Floorline bed or standard hi-lo bed?
Written by Nadim Assaf, registered pharmacist, Connect Mobility in Picton
Both beds go up and down at the press of a button. The difference is how low they go. Let's look at who needs that extra drop.
If there's a real chance of rolling or climbing out of bed at night, look at a floorline bed. Ours goes down to 110 mm, from $3,699.
If you get in and out of bed on your own, a hi-lo bed is usually enough. It still lowers and rises for carers, from $3,299.
Whichever you choose, keep it low when resting and raise it for care.
How low is low?
The base is the part the mattress sits on. On a floorline bed it drops to around 10 cm off the floor. Our Eurocare Floorline goes from 110 to 740 mm, and the Accora goes down to 71 mm.
A standard hi-lo bed stops higher. Our Alrick P5500 goes from 295 to 740 mm. The Eurocare Prosaic goes from 400 to 800 mm.
The mattress sits on top of that, so the sleeping surface is higher again.
What low beds can do
We won't pretend a floorline bed stops falls. What it can do is shorten the drop if someone rolls or climbs out.
The evidence is mixed. Queensland Health gave wards one low bed for every 12 patients, and falls and injuries didn't drop.
Victoria's health department says one low bed for every three may cut serious injuries. A review of 11 studies called the evidence limited.
Victoria's guidance also warns that low beds may not suit people who are up and walking. Standing up from a very low bed is hard work.
Why not bed rails?
Aged care rules treat bed rails as a restraint, to be used only as a last resort. Lowering the bed is one of the alternatives the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission lists.
Rails carry their own risks. Someone who's confused can climb over them and fall from higher up. Safer Care Victoria also warns that people have suffocated after slipping into the gap between the mattress and a rail.
If you do use a rail, the gaps matter. The safety standard for care beds keeps the gap between the rail and the mattress base under 60 mm.
One bed, three heights
A floorline bed isn't meant to sit on the floor all day. Victoria's health department advises keeping it low when resting and raising it for transfers and care.
To get in or out, raise it until both feet sit flat on the floor with the knees bent. Carers say that's the height that makes standing easiest.
For washing, changing and dressing, raise it to the carer's hip height. SafeWork NSW lists patient handling as one of the big strain risks in aged care.
Then lower it again before you leave the room. Aidacare's floorline bed manual says the same thing.
Which one fits
Find the line that sounds most like the person sleeping in it.
Our four beds
The Eurocare Floorline ($3,699 single, $4,695 king single) goes from 110 to 740 mm and takes up to 200 kg. It tilts head-down and feet-down, and runs on eight locking castors.
The Accora Ultra Low ($6,499) is the lowest we sell, at 71 mm. It's 2555 mm long overall, so measure the room.
The Alrick P5500 ($4,299.95 single, $4,999.95 king single) goes from 295 to 740 mm and takes up to 200 kg. Side rails aren't included.
The Eurocare Prosaic ($3,299) goes from 400 to 800 mm and takes up to 175 kg. It comes with drop-down side rails and a lifting pole. It's the cheapest of the four, but it doesn't go low.
Before you order
Hoists. A hoist's base slides under the bed. Our Allegro Salsa stand-up hoist needs 130 mm of clearance. A floorline bed at its lowest has less than that, so raise the bed before you roll the hoist in.
Mattress. A thick pressure mattress lifts the sleeping height and changes the gap to any rail. Tell us which mattress you'll use.
Bed pads. If there's any leaking at night, protect the mattress. Our Kylie and Conni guide compares the washable options.
Paying for it
These beds cost between $1,500 and $15,000, so the NDIS treats them as mid-cost assistive technology. You'll need a recommendation from an assistive technology advisor, such as your OT.
On Support at Home, the AT-HM scheme's high tier goes up to $15,000. Your provider can organise an assessment by a health professional, and you won't pay for it.
Send us the recommendation and we'll have a quote back the same day. We're NDIS registered (#4050144759).
Side by side
| Eurocare Floorline | Accora Ultra Low | Alrick P5500 | Eurocare Prosaic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our price | $3,699 to $4,695 | $6,499 | $4,299.95 to $4,999.95 | $3,299 |
| Base height | 110 to 740 mm | 71 to 650 mm | 295 to 740 mm | 400 to 800 mm |
| Safe working load | 200 kg | 185 kg | 200 kg | 175 kg |
| Sizes | Single, king single | Single | Single, king single | Single |
| Head-down tilt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Side rails | Not included | Not included | Not included | Drop-down, included |
| Castors | 8 x 75 mm | 4 x 75 mm | 4 x 100 mm | 4 x 100 mm |
| Overall length | 2180 mm | 2555 mm | 2190 mm | 2160 mm |
Specs are from our supplier listings. Safe working load includes the mattress and anything else on the bed, so the person's weight limit is lower.
Questions we get
Is a floorline bed a restraint?
No. Lowering the bed is one of the alternatives to restraint that aged care guidance lists. Bed rails are the ones treated as a restraint.
Can someone still get out of a floorline bed?
Yes. A low bed doesn't stop anyone getting up. It shortens the drop if they roll out.
Can we use our own mattress?
Often, if it's the right size. Check it against the bed's sleeping surface, 900 x 2000 mm for a single. Tell us if it's a pressure mattress.
Worried about nights?
Call Nadim on 1300 216 888 and tell us who the bed is for and how nights are going. We'll help you and your OT pick the right bed.
Where our facts come from
- Victorian Department of Health, falls in older people in hospital (low bed ratios, bed height advice)
- Queensland Health, low-low beds project (one bed per 12 patients)
- SPHM journal, ultra-low beds systematic review (limited evidence, standing up)
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Quality Bulletin 20 (bed rails as restraint, alternatives)
- NSW Health SESLHD, bedrails procedure (climbing over rails, low beds)
- Safer Care Victoria, bed rails guidance (entrapment risk)
- UK Health and Safety Executive, bed rail dimensions (60 mm gap)
- Aidacare, FLX floorline bed user manual (lowest height when unattended)
- SafeWork NSW, aged care (patient handling strain)
- Alzheimer's Society and AgingCare carer forums (getting up from low beds)
- NDIS, mid-cost and high-cost assistive technology ($1,500 to $15,000)
- Department of Health, AT-HM scheme (funding tiers, assessments)
Checked September 2026.