What is the Best Adjustable Bed?

What Is an Adjustable Bed?

An adjustable bed is, simply put, a bed that adjusts to fit your body. But this is far different from a mattress that cradles your body. An adjustable bed is an entire bed that moves to put your body into different positions, to lift your head for reading, to lift your feet for comfort, to provide lumbar adjustable bed support to lessen back pain--and more. An adjustable bed is a mechanical bed that moves and positions you so you can sit, sleep, read, watch TV, and relax in the most comfortable way possible.

What an Adjustable Bed Is Not

An adjustable bed is not a hospital bed. That’s probably the number one misconception that people have in their minds when we start talking about how an adjustable bed will lift your body or raise your feet. But a hospital bed is almost exclusively uncomfortable, and it adjusts in only two ways: there’s a hinge in the middle and either your upper body can lift, or your lower body can lift. It’s a pair of scissors, and you’re getting sliced up inside.

A hospital bed is not what an adjustable bed is.

So what makes up the best adjustable bed?

There are six criteria to consider when choosing the best adjustable bed:

• Independent pillow tilt
• Programmable memory positions
• Wall hugging
• Lumbar support
• Dual Massage
• Furniture-style decking.

Independent Pillow Tilt

What is pillow tilt on an adjustable bed? Pillow tilt is the ability for the head portion of your adjustable bed to raise and lower. Imagine that you’re in an adjustable bed, but all it can do is raise your upper body. It does nothing for your head. You’re going to be uncomfortable because either you’re going to be sitting all the way up or you’re going to be staring at the ceiling. Head tilt in an adjustable bed is essential, as it provides neck support for reading, TV watching, and conversation. It’s a movement in the upper portion of the bed that raises your head specifically, so that while your body may be laying back, your head is upright. You can read, you can watch TV, you can talk to all the people in the room. And you don’t have to feel like you’re trapped in bed or have to cram a bunch of pillows under your head to get the same position. Pillow tilt is one of the most comfortable and life-affirming aspects of an adjustable bed because it turns a bed into a chair. You’re no longer entertaining guests while you’re lying down and they’re standing up to get a look at your face. Everyone can be sitting, and you’re sitting up, looking at them. Never underestimate head tilt in an adjustable bed.

Programmable Memory Positions

Programmable memory positions make it possible to have the same comfortable experience every time you’re in your bed—once you find that perfect position you want to be able to return to it! This makes for the best adjustable bed.

It can take a while to get the perfect spot for your legs, your back, and your neck, and one day you might find the perfect spot and be comfortable all day--but then you’ve got to lower the bed back down and return to a sleeping position. Now you could go through the same hard work the next day to get your bed in all the adjustable positions perfectly, or you could simply push a single button and your bed will return to its perfect spot.

Imagine: you could have one programmable memory position for sleeping, one for reading, one for sitting up to eat, one for laying back to watch the bird out the window. Any position that you feel you like enough to want saved, you can save. And then, with a click of a button, you’re back to a different programmable button.

(You want to know an even better secret about these programmable positions? You don’t need to keep track of a clunky bed remote control. You can control all movements of your adjustable bed, including programmable positions, through your smartphone.)

Wall Hugging

Wall hugging refers to the position of the bed as it tilts; will you still be able to reach your nightstand and lamp once you’ve adjusted the bed? Think about it: if you’re in an adjustable bed that bends at the waist, then it is lifting you up and away from all of the things that would normally be within your reach. You could no longer reach the bedside table to grab your book or TV remote. You couldn’t turn on the lamp. You couldn’t get your glasses or take your medicine. That wouldn’t be the best adjustable bed.

Plus, there’s an aesthetic reason for wanting wall hugging. If you’re in a bed that simply bends at the waist, then it will lift up and away from the headboard, revealing a large empty portion behind you. We’re back to looking like the hospital bed again.

Wall hugging means that as your bed bends at the waist and at the neck, the entire bed actually moves backward so that your head and arms are always close to the head board and therefore close to the things beside your bed. You will lose the aesthetic problem of having a strange-looking hospital bed in your bedroom, and you will still be able to access all of your belongings. Wall hugging is definitely a feature of the best adjustable bed.

Lumbar Support

Lumbar adjustable bed support is important in any sitting scenario, from your bed to your car, as it maintains proper posture and keeps your back free from pain. Improper lumbar support is one of the most common reasons for back pain, and it affects you whether you’re sitting in a desk chair, a car seat, or a bed. The lumbar region is the lower part of your back, the part of your back where pain is so common--and it’s common because it’s so rare to get good lumbar adjustable bed support.

Most bed companies will simply tell you that their springs or their memory foam mattress will provide support to your whole body, but when you’re spending an extended period of time in your bed, as you often do in an adjustable bed, then you need your adjustable bed frame to provide you the extra level of lumbar adjustable bed support that you need in addition to the support you get from the mattress. Even the best mattresses, like our CoolBreeze Plush Gel Memory Foam mattresses, require good lumbar support when used in an adjustable bed.

Dual Massage

Dual massage is definitely a must-have in your adjustable bed base with multiple timers and intensities. You may be of the mindset that massage is simply a luxury--something you have done at the spa once or twice a year. But imagine if you have a massage--a real massage, not just a vibrating bed--any time of the day or night? It would be a game changer, especially if you’re suffering from a sore back or neck, sore limbs, or sore joints. Getting a massage in your adjustable bed is definitely a game changer. It turns an adjustable bed into the best adjustable bed.

Furniture-Style Decking

And finally, furniture-style decking is the icing on the cake as it makes your bed look like a part of your home and not a hospital appliance. Furniture-style decking is the final piece in the puzzle that takes your adjustable bed away from the hospital bed and into a cozy piece of furniture in your home that you won’t be ashamed to entertain guests from. When family comes to visit and you sit up in bed (with neck support and wall hugging), the furniture-style decking is what makes that bed look not like it came out of a hospital surplus like a comfortable and--we’ll gladly say it--an enviable piece of furniture in your home. Soon all your family and friends will want an adjustable bed--the best adjustable bed, just like yours.

The Features of the Best Adjustable Beds

The best high-end beds have special features like lumbar adjustable bed support and elevation lift, which are crucial for people with health issues, such as immobility, back or bone issues, and acid reflux. People who don’t necessarily have health concerns, but who are seeking a better night’s sleep from an adjustable bed will want things like pillow tilting, wall hugging and customizable memory positions. (Most adjustable beds don’t have pillow tilting, just foot and head tilt. Pillow tilt ensures that your head is properly supported in an upright position without the need for additional pillows. It enables sitting up, watching TV, reading a book, having a conversation, or using an iPad or laptop.)

The best adjustable beds have programming that is more than a simple ‘up’ or ‘down’. The very best adjustable beds have controls that you can set for reading, for sleeping, for lounging, etc. Once you find a position that you like, you can lock it in and always return to it. No more struggling to find that perfect spot.

Wall hugging is not something that you may think of at first when choosing an adjustable bed, but it makes a big difference. When a bed hugs the wall, that means that the mattress does not simply raise up, but it also moves back, so that the top of the bed is always snugly against the headboard. Aside from the aesthetic look, it’s very useful if you want to be able to reach your side table, turn your lights on and off, or grab your book/remote/laptop.

There are many more features that are available in a top-of-the-line adjustable bed. You may not expect a bed to be Bluetooth-enabled, but if you can control your bed’s settings with the ease of your smartphone, instead of requiring a separate remote, then that’s one less thing to worry about—one less thing to lose in your blankets! Also, the best adjustable beds have electronics built in: AC outlets so that you don’t have to climb behind your bed to plug something in, and even USB ports to charge your devices.

Additionally, some adjustable beds come with massage features, with varying intensity levels, and targeted locations: get a neck massage, or a foot massage, or a whole-body option. Set an alarm to wake you up with a gentle massage , or by having your bed raise you from your sleeping position into a more sitted, wakeful rest.

Finally, the best adjustable beds have under-bed night lights, so that you’ll never lose track of how far you are from the floor, no matter how you’ve adjusted your elevation. Getting out of bed is safe and easy in the middle of the night with a well-lit floor. Don't just believe in our word, View more

Shop for the best adjustable bed today with Dynasty Mattress available. We have beds to meet all of these criteria, at every price level and with many options and features. For more information about why the DM9000s is the best adjustable bed base on the market, click here!