Hospital Beds for Home: What to Look For (and What the Three We Sell Offer)
A hospital bed for home is really a decision about six things. Below is what each one means, what to ask, and the manufacturer figures for the three beds Affordable Medical USA sells — the iCare IC222, the iCare IC333 Premium and the Flexabed Hi-Low SL. We are an authorized dealer for both makers; the numbers are theirs.
1. Height range — and what the number measures
Every hi-lo bed quotes a low and a high figure, but makers measure from different points. Icare measures from the floor to the top of the mattress platform: 12–24 in on the IC222 and 9–26 in on the IC333; your mattress adds its thickness. Flexabed measures the top of the foundation (11–18.5 in on leg pads, 13.25–20.75 in on casters) and publishes the sleeping height for each mattress type separately. Compare like with like: the low figure decides how far a fall would be and how easy standing up is; the high figure decides whether a caregiver can work without bending.
2. Functions
All three beds raise the head and bend the knees (or foot) and raise the whole bed. The IC333 adds Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg tilt (17° each way); the IC222 and the Flexabed do not tilt. If a clinician has asked for tilt, only the IC333 provides it.
3. Capacity — by size, including the mattress
Icare states safe working load including any Icare mattress: 390 lb on the IC222; 440 lb on the IC333 Twin XL and 660 lb on the Full XL and Queen. Flexabed rates the Hi-Low SL at 400 lb per occupant and 700 lb total in a Split King. Capacity can change with the size you pick, so check the figure for the size you order, not the headline.
4. Sizes and footprint
The IC222 comes as a Twin XL (80 × 36 in sleep surface) or two of them as a Dual King; the IC333 adds Full XL and Queen; the Flexabed comes in Twin, Full, Queen and Split King at 80 in (84 in optional). Frames are longer than mattresses — the Icare frame is 85 in — so measure the room, the doorway and the turning space for a wheelchair or lift.
5. Backup power
Both iCare beds include an external rechargeable battery backup that takes over automatically. The Flexabed lowers on two 9-volt batteries in an outage and offers a battery backup pack as a factory option.
6. Appearance and the rest of the room
The iCare beds have upholstered head and foot ends in six colours over a metal-mesh platform on casters. The Flexabed is an upholstered residential adjustable bed with six mattress constructions and a wired or wireless remote — Flexabed calls it a luxury alternative to a hospital bed, and says it should not be considered a replacement for one.
Compare them side by side
Our comparison table lists every figure above for all three beds, with a short guide to which bed fits which need. Renting for a few weeks instead? See hospital bed rentals.