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The best adjustable bed frames are designed to make your transition into restful sleep seamless. The head and foot adjustments put you in a comfortable position for watching TV or reading a book. Many offer a massage function to help soothe your body, while underbed LED lights can gently illuminate the floor if you get up in the middle of the night. USB ports are often nearby for a quick charge if you simply must have screens in bed. Perhaps most importantly, adjustable bases can also help reduce snoring and position your body into a neutral position to offer pressure relief. Today's adjustable bed are compatible with almost all the best mattresses, and many can also fit within the confines of a standard bed frame. icu rotating bed
For this guide, I researched and tested several adjustable bed frames. The Purple Premium Plus Smart Base is our top pick because it features three adjustment options, app connectivity, and several massage settings. Alternatively, our budget pick, the Lucid L300, is easy to assemble and remembers your preferred position but lacks bells and whistles like massaging or under-bed lights.
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Best overall: Purple Premium Plus Smart Base - See at Purple
Best budget: Lucid L300 Bed Base - See at Amazon
Best for sleep tracking: Tempur-Pedic Ergo Smart Base - See at Tempur-Pedic
The Purple Premium Plus Smart Base is your best option for an adjustable bed with massaging capabilities, app connectivity, and pillow, head, and foot adjustments.
The Purple Premium Plus Smart Base is our best adjustable bed pick because it features a pillow tilt for optimal head support, programmable presets, and free in-home setup. You can adjust it using the back-lit remote control or the intuitive Purple app, which is available on iOS and Android.
It has four preset positions. TV/PC is the steepest incline of the feet and head, so you can sit up and watch media or work. Lounge has a less harsh incline at the feet and head. I liked this one the most because it kept me comfortable for longer periods and worked well for reading and watching streaming media. Zero Gravity inclines the head and foot slightly with the feet slightly higher to make you feel like you're floating in space. Flat flattens the base for a traditional sleep experience. You can also program the base to remember up to three custom positions. I like that the mattress doesn't shift or cause the split frames to "walk" away from their original position. This is a common problem with adjustable frames.
There are varying intensities of massage and wave massages, or you can target your head or feet. I found the high-intensity massage was relaxing but not particularly powerful. The vibrations were light and relaxing, but there wasn't any kneading or deep tissue work.
The frame has about seven inches of clearance underneath, which you can adjust to 2.5 inches. And, the platform that your mattress will rest on is about 14 inches off the ground (9.5 inches if you choose the lower height option). I chose the maximum clearance and found the under-bed lighting handy when I dropped items and needed help finding them. It can also sit within most bedframes.
The Lucid L300 Bed Base is an excellent budget adjustable bed option that comes with a 30-day return policy and a 10-year warranty. However, it lacks bells and whistles like massage features or under-bed lights. The backlit remote, though, does have a flashlight, and the bed features built-in USB ports.
The Lucid brand regularly pops up in our sleep product guides as a top budget option; the Lucid L300 Bed Base is an example. It costs considerably less than any other adjustable bed frame we considered. Despite its low price, it appears to be a solid option. We say "appears" because we have not had a chance to test it. Fortunately, it's backed by Amazon's 30-day return policy, or 100-nights when purchased directly from Lucid.
In-home setup isn't available, but the L300 is designed with a folding hinge that allows Lucid to ship the base virtually assembled. You just unfold it and install the appropriate hardware, and you're good to go. The company claims this process takes five minutes.
The L300 has both foot and head inclines. You use a wireless remote with a built-in flashlight to adjust the head to angles of 0 to 60 degrees and the foot to 0 to 45 degrees. Plus, you can program the remote to remember your favorite position.
Each side of the frame has two USB charging ports: one for fast charging and the other for regular-speed charging.
The frame accommodates spring, foam, and hybrid mattresses 8 to 12 inches thick. The base holds the mattress in place using metal support bars at the foot of the bed. The base is available in twin XL, full, and queen sizes. The king size is only available directly through Lucid. Amazon shoppers who require a king-size must purchase two twin XL bases; it comes with materials to tether them together or is a great option for split-king designs.
The Lucid L300 is backed by a 10-year warranty.
If you are looking for an adjustable bed frame that provides hard data to guide you in improving your restfulness, consider the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo Smart Base.
The incorporation of the Sleeptracker-AI app (iOS and Android) sets the Tempur-Pedic Ergo Smart Base apart from other adjustable bases. Thanks to sensors installed at the head, the app collects data on air quality, breathing, heart rate, and more. Based on its findings, it tells you how restful your sleep is and offers recommendations to improve it. Tempur-Pedic is constantly updating its technology. The Ergo Smart Base also uses sleep data to assess when you are snoring and automatically adjusts the base to a position that will help alleviate it. It also incorporates a smart alarm feature that gently vibrates the bed to wake you when you're in light sleep close to your designated wake-up time.
In addition to the anti-snore quiet mode mentioned above, it has a "zero gravity" preset that elevates the legs and torso. I regularly turned to this preset when reading or streaming in bed. It's relaxing for those long binge sessions.
The Ergo Smart Base offers several massaging programs but isn't strong even on the highest setting. However, I tested it with the hefty 157-pound Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze mattress, which may have dampened the massaging abilities of the base. On the plus side, whether massaging or adjusting positions, the frame moves smoothly and quietly. My sound meter showed it was no louder than ambient noise. I didn't have connectivity issues in the year or so I slept on it.
I liked that the remote is backlit so it's easy to see what you're doing in the dark. There are also lights underneath the bed, which were helpful when I needed to find something in my bedroom and didn't want to disturb my wife.
Each leg comprises four 3-inch adjustable segments, so you can choose to have 3, 6, 9, or 12 inches of clearance under your bed. Your mattress will rest about 3.5 inches above that.
Tempur-pedic adjustable bases come with a 25-year warranty, the longest of any adjustable bed frame we've tested, and free in-home setup. However, it is not returnable.
Read our full Tempur-Ergo Smart Base review.
Mattress compatibility: Most foam, hybrid, and latex mattresses are compatible with adjustable beds. However, some of the traditional innerspring mattresses are not. Check with the manufacturer of your mattress to find out if your bed is compatible. This info is commonly found in the FAQ section of the manufacturer's website. All of the picks in our best mattress guide are adjustable and bed-compatible.
Size: Your bed frame should be the same size as your mattress. If you're also buying a new mattress and unsure which size to get, check out our mattress size chart for guidance.
Assembly: Adjustable bed frames are heavy pieces of furniture. The models you assemble come with detailed directions, but you may need help lifting the pieces. If putting the frame together sounds intimidating, look for preassembled models or ones with a complementary in-home setup.
Positions: Head and foot adjustments are standard features, but the best adjustable beds also have presets for TV viewing, minimizing snoring, and a zero-gravity feel. Some models even have head-tilt adjustments and programmable positions to get in your favorite position with a single button push.
Additional features: Massage is a standard extra, but we haven't found a bed frame that gives a good massage. USB charging ports are useful for your smart devices, and an under-bed light is nice for finding your way at night or looking for items you dropped. Some may also have connectivity that enables you to use your phone as the remote.
Returns and warranty: While mattresses typically have a 100-night or longer return policy, returns are much less common with adjustable beds. If you're unsure if an adjustable base is right for you, look for one with a return policy or try it in the showroom first. A lengthy warranty is important regardless, as you want to be covered if there are defects. All the picks in our guide have 10-year warranties or longer.
I've tested sleep products professionally for six years and have reviewed over 100 mattresses, sheet sets, sleep aids, and more. I put each of the best adjustable beds I received through several tests, and for any highly rated units I have not fully tested firsthand, I extrapolate the key performance indicators based on the reviews of my colleagues and those of other trustworthy product-review websites. The most important adjustable base factors are ease of use, basic performance, and how well special features work.
Ease of use: Sometimes, you're half asleep and want to adjust your bed. Is this achievable with the bed frame? To assess this, I look at the controller to see if it's backlit and clearly labeled for intuitive control. If available, I also assess the phone app and see if it lets me make adjustments. Many of us would prefer not to have another remote control on our nightstand to keep track of, so we preferred frames that could be controlled with an app on our phone. I also examined the presets and programmable buttons for accurate operation.
Noise: When you adjust in the middle of the night, you don't want to wake your partner, so quiet operation is a must. I tested this by positioning a sound meter 12 inches from the side of the frame and measuring the decibel readout as I moved both the head and foot of the bed. I compared this to the ambient noise (usually around 45 decibels) to assess how loud it gets. I consider the frame quiet if the difference is less than 10 decibels.
Massage intensity: I also measure the loudness and intensity of the massage functions using the same method above. You want a bed to soothe and relax you, but you don't want it to be so loud you can't watch TV. Many manufacturers advertise that their base offers a "deep tissue massage." I have not found one that does that. Instead, the best you can hope for is a good rumble that comes close to making your voice sound weird as you talk. My massage intensity test is somewhat subjective. Fortunately, I can easily compare the frames head-to-head in my lab (i.e., my home).
Special features: Almost all top bases feature USB charging ports and under-bed lights. I also consider unique extras, such as sleep tracking, alarms, speakers, and voice control, and how well they work.
Mattress considerations: First, I examine what mattresses are compatible with the frame. Due to space constraints, this is hard to test firsthand so my assessments are mainly based on a combination of experience and manufacturer recommendations. With the mattress in place, I adjust the frame from flat to maximum foot and head angles several times to see if the mattress or frame move in relation to each other or the floor. This factor is important because constantly readjusting heavy mattresses and frames may be untenable for some.
Additionally, we examine what sizes are available, whether split units allow you to adjust each side of the bed individually, the location and number of adjustable points, the warranty period, the return policy, the availability of showrooms, and whether in-home setup is an option.
Superficially, adjustable beds keep you comfortable sitting up to read or watch TV. They also provide important health benefits for people who snore or have acid reflux.
Many bases offer a "zero gravity" preset that elevates both your head and feet, but the feet are higher than your head. This produced a weightless sensation that helps people with circulation problems and lower back soreness.
Yes, usually. If a bed frame can accommodate a mattress and box spring, it's compatible with an adjustable base. You just need to be able to remove any metal or wooden cross slats.
In our opinion, no. My editor and I have adjustable beds with massage, and we agree the massage function is overrated. I've tested several bed frames that massage, and they're all lackluster. None of them compare to the intensity of the Beyond-Sleep VibraSonic Mattress, which has built-in speakers and an adjustable base.
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