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Choosing an adjustable bed can feel like hard work at first. There are sizes, mattress types, motors and price bands to weigh up, and adjustable beds now sit somewhere between a piece of furniture and a piece of mobility equipment, which makes them harder to shop for than an ordinary bed. The good news is that it comes down to a handful of practical questions. What size do you need, what mattress will actually work on it, what should you expect to pay, and is there any help available with the cost?

This guide answers those questions in order, in plain English. It's written for the person who'll sleep in the bed, and just as much for the son, daughter, partner or carer doing the research on someone else's behalf. That's more common than people realise. Around 5.8 million people across the UK provide unpaid care, according to Carers UK's State of Caring 2025 report, so if you're reading this for someone else, you're in good company.

One thing we won't do here is tell you an adjustable bed will fix a health problem. If your reason for looking is a medical one, that's a conversation for your GP, district nurse or an occupational therapist, and we'd rather point you their way than guess.

What Is an Adjustable Bed?

An adjustable bed is a bed with a motorised base that raises and lowers in sections, usually the head and the feet, and sometimes the lumbar area as well. You change position using a handset, so the bed moves with you rather than you propping yourself up with pillows. The base replaces a standard bed frame entirely.

Within that, there are two broad types, and they're often mixed up.

Lifestyle adjustable beds. These are the consumer beds you'll see in most bed shops and in our showroom. They look like an ordinary divan or upholstered bed, they raise the head and feet at the touch of a button, and they're chosen for comfort and for how much easier they make getting in and out. This guide is about these.

Profiling and healthcare beds. These are more clinical in design. They typically offer more independent sections, full height adjustment so a carer can raise the whole bed to a safe working height, and fittings for cot sides. They're aimed at more complex care needs, often where someone is being looked after at home. If that sounds closer to your situation, our healthcare and hospital beds collection is the better starting point, and it's worth speaking to an occupational therapist before you buy anything.

It's worth getting this distinction right early on. It affects what you should buy, what you should expect to pay, and whether VAT relief is available at all.

You can see the range we stock in our adjustable beds collection, though it's worth reading the sizing and mattress sections below first, since those are the two decisions people most often get wrong.

Choosing the Right Size

Adjustable beds come in the same standard UK sizes as ordinary beds, so the starting point is familiar. Single is 90cm wide, small double 120cm, double 135cm, king 150cm and super king 180cm. Single, small double and double are all 190cm long. King and super king step up to 200cm.

There's one sizing rule worth knowing before you settle on a size. Which?'s adjustable bed research suggests choosing a bed around 15cm, or 6 inches, longer than the tallest person using it, because sitting up on an adjustable base shifts you slightly down the bed compared with lying flat. If the tallest user is close to 6ft, a 190cm bed can end up feeling short once the head section is raised.

Single. Suits someone sleeping alone, and it's the most common choice where only one person needs the adjustment. It's also easier to fit into a smaller bedroom.

Small double and double. A reasonable middle ground for one person who likes more room, or for a couple where only one side needs to move. On a standard double adjustable base, both sides move together.

King and super king. These are usually where dual mechanisms come in. A dual bed is really two adjustable bases side by side under one headboard, each with its own motor and its own handset, so two people can sit up and lie flat independently of each other. If one of you reads at night and the other doesn't, this is the version worth paying for.

Room and access. Adjustable bases tend to be bulkier and heavier than a standard frame, so measure the room before you order, and think about the route in. Stairs, landings, doorways and tight turns all matter, because this isn't a flat-pack frame you can carry up in pieces. Leave clearance around the bed too, since the base needs room to articulate and you'll want space to get in and out comfortably.

If you're unsure which size fits your room, bring the measurements to the showroom or give us a ring on 0208 527 7487 and we'll work it through with you.

Comfort Features and Controls to Look For

Adjustable beds come with long feature lists, and some of those features matter far more day to day than others. These are the ones that genuinely affect how the bed is to live with.

Independent head and foot adjustment. Being able to raise the head and the feet separately, rather than in one fixed motion, gives you far more usable positions. On some models the lumbar section moves independently too.

One-touch return to flat. A single button that brings the whole bed back down to level is more useful than it sounds, particularly last thing at night or if someone else is helping.

Memory or preset positions. Handsets that save a couple of favourite positions save fiddling every evening. Manufacturers give these presets names, some of which sound medical. Treat them as names for a physical position, nothing more.

Battery backup. Most adjustable beds run on mains electricity, so in a power cut the bed generally stays wherever it was. Where a backup is fitted, it's usually a simple replaceable battery designed to bring the bed down to flat rather than run the full range of movement. If getting out of bed safely without power is a concern, ask about this specifically before you buy.

Quiet motors. Motor noise varies a lot between models, and it's one of the few things you genuinely cannot judge from a product photo. Listening to the motor run is one of the better reasons to see a bed in person.

Handset design. Backlit buttons, clear labelling and a handset that's comfortable to hold in the dark matter more day to day than any headline feature. On dual king and super king beds you should get two handsets, one per side.

Weight capacity. Every base has a maximum user weight, usually stated inclusive of the mattress. Check it against the actual figures rather than assuming, and ask us if the spec isn't clear.

Massage functions, USB charging points, under-bed lighting and app control are all pleasant to have. They're rarely a good reason to choose one bed over another, though, and they're often part of an upgrade tier. Get the size, base and mattress right first, then decide whether the extras are worth it.

Choosing a Mattress for Your Adjustable Bed

Can you put a normal mattress on an adjustable bed frame? No, not sensibly, and this is the point that catches most people out. A standard sprung mattress is built to stay flat. It isn't designed to bend at the points where an adjustable base hinges, so it won't flex properly with the mechanism, it won't sit correctly against the base, and over time you risk damaging the mattress. Buying an adjustable base and keeping your existing mattress is usually a false economy.

What does work. Memory foam and latex mattresses are generally well suited, because they flex evenly. Some pocket-sprung and hybrid mattresses are made specifically for adjustable bases, with flex zones that line up with the base's moving sections. The important word is "some". Suitability varies by construction and by base, so always check compatibility against the specific bed rather than assuming a mattress type is safe.

Dual king and super king beds need two mattresses. Because each side moves independently, a dual bed normally takes two matching mattresses rather than one continuous one, commonly two Euro small singles for a king or two Euro singles for a super king. In the trade these are often called zip and link. There's an upside: each of you can choose a different firmness on your own side.

Budget for it properly. For context on the wider market, the National Bed Federation's 2025 consumer survey found the average price paid for a mattress in the UK rose 8.4% to £645, up from £595 the year before. An adjustable-compatible mattress sits alongside the cost of the base, not inside it, unless the bed is sold as a package.

You can browse our mattress range on the site, or bring the details of your base to the showroom and we'll tell you straight whether a mattress will work on it.

Getting Comfortable: Sleeping Positions on an Adjustable Bed

Is it okay to sleep on your side on an adjustable bed? Yes, most people can and do. Side sleeping works perfectly well on an adjustable base. The position that feels right varies a lot from person to person, and finding it usually takes a little experimenting with small angles rather than dramatic ones.

Give yourself an adjustment period. Some people take to a slightly raised head position immediately, others find it takes a week or two before it feels normal. A gentle angle is usually more comfortable to sleep in than a steep one, even if the steeper position is lovely for reading. If you share a bed and only one side moves, be aware that a raised head section on a standard double will lift both of you.

What not to do with an adjustable bed. A few sensible habits keep the bed working properly and safely:

• Stay within the stated weight capacity, remembering it usually includes the mattress.
• Don't sit or perch on the very end of a raised foot section, which puts load where the frame isn't designed to take it.
• Keep the power cable and handset lead tucked away from the moving parts and from anywhere you'd step.
• Don't force a section that's stopped moving. Stop, check nothing is obstructing it, and call for a service rather than pushing on.
• Check clearance underneath before you raise the bed, particularly if storage boxes have crept under there.

None of this is cause for alarm. It's the same common sense you'd apply to a rise and recline chair or a stairlift.

Adjustable Bed Prices in the UK

There's no single price for an adjustable bed, because size, mattress and specification all move the number considerably. As a broad guide, Which?'s research put UK adjustable beds at roughly £600 to £1,800 for a single, £800 to £5,000 for a double and £1,200 to £5,000 for a dual double.

A few things shift the figure:

Mattress included or not. This is the biggest source of confusion when comparing prices between retailers. A base-only price and a bed-and-mattress price are not comparable, and an adjustable-compatible mattress is a meaningful cost in its own right.

Single mechanism or dual. A dual king costs more than a standard king, because you're buying two motorised bases and two mattresses.

Specification tier. Massage, lighting, app control and premium upholstery generally sit in an upgrade tier.

Delivery, assembly and old bed removal. Worth checking carefully, since these are a bigger job on an adjustable bed than a standard one and not every retailer includes them. Our local delivery and home assembly are free, and we can take the old bed away.

VAT relief, where the bed qualifies. See the section below, because this is more conditional than most retailers admit.

For current pricing on the beds we stock, the adjustable beds collection is the place to look, and our Price Promise means you can buy with confidence on price. If you'd rather have something to read through at the kitchen table, you can also request a brochure.

Funding, VAT Relief and Getting Help Paying

Can I get an adjustable bed on the NHS? Sometimes, but not on request. A profiling bed can be loaned through your local Community Equipment Service after an assessment by a district nurse, occupational therapist or GP. It's based on assessed clinical need rather than comfort, it's a loan rather than a gift, and it isn't guaranteed or quick.

That's the short answer. The fuller picture is worth having, because these routes get muddled together often.

The NHS and Council Loan Route

Community Equipment Services are jointly funded by local authorities and NHS Integrated Care Boards, and they loan equipment such as profiling beds and pressure-relieving mattresses to people whose assessed needs call for it. Access starts with an assessment, usually by a district nurse, occupational therapist or physiotherapist, who looks at things like transfers, bedroom layout and the needs of anyone providing care.

Timescales vary enormously. Urgent situations such as a hospital discharge or end-of-life care can be arranged within days. Non-urgent assessments can take considerably longer, and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services reported in 2026 that more than 400,000 people in England were waiting for an assessment, care and support, a direct payment or a review. That's a large part of why many families buy privately, either instead of this route or while they wait.

If you think there's a genuine clinical need, start with your GP, district nursing team or an occupational therapist. That's their assessment to make, not ours.

VAT Relief, Honestly Explained

This is where most retailer pages are misleading, so we'd rather be straight with you.

There are two separate tests, and both have to be met.

The person. GOV.UK's guidance on VAT relief for disabled people sets out who qualifies: someone with a physical or mental impairment that affects their ability to carry out everyday activities, someone with a condition treated by the medical profession as chronic sickness, or someone who is terminally ill. Being elderly, on its own, doesn't qualify. Neither does a temporary injury. You don't need a doctor's letter. You confirm in writing that you meet the conditions, on a declaration form the supplier provides.

The product. This is the part usually left out. HMRC's technical guidance, VAT Notice 701/7, sets a separate design test for beds specifically. Paragraph 4.3 states that "a bed will not be eligible for relief unless it clearly stands out as being something specialised for the use of people with disabilities such as being similar to a hospital bed", and that as well as being electrically or mechanically adjustable, it should have distinguishing features such as cot sides or height adjustability.

In plain English: a bed being electrically adjustable for comfort is not, by itself, enough. The general VAT relief page lists adjustable beds among its examples of qualifying goods, but the technical notice is the test that actually applies, and it draws the line at beds that are genuinely specialised rather than comfort-led. So the answer for any given bed depends on that specific bed's design, not just on the buyer's circumstances.

What that means for you is simple. Don't assume, and don't take a "VAT free" banner at face value. Check the position for the exact bed you're considering with us before you order, either through our VAT relief information, at checkout, or by ringing the showroom on 0208 527 7487. We'd rather tell you a bed doesn't qualify than let you budget on the assumption it does.

Trying Before You Buy

If you take one piece of advice from this guide, make it this. Try the bed before you buy it.

Almost nothing that matters about an adjustable bed comes across on a screen. How the base feels through the mattress, how loud the motor is, how far the head section really rises, whether the handset is easy to use with stiff fingers, how easy it is to get in and out of at the height it sits. All of that takes about ten minutes to work out in person, and no amount of reading will tell you the same thing.

Our showroom is on the Chingford, Highams Park and Walthamstow border as well as our specialist adjustable bed showroom in Loughton. We stock more beds in the showroom than we list online, so it's worth coming in even if nothing on the website looks quite right. We're open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9:30am to 4pm. You'll find directions and opening times on our contact page, or you can ring us on 0208 527 7487 first if you'd like to check we have a particular bed on the floor.

If you'd rather live with a bed before committing, bed hire is a sensible middle step, with delivery, installation and removal handled for you. It suits short-term needs such as recovery after an operation, and it suits anyone who wants to be certain before making a permanent purchase.

We're a Which? Trusted Trader and an NHS approved supplier, local delivery and home assembly are free, and servicing, repairs and parts are handled by our own team rather than passed to a third party. When you're ready to compare specifications and prices, our adjustable beds collection is the next step.

Making the Right Choice

An adjustable bed is a considered purchase, and it deserves a bit of time. Get the size right for the tallest person using it and for the room. Budget for a compatible mattress from the start. Check the warranty and who services the bed. And be realistic about funding rather than assuming help will appear.

Whether you're buying for yourself or for someone you're caring for, we're happy to talk it through with no pressure either way. Come and see us or ring us on 0208 527 7487, or request a brochure and take your time over it. Whatever you decide, we'll help you make the right choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put an adjustable bed in any bed frame?

No. An adjustable bed is its own motorised base, and it replaces your existing bed base rather than fitting inside a standard frame. Some models can be used with an existing headboard, but the frame itself goes. The same applies to your mattress, as covered in the mattress section above.

What is the best adjustable bed for seniors?

There isn't a single best model, and be wary of anyone who names one. What matters most is ease of use, meaning simple, clearly labelled controls and a handset that's comfortable to hold, along with a stable, supportive base, a sitting height that makes getting in and out easy, and the right size and mattress for the individual. The best way to find that is to try a few in person or arrange a home assessment.

What are the best companies for adjustable beds?

Rather than choosing on price alone, look for a supplier with a physical showroom you can visit, a clear written warranty that separates parts from labour, and UK-based servicing and support you can actually call. One thing to watch: a hospital-style profiling bed, sometimes bought secondhand or supplied on NHS loan, and a retail lifestyle adjustable bed are different products for different needs. They aren't interchangeable, so make sure you're comparing like with like.

Can I get an adjustable bed on the NHS, or borrowed rather than bought?

Sometimes. A profiling bed may be loaned through your local Community Equipment Service following an assessment by a district nurse, occupational therapist or GP, but it depends on assessed clinical need, it isn't guaranteed, and waits can be long. That's why many people buy privately alongside or instead of pursuing it. See the funding section above for the full picture.

Does VAT relief apply to adjustable beds?

Not automatically. Two tests have to be met: the buyer must be chronically sick or disabled under GOV.UK's criteria, and the bed itself must meet HMRC's separate design test in VAT Notice 701/7, which requires it to be specialised for disabled use in a hospital-bed-like way rather than simply adjustable for comfort. Check the position for the specific bed with us before ordering.