The Best Hospital Beds

The best hospital beds are made to let you customize your comfort with adjustable head and foot inclines. When choosing your own bed, make sure to find an option with simple controls, a durable base, and range of sizes that fit your needs. Take a look at our top picks below for some ideas to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have all your hospital bed questions answered here.

• Will medicare pay for hospital beds?

  Most hospital beds should be covered by Medicare, as long as they are deemed necessary medical equipment. Medicare will cover 80% of the purchase, leaving the rest of the cost to the individual.

• Can I use a regular mattress on a hospital bed?

  Not always, as hospital beds require flexible mattresses to work properly. If your bed frame doesn’t come with a mattress, there are plenty of affordable foam and air mattresses that will work. Check the product description to make sure they will be compatible.

• How much should a hospital bed cost?

  Hospital bed prices can range widely, from as little as a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. We think that beds priced as low as $400 can still be good-quality investments, especially if they come from a trusted seller. When checking the prices, keep in mind that some bed frames come with mattresses and other bed accessories as well.

• Is there a difference between hospital beds and semi electric beds?

  What hospital beds and semi electric beds have in common is the ability to adjust the head and foot sections of the bed. What makes hospital beds a bit different is that they are designed for patients with serious medical issues and can be raised and lowered. They often have casters to position easily around the room.

Top Hospital Bed Features

Don’t forget to take a look at these top features when choosing your hospital bed.

• Adjustable Incline

  One of the things that makes hospital beds different from regular beds is the ability to adjust the head and foot sections of the bed. Elevation is very important for recovering patients and can help manage swelling, pain, and other symptoms.

• Adjustable Height

  In addition to independently controlling the head and foot of the bed, hospital beds can also raise and lower their entire surface from 1 to 2 feet off the ground. This makes transfers easier, especially if your loved one is already struggling with mobility.

• Simple Remote Control

  Ideally, patients should be able to adjust the height and incline of their bed when they need to, even if that is in the middle of the night. The best remote controls should be simple enough to operate in the dark, or offer features like a backlight or one-touch operation.

• Quiet Operation

  Try to avoid hospital beds that don’t mention quiet operation as one of their main features. The last thing you want is a rumbling motor waking up everyone in the house anytime you need to readjust your bed.

Weighing All the Factors

While all the beds mentioned in this guide offer their own distinct features, we think that any of them can be a good investment for the right person. Invacare’s full electric homecare bed offers one of the best balances of helpful features and durability and is a good option for first-time buyers. For something a little different, you can also try the beds offered by Drive Medical or Medacure, which each have their own good points to consider.