hospital beds are not just about providing a place to sleep—they play a crucial role in patient care. Whether it’s a manual bed for basic comfort or a fully-electric model with advanced features, each type has its own strengths. But which one is right for you or your facility? Let’s explore the 5 main types of hospital beds and find out.
1. Manual Hospital Beds
Manual hospital beds are adjusted using hand cranks to change the bed’s height and the positions of the head and foot sections. These beds require physical effort for adjustments, making them a basic and cost-effective choice for healthcare settings.
Key Features of Manual Hospital Beds
- Hand Cranks: These cranks are usually located at the foot of the bed. They allow the user to adjust the height, head, and foot sections of the bed easily.
- Affordability: Manual hospital beds are typically the most affordable, with prices ranging from $250 to $700, depending on features and materials.
- Materials: These beds are made from strong materials like steel or aluminum, ensuring durability. The surfaces are often coated with washable, antimicrobial materials for better hygiene and easier cleaning.
- Safety Features: Manual beds come with side rails to prevent patients from falling. Optional bed rail pads can be added for extra safety.
- Mobility: The beds have casters and brakes, making them easy to move and lock into place. This feature adds flexibility and safety in hospital settings.
Uses of Manual Hospital Beds
- Ideal for Certain Patients: These beds work best for patients who do not need frequent adjustments or advanced features. They are commonly used for people who require minimal repositioning for comfort or medical needs.
- Common Settings: Manual hospital beds are common in hospitals, nursing homes, small clinics, and home care, especially when budget is a concern or when caregivers can manage manual adjustments.
- Benefits: These beds offer adjustable positions to improve comfort, reduce the risk of bed sores, and make it easier for patients to transfer to mobility aids like manual wheelchairs. They also eliminate the risk of motor failure and reduce electrical maintenance needs.
Specifications Example
- Load Capacity: Up to 250 kg
- Height Adjustment: Ranges from 450 to 700 mm
- Backrest and Footrest Angles: Backrest adjusts up to 75°, footrest adjusts up to 35°
- Trendelenburg and Anti-Trendelenburg: Adjustable from 0° to 12°
2. Semi-Electric Hospital Beds
Semi-electric hospital beds combine both manual and electric functions to offer flexibility and comfort in patient care. These beds use electric motors to adjust the head and foot sections, while the height adjustment is done manually, making them a practical option for many healthcare settings.
Key Features of Semi-Electric Hospital Beds
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Electric motors for adjusting head and foot sections: The head and foot sections can be adjusted using electric motors, allowing patients and caregivers to control bed positioning quickly and accurately. This feature enhances comfort, improves circulation, and helps prevent pressure sores by making it easier to reposition patients [1][2][5].
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Manual crank for height adjustment: Unlike fully electric beds, semi-electric beds require a hand crank to adjust the height. While this makes them more cost-effective, it may require caregiver assistance, especially if height adjustments are needed frequently [1][4][5].
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Cost-effective and functional: Semi-electric beds provide a balance between functionality and affordability. They are less expensive than fully electric beds but offer more features than manual beds, making them a popular choice for hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and home care settings [1][2][4].
Ideal Uses for Semi-Electric Hospital Beds
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Suitable for patients with specific needs: These beds are particularly helpful for patients who need regular adjustments to their head or foot positions, such as those with spinal issues, gastrointestinal problems, or conditions that require frequent repositioning [1][3][5].
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Best for infrequent height adjustments: Since height adjustments are manual, semi-electric beds are best for patients who do not need frequent height changes. For those who require regular height adjustments, a fully electric bed may be a better choice [4][5].
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Common in various healthcare settings: Semi-electric beds are commonly used in general patient wards, rehabilitation centers, and home care setups where occasional position changes are needed. They provide the necessary functionality without the complexity or higher cost of fully electric beds [3].
Benefits of Semi-Electric Beds
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Enhances patient independence and comfort: The ability to control the head and foot sections electronically gives patients better comfort and more independence, leading to improved well-being and satisfaction [1].
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Safer and easier patient transfers: The adjustable head and foot sections, combined with manual height adjustment, make it easier for patients to get in and out of bed. This reduces the risk of falls and injuries, making it a safer option for many patients [1].
3.Fully-Electric Hospital Beds
Fully-electric hospital beds have electric motors that control the head, foot, and height adjustments. This system allows for precise positioning, improving patient comfort and caregiver efficiency.
Key Features of Fully-Electric Beds
- Electric Motors for All Adjustments: These beds let users adjust the head, foot, and height using electric motors. This feature ensures smooth and accurate positioning, reducing physical strain on caregivers and enhancing patient comfort.
- Hand Control and Patient Independence: Adjustments are made via a handheld remote or an integrated control panel. This allows patients to adjust the bed’s position without needing caregiver help.
Advanced Positioning and Functionality
- Trendelenburg and Reverse Trendelenburg Positions: These beds can be adjusted to the Trendelenburg position (head down, feet up) or the reverse Trendelenburg position (head up, feet down). These positions are important for specific medical treatments and patient comfort.
- Customizable Memory Presets: Many beds have memory presets that allow users to quickly return to a preferred position, such as sitting up for meals or therapy. This feature adds convenience for both patients and caregivers.
- Integrated Scales and Telemetry Monitoring: Some models include integrated scales and telemetry monitoring, helping ensure safe repositioning of the patient within prescribed weight limits, improving both safety and care efficiency.
- Emergency Egress Functions: In emergencies, some beds have an automatic flattening function for quick patient transfers or evacuations, ensuring patient safety during critical moments.
Ideal for Specific Patient Needs
- Mobility Issues and Medical Conditions: Fully-electric beds are ideal for patients with mobility issues or those needing frequent, precise adjustments. These beds can be adjusted to meet the patient’s unique needs, improving their comfort and care.
- ICUs, Post-Surgery Recovery, and Long-Term Care: Fully-electric beds are essential in intensive care units (ICUs), recovery rooms, and long-term care facilities. These settings require continuous monitoring and frequent repositioning, making fully-electric beds crucial for patient care.
- Home Healthcare: In home healthcare, these beds reduce physical strain on caregivers, offering higher patient comfort and independence.
Benefits for Patients and Caregivers
- Enhanced Comfort: The adjustability of these beds helps reduce pressure sores, improve comfort, and promote better sleep for patients, improving their quality of life.
- Improved Caregiver Efficiency and Safety: With reduced manual exertion, caregivers can work more efficiently while maintaining better ergonomics, ensuring a safer, less physically demanding work environment.
- Durability and Safety Features: Fully-electric beds are built with reinforced frames for durability. Safety features like brakes, side rails, and secure mattress firmness help prevent patient entrapment and ensure overall safety.
Fully-electric hospital beds offer optimal support and functionality for both patients and caregivers, making them a valuable choice for healthcare facilities and home healthcare settings.
4.Bariatric Hospital Beds
Bariatric hospital beds are designed to provide support, safety, and comfort for larger patients. These beds have wider frames and higher weight capacities than standard hospital beds, making them ideal for individuals who are overweight or obese. They are commonly used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, and homes to ensure proper care for patients with specific needs.
Key Features of Bariatric Hospital Beds
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Sturdier and Reinforced Frame: Bariatric beds use heavy-duty materials like steel to ensure durability and safety. The frame is reinforced to support the higher weight capacity.
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Higher Weight Capacity: These beds support weights ranging from 350 to 1000 pounds. Some models can hold up to 900 pounds, making them suitable for larger individuals.
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Height Adjustability: Bariatric beds have adjustable heights. With casters, the height ranges from 18″ to 26″, and without casters, it ranges from 13″ to 21″. This makes it easier for patient transfers and comfort adjustments.
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Safety Rails: Many bariatric beds come with optional half-length bed rails. These rails lock automatically when raised and can be easily lowered, providing extra safety and support.
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Extra Width for Comfort and Safety: These beds are available in various widths—42″, 48″, 54″, and 60″—offering extra space for larger patients to ensure comfort and a secure fit.
Additional Features for Enhanced Care
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Adjustable Bed Positions: Bariatric beds can adjust the head, foot, and height positions electrically, offering multiple bed configurations that improve patient comfort and care.
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Emergency Features: Some models include manual cranks for emergencies and battery backups to maintain bed functionality during power outages, ensuring continuous care.
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Mobility and Clearance: Large casters make it easier to move bariatric beds. Some models feature 5″ swivel casters and locking mechanisms to enhance stability and mobility.
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Clearance Requirements: Bariatric beds need at least five feet of clearance on both sides and at the foot of the bed to ensure safe nursing and clinical care.
These features help bariatric hospital beds meet the needs of patients with higher weight and mobility requirements while ensuring safety and comfort.
5.Specialized Hospital Beds (e.g., ICU, Pediatric, Birthing)
Specialized hospital beds are made to meet the needs of patients in critical care, pediatrics, or maternity units. These beds include features that support intensive monitoring, comfort, and safety for patients needing specialized care.
ICU Beds
ICU beds are for critically ill patients who need continuous monitoring and specialized medical care. Key features include:
- Advanced Monitoring and Life-Support Equipment: ICU beds often include technologies like adjustable chair positions, Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg movements, and precise angle degree displays for optimal patient positioning and monitoring.
- Adjustable Positions: These beds can be set to multiple positions, such as chair, Trendelenburg, and standard head, knee, and foot elevation. They can also be lowered to reduce fall risks or raised for medical exams and transport.
- Pressure-Relieving Mattresses: ICU beds come with high-density, pressure-relieving mattresses to prevent pressure sores and ensure patient comfort during long stays.
- Safety Features: Features like one-touch electric brakes, CPR release mechanisms, and centralized locking systems are built in for patient safety and easy movement when needed.
Pediatric Beds
Pediatric beds are designed for young patients in hospitals, ensuring safety, comfort, and easy monitoring for children in various medical conditions. Common features include:
- Adjustable Design: Pediatric beds provide customizable positioning for different needs, including head, knee, and foot adjustments.
- Safety Features: These beds have side rails to prevent falls, tamper-proof controls, and integrated IV poles for secure medication delivery.
- Pressure Relief: These beds are equipped with pressure-relieving mattresses suited for children’s smaller bodies to prevent discomfort and pressure sores.
Birthing Beds
Birthing beds are used in labor and delivery rooms, offering comfort and flexibility for mothers during childbirth. Key features of birthing beds include:
- Adjustable Positions: These beds can be adjusted to support various labor stages, including reclining positions and stirrups for delivery.
- Integrated Support: Many birthing beds come with built-in support for medical equipment, such as IV poles and fetal monitoring systems, ensuring the safety of both mother and child during labor.
- Comfort Features: The beds are designed for comfort, with soft, pressure-relieving mattresses and easy-to-clean surfaces to help during the labor process.
These specialized hospital beds are essential for providing the best care across different medical fields, ensuring comfort, safety, and positive outcomes.In addition to understanding the types of hospital beds, it is also important to choose a quality supplier.Grace Medy is a hospital bed manufacturer,who has made great achievements in the field of hospital beds, with more than 20 innovative patents on hospital beds. Provides the hospital bed series include manual hospital beds, semi-electric hospital beds, fully electric hospital beds, ICU beds, children’s beds and obstetric beds, etc. Also operates hospital furniture such as operating tables, operating lights and medical carts, and rehabilitation equipment such as Wheelchairs and walkers.Grace Medy’s one-stop service for hospital furniture pruchase will be much more convenient for you.