raised and lowered using hinges and a system of manual cranks or electric motors. This makes it easier for patients to sit up and eat a meal without leaving the bed, transfer from the bed to a mobility device, or direct blood flow to (or away from) a particular part of the body.
In addition to adjustable head and foot sections, the bed platform on some hospital beds can be raised and lowered vertically. This is an advantage if the patient will be looked after by a caregiver while lying in bed (for which a raised position is preferable), or who might fall out of bed in the night (for which a lowered position is preferable).
When looking for the best hospital beds for home use, you will need to consider:
Whether the patient will use the bed independently or with help
Whether the bed will be used temporarily or permanently
The patient's height and weight
The patient's specific abilities and limitations
Any additional features required
Power Options: Manual, Semi-Electric, and Full-Electric
The way in which a hospital bed is powered affects the relative ease or difficulty of making adjustments as well as the price of a hospital bed rental or purchase. Manual beds are usually the most cost-effective type of hospital bed but require a caregiver with sufficient strength to operate a hand crank. Semi-electric and full-electric hospital beds come with a higher price tag but can be adjusted by the patient without help.
Manual Hospital Beds
Before the powered hospital bed was invented in 1945, manual hospital beds with hand cranks were the norm in hospitals around the United States. Like powered versions, a manual hospital bed has head and foot sections with hinges that can be raised and lowered independently of each other. Most manual beds can also be raised and lowered relative to the floor. In both cases, the angle or height of the bed is adjusted using a hand crank.
Best For...
A manual hospital bed could be right for you if you want to rent an adjustable bed temporarily and will have a strong caregiver to operate the cranks. This type of hospital bed could also be appropriate if the bed frame won't need to be adjusted often, such as if the bed is intended simply as a place to rest and read books in the afternoon.
Semi-Electric Hospital Beds
Semi-electric beds typically use powered controls and a motor to adjust the head and foot sections of the bed frame and a manual crank to change the bed’s height. The controls are located on a handset. It's important to note that some semi-electric hospital beds are at a fixed height with head and foot sections that move but have no option to move the entire bed frame up or down.
Best For...
A semi-electric hospital bed is best for a patient who needs a bed that they can operate independently or whose caregiver isn't strong enough to operate hand cranks. In addition, the patient should also be mentally sound and unlikely to fall out of bed.
Full-Electric Hospital Beds
Full-electric hospital beds offer the same head and foot adjustability as semi-electric beds except that there are no manual cranks involved. A fully electric hospital bed can be adjusted at the head and feet and the entire bed frame can be moved up and down—all at the touch of a button.
Some full-electric bed models allow the user to assume a Trendelenburg or reverse-Trendelenburg position with the entire body tilted either upward or downward. These positions can be helpful for patients with blood-flow issues and for those who struggle to get out of bed, but should only be used for a few minutes at a time and ideally under medical supervision.
Best For...
A full-electric hospital bed is best for people who will need a home hospital bed long-term, who receive assistance from a caregiver, or who need or prefer to operate the bed independently. While they represent a significant investment, these beds are the most practical both for caregivers and for patients who use a mobility device.
Specialty Hospital Beds
In addition to the three main types of hospital bed, there are two kinds of specialty beds that are typically of the full-electric variety.
Low Hospital Beds
Low hospital beds—when lowered completely—are designed to sit a mere foot off the floor. This can be ideal for patients with dementia who might try to climb over bed rails during the night and fall off. They can also be used to assist with a safe floor-to-stand transfer. Tall patients, however, will need to determine whether the height of a low hospital bed would make it difficult to stand up.
Bariatric Hospital Beds
For patients who need a higher weight capacity, a bariatric hospital bed might be best. Bariatric hospital beds are made with strong, reinforced materials such as steel for the base and come with a wider frame and mattress for comfort and support. Whereas a typical hospital bed has a weight capacity of 325 lbs, a bariatric hospital bed might have a weight capacity of 500 lbs.
Mattress Type
Mattresses for hospital beds are typically made from memory foam, latex, or a hybrid material and are usually around 6 inches thick. Whereas innerspring mattresses are common on regular beds, they would be too rigid to move with a hospital bed frame, which is why a foam mattress is used.
When looking for a medical mattress, look for one that's the right size for the bed frame and has a waterproof vinyl covering that's easy to clean and sanitize. For long-term use, use a pressure redistribution mattress or overlay to prevent the development of bed sores.
Accessories
Most hospital beds should come with handrails—either half or full—to prevent the patient from rolling out of bed. Some also come with a trapeze bar to help the patient change position or stand up and an over-bed table for eating in bed. If there's a particular accessory you value in a home hospital bed, be sure to ask the retailer whether the accessory is included or can be rented or purchased separately.
New vs. Used
People in the market for a home hospital bed usually have the choice of a rental bed, new hospital bed, or second-hand hospital bed (sold on websites such as eBay). If you are thinking of purchasing a hospital bed secondhand, it's important to be aware that the bed may be infected with disease or not working as it should. We generally recommend buying a new hospital bed for home use or renting one from a reputable company that thoroughly checks and cleans each bed before delivery.
FDA Entrapment Guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a set of hospital bed guidelines in March 2006 to reduce the risk of patient entrapment. While these are only guidelines and are not mandatory, it's in your best interest to look for a hospital bed that meets these guidelines and has been tested for safety.
Recommended Hospital Beds for Home Use
By now, you probably have some idea of the type of hospital bed that might be suitable for your situation. However, there are a few hospital beds that we particularly recommend and stock in our Denver, Colorado inventory.
Invacare Semi-Electric Hospital Bed
This is a sturdy hospital bed made from reinforced steel with riveted joints and washable, scratch-resistant bed panels. The hand pendant that contains the power controls is ergonomic with a water-resistant casing and a heavy-duty cord. Rubber casters protect the floor and other surfaces in the home from marks and prevent the wheels from slipping. Beds manufactured after August 1, 2007 meet the voluntary FDA guidelines for bed rail entrapment.
Specifications
Size: Twin (80" x 36")
Weight capacity: 325 lbs
Height capacity: 6'5"
Adjustments: Head and foot
Mattress: Therapeutic foam
Power: Electric
Availability: Rental and sale
Transfer Master Supernal 3-Function
The Transfer Master Supernal 3-Function is a full-electric hospital bed with height, foot, and vertical adjustability. If you've been struggling to decide between a hospital bed vs. adjustable bed for long-term use, this model is the ideal choice—with the electronic components carefully hidden, the Supernal 3-Function looks like a traditional bed.
In addition to all of the functions of a full-electric hospital bed (including a wide vertical height range), this hospital bed has:
A range of massage settings
A backlit wireless hand control
Wall-hugging design for easy nightstand access
European-style head tilt
Emergency power-down function
Specifications
Size: Twin (38″ x 80″), Full (53″ x 80″), Queen (60″ x 80″), and Dual King
Weight capacity: 400 lbs or 500 lbs
Height Capacity: 6'5"
Adjustments: Head (65°), foot (35°), hi-low
Mattress: Ascent Mattress (cloth or vinyl), Soft Touch Mattress (cloth or vinyl), Pressure Guard Mattress
Power: Electric
Availability: Purchase
Extras: This hospital bed can be purchased with optional half rails (head only), bamboo rail covers, and battery backup.
Transfer Master Supernal 5-Function
If you're looking for the complete range of hospital-bed and adjustable functions with an elegant finish, the Transfer Master Supernal 5-Function has it all. This home hospital bed has all the features of the Transfer Master Supernal 3-Function plus Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg, and cardiac chair positions. The top-of-the-range model that Transfer Master offers, this home hospital bed is both aesthetically beautiful and medically versatile.
Specifications
Size: Twin (38″ x 80″), Full (53″ x 80″), Queen (60″ x 80″), and Dual King
Weight capacity: 300 lbs
Height Capacity: 6'5"
Adjustments: Head (65°), foot (35°), hi-low, Trendelenburg (10°) and reverse Trendelenburg (10°), cardiac chair
Deck-to-floor height range: 12" – 24"
Mattress: Ascent Mattress (cloth or vinyl), Soft Touch Mattress (cloth or vinyl), Pressure Guard Mattress
Power: Electric
Availability: Purchase
Optional extras: half rails (head only), bamboo rail covers, cherry finish headboard, and battery backup
Compatible with most low-profile Hoyer patient lift systems.
Comfort and Convenience Are Close at Hand
As we've seen, there is an excellent range of hospital beds for home use that come with a variety of features, functions, power options, positions, and styles. Determining what is the best hospital bed for home use in your case will ultimately depend on your timeline, medical needs, budget, and personal preference.
For temporary use, the Invacare semi-electric hospital bed is a solid and cost-effective choice. For permanent use, it's hard to go past the Transfer Master series. With their stylish elegance, comfort, and full adjustability (not to mention built-in massage!), these beds are the clear winners in every respect.