Did an adjustable bed frame help you?

June 27, 2019 7:13 AM

Looking for anecdotes about adjustable bed frames, I saw a few older posts but not a lot. My partner had back surgery 2 years and I feel like we've tried every sort of pillow/support/topper combination there is (both before and after the surgery) to try and get him comfortable. Poor guy! In the last couple of months he's started sleeping in a recliner in another room, he says that's the only way he doesn't hurt in the morning, but we'd both like to figure out how he could be comfortable in our bed.

Yesterday he went bed shopping, tried a bunch of adjustable beds and seemed to think they felt better than the recliner. But it's hard to find reviews, etc. online that don't feel like just disguised advertisements. I'm willing to give it a try if it means no more pain for him but I'd like to have more confidence this is going to help him and is worth the money - and isn't just yet 'one more mattress gimic'.

Our local store had the tempurpedic and beautyrest options, and he said the most comfortable option he found was with the hybrid mattresses (combo of coils and foam). I think we'd likely from the local chain vs. online so we can try out what we're buying/get help with installation/removal of the old mattress (we don't have people we can pull on to help with that), etc. but option to suggestions in that regard.

If you have one of these frames, particularly if you've had back surgery/pain, I'd love to hear about your experiences/pros & cons/buying advice.

(Only looking for anecdotes/buying advices on these types of frames. Over the years he's done a lot of research in other things and we've run the gamut of ways to make him more comfortable in a regular bed, tried different mattresses, etc. thanks!)

posted by snowymorninblues to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

I bought an adjustable bed before I had brain surgery, and I love it. I already had an appropriate mattress (tempurpedic), so I just needed to buy the base. I got mine from Costco, since I generally trust the quality of items they stock and they have a generous return policy. It included delivery, during which they set everything up for me.

It was a life saver during surgery recovery, when I was very weak and simple things like moving from lying down to sitting up without assistance were difficult and often painful.

I am about 3 years past my surgery and still love this thing. I almost never sleep flat anymore. My only complaint is that mine can be quite noisy when changing positions, but I'm mostly sure it's something a little lubricant would fix if I just took the time to find the squeaky spot.

If it's in your space/money budgets, I would consider a split king base, so you can each sleep in your own preferred position.
posted by ktkt at 8:06 AM on June 27, 2019

I am have been using my adjustable frame for about six months now. It is a middle of the line Serta Queen base with an off-brand memory foam mattress. I have back pain from stenosis and terrible arthritis pain in my hip pre-surgery in February and was using piled pillows, foam pillows, etc. to try to get comfortable. It was key during my post-surgery recovery in terms of elevating legs, getting in/out of bed, etc. I use the "Zero Gravity" setting the most now.

I love my frame. It was under $1,000 delivered and set up. The mattress was around $500.00 (I don't have the paperwork handy for the exact price). I got them at different places. The base was from a more "hard sell" place and they first tried to get me to buy one with massage, LED color-changing lights underneath (What!! lol), etc. But backed-off when I said, this is purely about health/comfort.

Only comment is we had a power outage one morning and it was somewhat challenging to get out of the bed without flattening it (which is my usual routine).
posted by agatha_magatha at 10:32 AM on June 27, 2019

Yes, it helped my relative who had sudden mobility issues. While we all thought he was splurging on an adjustable bed at first, it came in handy a few years later. He used that and a recliner for comfort.
For back issues, I would pay attention to the bend in the bed. Is it bending you at a comfortable angle, or is it taxing your abdominal muscles in some way?
posted by calgirl at 10:35 AM on June 27, 2019

Mr. Westridge and I got a split king from Sleep Number. It was delivered, set up, and they took away the old mattress. I have mixed feelings about it. It is comfortable if you keep it pretty close to regular flat sleeping position. Beware falling asleep in one of the positions that is more like sitting than lying down. I actually gave myself a very serious muscle strain that hurt just as much as my back injury.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 4:57 PM on June 28, 2019