Updated August 2026. Written by the Mobility Co team, Cheltenham.
An adjustable bed raises your head and legs at the touch of a button, and the right one can transform sleep, comfort and independence at home. Modern adjustable beds are electric, so the head and legs raise and lower with a handset, and on hi-lo models the whole bed rises and lowers too. Some people search for these as electric beds or electric adjustable beds, and they suit everyone from couples who want a split king to seniors who need a little help in and out of bed. But “adjustable bed” covers two quite different things, and knowing the difference before you buy will save you thousands of dollars, or spare you from buying a bed that cannot do what you need in two years’ time.
This guide explains both types, what to look for, what funding can cover, and the beds we recommend most often after helping hundreds of Melbourne families choose. It is the advice we give in person at our Cheltenham showroom, written down. The thread running through all of it: the right bed keeps you independent and safe in your own home for longer, and it should look like furniture, not equipment.
| Bed type | What it does | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustable base | Head and foot adjust for comfort, at a fixed height | Better sleep, reading and easier repositioning |
| Hi-lo homecare bed | The whole platform also raises and lowers | Easier transfers, carers working at a safe height |
| Floorline bed | Lowers to around 11cm off the floor | Falls safety, resting closer to the ground |
A standard adjustable base raises the head and legs while the bed itself stays at one height. This is what mattress and furniture stores sell. It is excellent for comfort: reading, watching TV, easing reflux and snoring, elevating swollen legs.
A hi-lo homecare bed does all of that and also raises and lowers the whole bed. That one extra function changes everything for older users and carers. The bed lowers so it is safer to get into and reduces the impact of a fall. Raised a little while you sit on the edge, it helps you stand up safely, the same way a lift recliner does, and standing safely is what keeps falls at bay. And it rises further so a carer or nurse can help without wrecking their back. Falls are what most often end someone’s time living at home, so this one function does more for staying independent at home than anything else in this guide. Hi-lo beds are what occupational therapists usually prescribe, and they are the reason funding schemes cover beds at all.
The honest rule of thumb we give in the showroom: if the bed is mainly about comfort, a quality adjustable base is fine. If the person using it is becoming frailer, has falls risk, or has a carer helping them, buy the hi-lo now rather than buying twice.
Modern hi-lo beds look like furniture, not hospital equipment, and that is exactly the range we specialise in.
Adjustable beds come in more sizes than people expect, from long single through to king. Couples do not have to give up sharing a bed: split arrangements give each side its own controls, and companion configurations pair a homecare bed with a standard base so the bed still looks and feels like one piece of furniture. This is one of the most common conversations we have with families, and it is much easier to understand with the beds in front of you.
A mattress on an adjustable bed has to flex with the platform and still support you. We carry the full spread: pocket spring, memory foam, hybrid spring and foam, hybrid foam and air, and alternating air mattresses for assessed pressure injury risk. We match the mattress to the person, not the other way round, and Australian made built-to-order options are available where a specific size or firmness is needed.
Every bed below is set up to try at our Cheltenham showroom, and all of them are beds we install in Melbourne homes week in, week out.
◆ Top pickAspire ComfiMotion Activ CareOur best all-rounder, with an auto regression backrest that holds posture as it rises.
◆ Falls safetyAspire FL250 floorline bedLowers to around 11cm off the floor to minimise injury from falls.
◆ Comfort baseAvante Vito ComfortThree preset positions and massage in a base that looks like furniture.
◆ Value hi-loAvante ErgoAdjust Lo LoThe whole platform adjusts from 230mm to 650mm, rated to 300kg.
◆ Care at homeIcare IC333A hi-lo care bed that blends into the bedroom, in eleven fabrics.
The Activ Care is the bed we recommend first. It is a hi-lo homecare bed with the full function set, including the auto-regression backrest that keeps you supported instead of sliding down the bed as it rises, and it pairs with Aspire’s pressure care mattresses where an OT has assessed risk. One bed that covers comfort now and care needs later.
The FL250 lowers all the way to around 11cm off the floor, which is as close to floor level as a bed gets. For anyone with a real falls risk, that height difference is the difference that matters, and it still rises to full care height for helpers, with a control panel on the footboard so a carer can adjust the bed directly. This is the bed OTs ask us about when falls are the main concern.
If comfort is the goal and the care functions can wait, the Vito Comfort is the pick. A compact adjustable base with head and foot adjustment, three preset memory positions, massage with multiple modes, a wireless remote with a built-in flashlight, a USB charging port, and a 250kg weight rating, in long single, king single and queen. Voice activation is available as an add-on kit.
The most bed for the money in our hi-lo range. The ErgoAdjust Lo Lo covers the core functions and adds the comfort layer: head tilt with an adjustable pillow position, preset memory positions, vibration massage, a wireless remote and under-bed lighting, with a 300kg safe working load. If the budget matters but you refuse to give up the features that make the bed a pleasure to use, start here.
The IC333 is a hi-lo adjustable bed that genuinely blends into a home bedroom, with upholstered ends in eleven fabrics and colours, from soft neutrals like Mist, Sand and Stone through to Slate, Smoke and easy clean vinyls, and a wide range of sizes including options for couples. Icare is an Australian and New Zealand made range with proper local support. If the priority is care function that does not look like care equipment, this is it.
Pricing is quote based, fitted to you. Funded quotes are usually ready within 24 hours.
Or call us on 1300 225 203.
A note on price. In Melbourne, quality adjustable beds generally run from $1,995 for a well-made standard base to $6,995 for premium hi-lo and clinical configurations, before funding. We quote each bed for your exact size, configuration and mattress, and funded quotes are usually ready within 24 hours.
Often, yes, and this is where buying from a mobility specialist rather than a furniture store pays off.
Support at Home (including AT-HM): adjustable and hi-lo beds can be funded as assistive technology where they are assessed as needed. We are a registered provider and prepare compliant quotes, usually within 24 hours, ready for your provider or assessment.
NDIS: participants can fund a bed where it relates to their disability and is reasonable and necessary. We supply the specifications and documentation planners and OTs need, and we work with your OT on trials.
Buying privately: many clients buy outright, and get the same fitting, trial, delivery and in-room setup.
Not sure which applies? Call 1300 225 203 and we will point you in the right direction, no obligation.
You would not buy a mattress without lying on it, and an adjustable bed has more to get right: the feel of the motion, the height range, the remote in your hand, the mattress on top. Our Cheltenham showroom at 2/136 Keys Road has the range set up to try, with a private space if you are visiting with your OT. Walk-ins are welcome weekdays 9am to 5pm, Saturdays by appointment, and there is customer parking on site.
We deliver across metro Victoria, including Cheltenham, Mentone, Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Beaumaris, Moorabbin and Bentleigh. We assemble the bed in the bedroom, check the setup with you, take the packaging away, and can remove your existing bed when the new one arrives.
Every bed in this guide is set up with real bedding to try at our Cheltenham showroom, 2/136 Keys Road. Walk-ins welcome weekdays 9am to 5pm, Saturdays by appointment.
Mostly looks and intent. A modern hi-lo homecare bed has the care functions of a hospital bed (height adjustment, profiling backrest and leg raise) built into something that looks like normal bedroom furniture. If you need the function but not the hospital feel, a homecare bed is the answer.
Yes. Every bed in this guide is electric, so the head and legs raise and lower with a handset, and hi-lo models raise and lower the whole bed as well. People often search for these as electric beds or electric adjustable beds. Every bed we recommend is motorised, and we set them up to try at our Cheltenham showroom.
They are heavier than a standard bed, they need a compatible flexible mattress, and cheap ones can be noisy or poorly supported for parts and warranty. Buying the right type for your needs the first time, from a supplier with local support, avoids most of the downsides.
Generally from $1,995 for a quality standard base to $6,995 for premium hi-lo and clinical configurations. The price includes delivery, full setup in your bedroom and local aftercare, and we can remove your old bed when the new one arrives. Funding can cover some or all of the cost where the bed is assessed as needed, and funded quotes are usually ready within 24 hours.
Yes. Split configurations sit two adjustable bases flush side by side, each with its own controls. The Aspire ComfiMotion Activ Care pairs as a split King, and the Avante ErgoAdjust Lo Lo can be set up as a split Queen or a split King. Companion setups can also pair a homecare bed with a matching base so the bed still looks like one piece of furniture. Both are set up to see at our showroom.
Both can, where the bed is assessed as needed. NDIS funding depends on the bed being reasonable and necessary for your disability; under Support at Home, beds can be funded as assistive technology. We prepare compliant quotes and work directly with your OT or assessor.
You need a mattress that flexes with the base while keeping its support. Many standard mattresses do not. We match mattresses to each bed, including Australian made built-to-order options and pressure care mattresses where risk has been assessed.
Quality homecare bases in our range are rated to 250kg and above. Always check the rating covers the user plus the mattress with headroom to spare, and ask us if you need a higher rating.
Yes. The range is set up to lie on at our Cheltenham showroom, weekdays 9am to 5pm and Saturdays by appointment, with a private space for OT visits. That trial is the single best predictor of being happy with the bed.
Decide first whether you need a comfort base or a hi-lo homecare bed, and if care needs are on the horizon, buy the hi-lo once rather than buying twice. It is the choice that does the most to keep you living independently and safely at home. Get the mattress matched to the bed, use funding where you are eligible, and lie on the bed before you commit. Visit us at 2/136 Keys Road, Cheltenham, or call 1300 225 203 and we will help you get it right the first time.
Setting up the rest of the home too? Read our guide to the best lift recliner chairs in Melbourne for the lounge, and our guide to the best mobility scooters in Melbourne for getting out and about.