Hospital Bed

How Much Does a Hospital Bed Weigh? A Comprehensive Guide for Buyers

By kelingmedical

When buying a hospital bed, it’s the weight of the bed that’s important. You have to know how heavy a hospital bed is to be sure it accommodates the patient and the family. Whether you’re a distributor of medical equipment or a healthcare provider, here is how to think about the important hospital bed weight considerations.

So How Much Weight Does A Hospital Bed Have?

The capacity of a hospital bed has a lot of effects on the way it’s used:

Portability:
Lighter beds are lighter to transport and move, so you can use them at home or in an institution that needs to swap rooms all the time.

Stability:
Bigger beds are stabler — a must for bariatric or intensive-care patients.

Installation and Maintenance:
Depending on the bed weight it is difficult to assemble, disassemble and transport.

Floor Load Capacity:
Hospitals should not load the floor higher than the weight of the bed (not to mention the weight of the patient).

Average Weight of Hospital Beds

The weight of a hospital bed is different for every brand and configuration:

Standard Manual Hospital Beds:
These beds weigh in at between 150 and 250 lbs (68 and 113 kg). They are light and easy to move, so they are appropriate for the home.

Electric Hospital Beds:
Motorized beds and other luxuries are the usual weight for electric beds: 250 to 400 pounds (113 to 181 kg).

Bariatric Hospital Beds:
Aimed at heavier patients, bariatric beds can accommodate patients weighing 500-800 pounds (227-363 kg) or more.

ICU and Critical Care Beds:
They’re heavy beds with advanced features such as internal scales and alarms that can weigh 400–600 lbs (181–272 kg).

Factors Affecting Hospital Bed Weight

Frame Material:
Steel beds weigh more, but last longer; aluminum frames weigh less and may be lower in weight.

Mattress Type:
A lot of weight gets packed onto the bed by air mattresses or therapeutic mattresses.

Additional Features:
Electric motors, side rails, IV poles, built-in scales and so on make the bed significantly heavier.

Size and Design:
Larger beds like queen-size hospital beds do, of course, weigh more than standard-sized beds.

Hospital Bed Weight Limits

Beyond the bed’s own weight, also bear in mind its weight capacity:

Standard Beds:
Support 300 to 450 lbs (136 to 204 kg).

Bariatric Beds:
For obese patients, these beds hold up to 500 or 1,000 pounds (227-454 kg) or more.

Be sure to read the specifications on the bed to make sure that it is suited for the intended use.

Conclusion

How heavy a hospital bed is is something that will be required to purchase with confidence. Either you are buying a light weight bed for home or a heavier bed for a hospital, weigh and weight limit will guide you in the best possible decision. If you are a distributor of medical equipment, you can also have multiple beds in a range of weights and capacities to serve your customers’ various needs.