2026 BUYING GUIDE
How to Choose a Hospital Bed
Advice from our South Surrey showroom
A hospital bed at home should make getting in and out of bed easier, for the person using it and for whoever helps. Start with how long you will need it.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Short or uncertain need? Rent by the month. Long-term care? Compare beds to buy.
Pick a height range that suits transfers and the caregiver's working height.
Check the weight rating on both the bed and the mattress.
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By the South Surrey Medical Equipment team · Updated September 2026
STEP 1 OF 6
Decide whether to rent or buy
Start with how long the bed will be needed. For a short or uncertain need, renting keeps it simple. We rent the Full Electric Low Height Bed by the month, and we deliver and set it up in your home within 1 to 3 days.
Rent to own is available. For long-term care, buying gives you more choice. The same bed is sold as a package with half rails and a mattress, and the Harmony Hi-Low is built to look like bedroom furniture. See hospital bed rentals for details.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Ask the care team how long the need may last.
Short or uncertain need? Ask about renting by the month.
Long-term care? Compare height, width and mattress to buy.
STEP 2 OF 6
Choose the height range
The Harmony Hi-Low raises and lowers its whole deck at the touch of a button. Lowered, the mattress sits close to the floor. That makes getting in, getting out and standing up easier, and shortens the distance in a fall. Raised, care can be given without bending over.
Compare the numbers. The Full Electric Low Height Bed comes in two versions. Roll at Low Height has an 11.81 to 19.83 inch deck range. Roll at Any Height has a 14.81 to 22.83 inch range. The low number matters for transfers. The high number matters for care.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Low enough to sit on the edge with feet flat.
High enough for a caregiver to work standing upright.
Ask us to show you both ends of the range.
STEP 3 OF 6
Look at the controls and power
Full electric means the head, the foot and the bed height all move with power. On the Full Electric Low Height Bed, all three adjust electrically, with manual crank overrides if the power is interrupted.
Think about how the bed is used each day. The Harmony Hi-Low moves its head and foot sections independently, for reading or for lying flat to sleep. Try each hand control from the bed and from the bedside.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Can the person reach and read the hand control?
Try the head and foot positions for reading and sleep.
Ask what each bed does if the power goes out.
STEP 4 OF 6
Check weight ratings and bed size
Some beds list two weight numbers. One is the bed's total load, and the other is the limit for the person in it. For a heavier person, the Prime Plus Care P750 lists a 750 lb weight capacity with a 700 lb net patient capacity.
Check other ratings too. The Overbed Table tabletop holds 55 lb, which is not a body-support or transfer rating, so never lean on it to stand. For a taller person, the Solite Pro platform extends from 79.1 to 85.6 inches.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Use the person's limit, not the bed's total load.
Check the width suits the person and the room.
Check the length for a taller person.
STEP 5 OF 6
Match the mattress and rails
The mattress has its own weight rating. The Harmony Home Care Mattress is rated to 275 lb, and the Therapeutic 5 Zone Support Mattress to 350 lb. Both measure 36 by 80 by 6 inches, so check they fit the bed.
Ask which rails come with the bed. The purchase package for the Full Electric Low Height Bed has half rails and a 36 by 80 by 6 inch innerspring mattress.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Check the mattress size matches the bed.
Compare the mattress rating with the person's weight.
Ask whether rails come with the bed or are added separately.
STEP 6 OF 6
Leave delivery and setup to us
You do not need to worry about getting the bed through the door. Hospital beds come apart into sections, so our delivery team can carry one through doorways, up stairs and into elevators, then put it together in the room.
The Solite Pro, for example, comes apart into sections that each weigh less than 55 lb. Before delivery day, just leave space beside the bed for a caregiver or a walker.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Tell us about stairs, elevators and parking when you book.
Clear a path to the bedroom before delivery day.
Leave room beside the bed for a caregiver or walker.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Four common mistakes
01
Checking only the bed's weight rating. The mattress has its own, and the Harmony Home Care Mattress is rated to 275 lb.
02
Buying a bed for a short recovery. We rent the Full Electric Low Height Bed by the month, and rent to own is available.
03
Forgetting the caregiver. Raised, the Harmony Hi-Low lets care be given without bending over at the bedside.
04
Leaving it until the day of discharge. We deliver rental beds within 1 to 3 days, so call ahead.
SEE HOSPITAL BEDS IN SOUTH SURREY
Raise and lower beds in person
Beds are easier to judge in person, and our South Surrey showroom is minutes from White Rock. Sit on the edge of a bed, press the hand control and watch the deck rise and lower. Then lie back and try the head and foot positions.
Bring the main caregiver if you can. If travel is hard, we can talk about an in-home consultation. We can also go through any funding or insurance paperwork with you, and financing is available.
Unit 930, 15057 32 Ave
Surrey, BC V4P 0A2
START WITH YOUR SITUATION
Which one is right for you?
Start with the situation closest to yours.
Home from hospital for a few weeks
Renting by the month may suit. We deliver and set up the Full Electric Low Height Bed in your home within 1 to 3 days. Rent to own is available.
TRY FIRST
Getting in and out is the worry
Look for a bed that goes low. Lowered, the Harmony Hi-Low mattress sits close to the floor. The Full Electric Low Height Bed has a version whose deck lowers to 11.81 inches.
TRY FIRST
It should look like a bedroom bed
The Harmony Hi-Low is fully upholstered, so it reads as a bed rather than equipment. Its whole deck still raises and lowers at the touch of a button.
TRY FIRST
Meals and reading in bed
The Overbed Table has a larger surface that tilts and a smaller one that stays level. Its height adjusts from 30 to 46 inches. The Harmony Hi-Low head section rises for reading.
TRY FIRST
Room for a taller person
The Solite Pro platform extends from 79.1 to 85.6 inches. It also comes apart into sections under 55 lb each, which nest on their own transport stand.
TRY FIRST
Hospital bed questions
Should we rent or buy a hospital bed?
Rent if the need is short or uncertain, and buy for long-term care at home. We rent the Full Electric Low Height Bed by the month, delivered and set up in your home within 1 to 3 days. Rent to own is available. Buying gives you more choice of height range, look and mattress.
What happens to a hospital bed if the power goes out?
Some beds have a manual backup, so check before you choose. On the Full Electric Low Height Bed, the head, foot and bed height adjust electrically, with manual crank overrides during a power interruption. For any other bed, ask us what happens during an outage.
How low do your hospital beds go?
It depends on the bed and the version. The Full Electric Low Height Bed comes as Roll at Low Height, with a deck range from 11.81 inches, or Roll at Any Height, from 14.81 inches. Lowered, the Harmony Hi-Low mattress sits close to the floor, which makes getting in and out easier.
Does the Full Electric Low Height Bed come with a mattress?
Yes. The Full Electric Low Height Bed purchase package includes the three-motor bed, half rails and a 36 by 80 by 6 inch innerspring mattress. If you choose another mattress, check its size and weight rating. The Harmony Home Care Mattress is also 36 by 80 by 6 inches, and is rated to 275 lb.
Can I lean on the overbed table to get up?
No. Our Overbed Table has a tabletop load capacity of 55 lb, and that is not a body-support or transfer rating. Swivel castors on its base help position it around a bed or chair. To stand up, use a support that is rated for the person's weight.
Can a hospital bed be taken apart for moving?
Yes. Hospital beds come apart into sections, which is how our delivery team gets them through doorways, up stairs and into elevators. The Solite Pro sections, for example, nest on their own transport stand, and each weighs less than 55 lb. Just tell us about stairs, elevators and parking when you book.
Can I see hospital beds in person near White Rock?
Yes. Our showroom is at Unit 930, 15057 32 Ave, in South Surrey. Try a hand control yourself and see how low and how high a bed goes. Please call 778-545-0102 before you come, so we can tell you which beds are set up.
Planning a bed for care at home?
Raise and lower beds in our South Surrey showroom, or browse every hospital bed we carry online.