Why Raise the Height of a Bed?
A bed that is too low can make getting into and, particularly, standing up from bed more difficult. Increasing the height can reduce the distance the user needs to move when transferring between sitting and standing.
A more appropriate bed height may help people who experience:
- Reduced mobility
- Reduced lower-limb strength
- Difficulty standing from low surfaces
- Restricted hip or knee movement
- Joint stiffness
- Difficulty transferring on or off the bed
- A need for additional clearance beneath the bed
The correct finished bed height is individual and should be determined by the user's body dimensions, mobility and transfer technique.
Bed Raisers for Different Types of Bed
Not every bed raiser is suitable for every bed. The most appropriate solution depends on how the bed is supported.
Bed supports may include:
- Conventional legs
- Thin legs
- Castors
- Block feet
- Solid divan bases
Selecting a raiser specifically suited to the bed construction is essential for stability. Raising a suitable bed can be particularly useful for people with reduced mobility, lower-limb weakness, joint stiffness or difficulty transferring from a low bed.
Bed Raisers and Easier Transfers
One of the principal reasons for raising a bed is to improve the sitting-to-standing transfer.
When sitting on the edge of a very low bed, the hips may be positioned substantially below the knees.
Standing from this position can require greater:
- Hip movement
- Knee movement
- Lower-limb strength
- Balance
- Physical effort
Increasing bed height can reduce this demand.
However, raising a bed too high can make getting onto the bed difficult and may leave the user's feet inadequately supported when sitting at the edge.
The objective should therefore be the correct height rather than simply the maximum possible height.
How High Should a Bed Be?
There is no single correct bed height for every user.
The appropriate height depends on:
- User height
- Lower-leg length
- Hip and knee movement
- Lower-limb strength
- Balance
- Transfer method
- Whether assistance is required
- Mattress compression
- Other equipment used around the bed
The height should be assessed with the mattress in place, because mattress thickness and compression affect the effective sitting height.
Bed Raisers for Older People
Bed raisers can be particularly useful for older people who remain independently mobile but find standing from a low bed increasingly difficult.
Increasing the bed height may reduce the physical effort required during transfers while allowing the person to continue using their existing bed.
Where mobility is deteriorating significantly or transfers require physical assistance, a more comprehensive assessment may be appropriate.
Bed Raisers for People with Reduced Mobility
A bed raiser may be useful where reduced mobility makes low transfers difficult but a specialist profiling bed is not otherwise required.
Potential applications include users experiencing:
- Reduced leg strength
- Joint stiffness
- Restricted movement
- General frailty
- Difficulty standing
- Difficulty lowering onto a low bed
Suitability depends on the individual and the bed being structurally appropriate for raising.
Cost-Effective Alternative to Replacing a Bed
Where the existing bed remains otherwise suitable, raising it can provide a considerably simpler solution than purchasing a completely new higher bed.
Bed raisers attach to or support the existing furniture, allowing its height to be altered without permanently modifying it.
This can be particularly useful where the user wishes to continue using a familiar bed and mattress.
Creating Additional Clearance Under a Bed
Raising a bed also increases the clearance underneath it.
This can occasionally be useful where additional under-bed space is required for compatible equipment.
However, bed raisers should not automatically be assumed to create sufficient clearance for a mobile patient hoist.
Hoist leg height, bed-frame construction, raiser placement and available floor space all need to be assessed separately.
Important Bed Stability Considerations
Raising any bed changes its relationship with the floor and may affect stability.
Before installing bed raisers, check:
- Bed construction
- Number of legs or support points
- Leg or castor dimensions
- Overall bed weight
- Mattress weight
- User weight
- Required raising height
- Floor condition
- Available space
- Compatibility of every support point
The bed should be checked for stability before use.
Beds with More Than Four Legs
Some beds use five, six or more support points. A standard four-piece furniture raiser set should never simply be assumed suitable for these beds.
Every structural support point that is intended to carry load must be appropriately accommodated. The SureGrip linking system can be configured for suitable six-leg furniture, while other bed designs may require a different solution.
Double Beds and Two Occupants
When bed raisers are used with a double bed, the total loading calculation needs to consider the bed + mattress + both occupants + any applicable additional load.
The total must remain within the specified weight limit of the selected bed-raising system. This is particularly important where two people regularly occupy the bed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are bed raisers?
Bed raisers are supports designed to increase the height of a suitable existing bed.
Why would I raise my bed?
Increasing bed height can make getting on and off the bed easier, particularly where standing from a low sitting position is difficult.
Can bed raisers help someone stand up more easily?
They can. Increasing the height of a suitable bed reduces the vertical distance involved in moving from sitting to standing.
Whether this is appropriate depends on the individual user's mobility and transfer technique.
How do I choose the correct bed raiser?
Start by identifying:
- How the bed is supported.
- The dimensions of each leg, castor or foot.
- How many support points the bed has.
- The amount of additional height required.
- The total expected load.
These determine which raising system is appropriate.
Can I use four raisers on a six-leg bed?
Not unless the bed and raising system are specifically configured to support every required load-bearing point. All structural supports must be appropriately accommodated.
Can I use bed raisers with a double bed?
Yes, provided the selected system is compatible with the bed and the total combined load remains within its specified maximum.
Can bed raisers provide space for a mobile hoist?
Raising the bed increases under-bed clearance, but this does not automatically guarantee mobile hoist access.
The hoist's leg dimensions, bed construction and raiser arrangement must be checked.
Can bed raisers replace a profiling bed?
No. Bed raisers only change the height of a compatible existing bed. They do not provide powered profiling, backrest elevation, knee-break adjustment or other functions associated with a specialist profiling bed.
How do I know what height to choose?
The correct height should support the user's transfer technique. Maximum height is not automatically better.
Where transfers are difficult or there is uncertainty, assessment by an Occupational Therapist or other appropriate professional can help determine a suitable setup.
Should I measure the bed before ordering?
Yes. Measure the bed supports carefully and identify the total number of load-bearing points before choosing a raiser.
Why Choose Bed Raisers?
Bed raisers offer a practical way to adapt an existing bed around the needs of the user.
Rather than replacing an otherwise suitable bed, the correct raising system can increase its height and potentially make transfers easier.
The range accommodates a wide variety of modern and traditional bed constructions, from thin legs and conventional feet through to castors, block feet and solid divan bases.
- For beds with thin legs, the Langham Adjustable Linked Bed Raiser provides a particularly stable solution, with linked supports and three height settings.
- For more unusual or modern bed bases, Langham SureGrip offers exceptional versatility and variable height adjustment.
- Where modular adjustment around compatible legs or castors is preferred, Langham Grip-On Raisers provide height adjustment in 1 inch increments.
The result is a broad range of solutions that allows the bed raiser to be selected according to the bed, user and required transfer height, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.