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Best Bed Rails for Seniors
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Seniors are more likely to experience falls in their bedrooms than any other place in the home.1 Bed rails prevent your loved one from falling out of bed—whether they roll off the mattress or lose their balance when sitting or standing.
Our overall favorite is the Stander EZ Adjust Bed Rail. It’s adjustable, sturdy, and can fold out of the way in a breeze. Plus, it comes with a mesh bumper to prevent serious entrapment injuries.
Other bed rails on our list work with different mattress heights compared to the EZ Adjust Bed Rail. Proper mattress fit is essential for bed rail safety—but we’ll explain all of that below.
Best bed rails for seniors
- : Best overall
- : Best for travel
- : Budget pick
- : Best handle positions
- : Best for adjustable bed frames
1. Stander EZ Adjust Bed Rail: Best overall
The Stander EZ Adjust Bed Rail offers the best mix of practicality and convenience. We love that it folds down for easy sheet changes and extends from 26 to 42 inches in length for superior fall prevention. While its height isn’t adjustable, there are four horizontal grab bars to suit most users.
You don’t need any tools to install the Stander EZ Adjust Bed Rail. While we wish it had legs for even more stability, the anchor strap does a good job of locking this bed rail into place.
This option fits stationary bed frames and works best with mattresses 12 to 17 inches thick.
If you have a soft mattress, be sure to pair the bed rail with the Stander Bed Rail Safety Guard to prevent entrapment—which can be deadly. See our FAQs for more information.
2. Stander Bed Rail Advantage Traveler: Best bed rail for travel
The Stander Bed Rail Advantage Traveler weighs about 8 lb.. yet supports 400 lb.. It’s also super easy to pack into a suitcase—just fold it in half. An anchor strap secures this small-but-mighty bed rail into position on most stationary bed frames.
On the downside, this bed rail doesn’t work well for people at risk of falling out of bed. It’s only 17 inches wide and can’t be adjusted.
The Stander Bed Rail Advantage Traveler works best on mattresses 10 to 16 inches thick.
3. Vaunn Medical Adjustable Bed Assist Rail: Budget pick
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
We prefer the Vaunn Medical Adjustable Bed Assist Rail’s sturdy construction over other bargain bed rails. Check out the two horizontal stability bars on this Vaunn Medical bed rail, plus the floor supports and anchor strap—it’s not going anywhere.
We’re not fans of the two-toned look since it seems like something you’d expect in a hospital—not something that boosts morale when you see it every day in your home. It also doesn’t fold down or easily scoot out of the way when it’s time to change the sheets.
On the plus side, the Vaunn Medical Adjustable Bed Assist Rail works with all stationary bed frames. It has an adjustable depth of 36 to 45 inches and fits twin- to king-sized mattresses. The height adjusts from 31 to 37.5 inches, but there’s no way to extend or shorten the length of its 20-inch handle.
This bed rail works best with mattresses 7 to 11 inches thick.
4. Stander Mobility Rail: Best handle positions
A secondary grab bar is perfect for people who need to hold something in front of them when sitting or standing, which you’ll find on the Stander Mobility Rail. It has legs for extra stability, and you can adjust them until the entire bed rail is 21 to 44 inches high.
The Stander Mobility Rail is 19 inches long. It doesn’t adjust any longer than that, so it may not provide enough protection for people at risk of falling out of bed.
This bed rail works best with mattresses 8 to 18 inches thick.
5. Able Life Click-N-Go Bed Handle: Best for adjustable bed frames
So far, the other bedside rails on our list are compatible with stationary bed frames only. If you have an adjustable bed frame that lifts your head or feet, then the Able Life Click-N-Go Bed Handle is the best option. It works with stationary frames too.
You get about one inch of wiggle room in the height of this bed rail. Nothing else is adjustable. The handle is just over 20 inches wide and the base sits 26 inches under the mattress.
It’s called the Click-N-Go because you can remove the handle with the push of a button, giving caregivers easy access to your loved one for therapy, treatments, or grooming.
This bed rail works best with mattresses 8 to 14 inches thick.
More bed rails we considered
6. Stander Prime Bed Rail: Best weight capacity
The Stander Prime Bed Rail supports up to 400 lb. and folds out of the way for easy caregiving or sheet changes. Neither the height nor the length is adjustable. It comes with an anchor strap and works best with mattresses 6 to 15 inches thick.
7. Able Life Bedside Mighty Rail: Runner-up travel pick
The Able Life Bedside Mighty Rail doesn’t fold up like the Stander Bed Rail Advantage Traveler. Instead, you’ll need to snap a few pieces together. In exchange for having to do a little extra work, you’ll enjoy how it only weighs 1.5 lb. It supports 300 lb. and works best with mattresses 8 to 16 inches thick.
8. Lunderg Bed Rail: Most innovative
The Lunderg Bed Rail offers a design with nighttime bathroom breaks in mind. It features a rechargeable motion-activated light to guide you to and from the bed, and the handle has a glow-in-the-dark tag to help you find it when you first wake up. However, the rail isn’t adjustable, and users consistently complain that it’s not as sturdy as expected.
9. Medokare Bed Rails for Elderly Adults
The Medokare Bed Rails for Elderly Adults feature a wide base that straps to bed slats. It doesn’t work with any other type of bed frame and has a lower weight capacity than our top picks.
10. Medical King Bed Assist Rail
The Medical King Bed Assist Rail is an ultra-affordable option that advertises a 350-pound weight capacity. But with multiple reviewers reporting that theirs broke or was difficult to put together, we chalk this one up to “you get what you pay for.”
Final word
The Stander EZ Adjust Bed Rail should do the trick for most people. Its adjustable length allows it to serve as a fall-prevention device in two ways: when rolling over and when getting in and out of bed. We also love that it folds out of the way when it’s not needed.
Here’s a quick summary of which bed rails we suggest for special circumstances:
- Stander Bed Rail Advantage Traveler: a convenient and portable bed rail that’s easy to pack in your suitcase.
- Vaunn Medical Adjustable Bed Assist Rail: a sturdy model that’s more affordable than our other top picks.
- Stander Mobility Rail: features a unique swing-out handle for extra support during sit/stand transitions.
- Able Life Click-N-Go Bed Handle: the best option for adjustable mattresses like Sleep Number.
FAQ
There is some risk involved with using bed rails. The biggest issue is entrapment, which means a body part gets stuck between the bed rail and the mattress. This accident can become deadly when someone’s head or neck gets trapped since they can suffocate or injure themselves trying to get free.
Over a ten-year period in the early 2000s, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission documented 143 deaths related to bed rail entrapment.2 The majority of the people who died from rail entrapment were at least 60 years old, and many experienced a physical limitation or suffered from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or “other mental limitation.” These factors could make it difficult for someone to understand how they got stuck or how to free themselves physically.
The FDA recommends bed rails with a gap of no more than 4.75 inches between bars, but it isn't mandatory. Confirm this measurement before buying a bed rail.3
Some people may also panic and climb over the bed rail if they get confused about how to safely get out of bed or how to call for assistance. They may fall and injure themselves in the process. Another scary scenario happens when someone rolls out of bed and slides to the ground and gets their neck trapped between the bed rail and the mattress.
Here are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of bed rail entrapment:
- Measure the mattress’s thickness and buy a bed rail recommended for that measurement.
- Ensure the mattress is firm and the bed rail fits tightly against it. Pull the anchor strap as tight as possible to get a snug fit.
- Learn about entrapment zones so you install the bed rail a safe distance from the headboard and footboard. This information may be in the owner’s manual.
- Buy a bed rail with a bumper or purchase one separately. Most mesh bumpers double as organizational pockets.
- Add a bed rail mattress safety guard.
- Consider an alternative to bed rails, such as foam bumpers that strap to the mattress. Overhead pull straps can also assist with bed transitions.
- Consider movement alarms if there’s a chance your loved one will get confused and fall or climb out of bed, regardless of the rails or bumpers you install.
No, bed rails are not just for seniors. Anyone struggling to get in and out of bed—such as pregnant women or people recovering from an injury—can benefit from a grab bar bed rail.
If you’re shopping for a child, you’ll want to look for bed rails specifically made for kids. These bed rails will have slats that are closer together to avoid trapped arms or legs.
No, bed rails don’t work with all mattresses. Here’s how to make sure your mattress will work.
First, measure the height of your mattress—just the mattress itself, not the height from the floor to the mattress—and look for a bed rail that works with that measurement. We included the recommended mattress heights of all our top picks for easy comparison.
Next, make sure the mattress isn’t too soft. If you push down on the edge of the mattress, it shouldn’t depress more than 2 inches. If the mattress is too soft, body parts could slide between the mattress and the bed rail and get stuck after relieving the pressure.
Finally, if the mattress or bed frame is adjustable—meaning it can raise the upper body—you’ll need to get a special bed rail that remains stable at an angle and doesn’t interfere with the mattress’s motion.
Whether bed rail supports are comfortable under the mattress depends on the mattress itself, the bed rail, and the person. Some bed rails have flat pieces of metal that slide under the mattress and screw into place, but they don’t work on every bed frame.
How we reviewed bed rails for seniors
We looked for bed rails that supported at least 300 lb., fit twin- to king-sized mattresses, worked with most stationary bed frames, and included an anchor strap for the best fit. We also looked for bed rails that could accommodate a variety of situations with unique designs or adjustability.
To understand more about bed rail safety, we talked to Sally Russell MN, CMSRN, CNE, and read bed rail safety recommendations from government agencies like the FDA. To learn more about how we rank and review products, visit our methodology page.
Related articles
Sources
- Antoine Piau, MD, Ph.D., et al., The Journals of Gerontology, "The Five W's of Falls: Weekly Online Health Survey of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Analysis of 4 Years Prospective Follow-up," May 2020. Accessed January 4, 2023.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Safety Concerns About Bed Rails,” July 2018. Accessed January 4, 2023.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff, Hospital Bed System Dimensional and Assessment Guidance to Reduce Entrapment,” March 2006. Accessed January 4, 2023.
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