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While a good mattress and pillow will get you a long way toward sleeping as comfortably as possible, an adjustable bed base can literally take your sleep to a new level by letting you tilt, raise, and lower the head and foot of your bed to find the angle that’s just right. And though an adjustable bed base can be particularly beneficial for people with respiratory issues or chronic pain, there are lots of reasons you might enjoy one. Even just hanging out in bed to read, work, or watch TV may be more comfortable if you are reclining in a “zero-gravity position” — with your head and legs slightly elevated above your heart and stomach, which lets your spinal vertebrae decompress and helps your muscles relax.
To help you find the best adjustable bed base, the Strategist talked to a chiropractor, a mattress expert, and an occupational therapist about what to look for when buying one. I also tested a few myself to see how easy they are to assemble and operate and to try out special features like built-in massagers. And if you’re looking for more ways to upgrade your sleep setup, we’ve also got the Strategist Sleep 100, full of our favorite products that will help you get a good night’s rest.
Update on November 15, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
What we’re looking for
Head and foot elevations
According to Karen Jacobs, an occupational therapist and clinical professor of occupational therapy at Boston University, the benefits of an adjustable bed lie in the incline — and the higher you can raise your head and your feet, the more you can customize your sleep position. “Inclining the head of the bed can help with decreasing pressure on the lungs and better support breathing,” she says, while “elevating the foot of the bed can help promote better circulation.” For each adjustable bed base below, I’ve listed the maximum head and foot elevations by degree. If elevations weren’t provided by the brand, I wrote “not listed.”
Zero clearance versus non–zero clearance
Some adjustable bed bases can be used with a platform bed, while others are stand-alone pieces that aren’t compatible with an existing bed frame. Zero-clearance bases usually require little to no assembly, and can be placed on top of the platform panels or slats of your bed, which is a convenient option if you already have a bed you love. Though they also come with legs and can be used standalone, these bases don’t need extra room underneath for the pieces to move freely, allowing you to use the space under your bed for storage.
Non-zero-clearance bases come with legs and are designed to be used alone, not with an existing bed frame, and need space underneath to move and operate, which limits the usable space under your bed. However, if you want to use a non-zero-clearance base with your current bed frame, it is often still possible if you remove the slats so that the legs of the adjustable bed base can rest on the floor.
Additional features
Many adjustable bed bases have bells and whistles like built-in massagers, USB ports for charging devices, underbed lighting, adjustable legs, and additional control options besides remotes, like voice or app controls. These extra features can drive the price up but may also make an adjustable bed base more convenient and comfortable to use.
Weight limit
Every adjustable bed base has a weight limit for the total amount weight placed on the base — you and your mattress. So it is especially important to pay attention to if you have an especially heavy mattress or if you share your bed with a partner and/or pets. Most adjustable bed bases I’ve seen have a capacity of at least 600 pounds, but it’s worth a quick calculation before purchasing to make sure you, your mattress, and anyone else who sleeps in the bed are collectively within the weight limit.
Warranty
Warranties for adjustable bed bases generally cover basic manufacturing defects, but not the base’s electric components, so while a long warranty is nice to have, it should not be the only determining factor in which adjustable bed base you buy. With that said, I tend to view the length of a warranty is a sign of a company’s confidence in its products, so I’ve noted the length of each base’s warranty below.
Best adjustable bed base overall
Elevations: 60° head, 35° foot | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: Massage, adjustable legs, underbed lighting | Weight Limit: 700 pounds | Warranty: 10-year
While you’ll find that many of the adjustable bed bases on our list have helpful features like zero gravity, built-in massagers, and anti-snoring presets, the Amerisleep Adjustable Bed+ is our top pick because a few less common features set it apart. In addition to independent head and foot angling and a zero-gravity option, the legs of the Amerisleep base can be adjusted to three different heights: six, nine, or 12 inches. Aside from customizing the height of your mattress to match your personal preference, this allows you to maximize the space under your bed for extra storage without interfering with the functionality of the base. And when you adjust the head of the base upward, its Wall Glide feature also moves your mattress back toward the headboard instead of just up and away, so you’re always within easy reach of your nightstand. The bed base is designed to fit inside most stand-alone bed frames, or ones with removable platforms, and can also attach directly to some headboards. It has a direct voice command, so you can use your voice to adjust your bed, or you can adjust it using the remote, which also controls the underbed LED lights and the rolling-wave full-body massage. This base is compatible with a variety of mattresses, including memory-foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses, and it comes with a ten-year warranty. All of this comes at $1,500 full price for a queen-size base — that’s not chump change, but is a reasonable price for an adjustable base with so many extra features.
Best (less expensive) overall adjustable bed base
Elevations: 60° head, 45° foot | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: USB charging ports | Weight limit: 750 pounds | Warranty: 10-year
This Lucid base is currently less than half the price of the Amerisleep bed and can adjust your head up to 60 degrees and your feet up to 45 degrees (10 degrees higher than the Amerisleep). It has a wireless remote with a built-in flashlight for easy nighttime use, and extra features include a programmable memory button to save your favorite bed position and built-in USB charging ports on both sides of the base. According to the company, setup takes just five minutes, and many reviewers on Amazon have noted that the base was surprisingly easy to set up: All you have to do is unfold the platform of the base, screw the legs on, and attach the retainer bar. Or you can use it without the legs or an existing platform bed. It has a total weight capacity of 750 pounds and comes with a ten-year warranty. Compared to the Amerisleep, it doesn’t have quite as many features — no underbed lighting, adjustable legs, or voice control — but it does slightly more than just basic lifting and lowering, so I think it’s a great value. The legs are 12 inches tall, meaning there is a good amount of underbed clearance for storage. And like the Amerisleep, Lucid says this base is compatible with most memory-foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses.
Best (even less expensive) overall adjustable bed base
Elevations: 58° head, 40° foot | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: None | Weight limit: 600 pounds | Weight limit: 600 pounds | Warranty: 5-year
An even more affordable option that’ll still meet many folks’ needs, the Lucid L150 is a more basic version of the L300 model above. It comes with a wireless remote that allows you to adjust the elevation, but doesn’t have any extra bells and whistles like USB charging ports. It also has a lower weight capacity than the L300, at 600 pounds total, and a shorter, five-year warranty. It has independent head (up to 58 degrees) and foot (up to 40 degrees) elevations, and it’s compatible with most mattresses under 14 inches tall.
Best adjustable bed base with a wired remote
Elevations: 58° head, 40° foot | Clearance: Non–zero | Additional features: None | Weight limit: 650 pounds | Warranty: 5-year limited
While most adjustable bases nowadays come with a wireless remote, there is a pleasant simplicity to a wired remote like the one attached to this Linenspa adjustable bed base because it’s impossible to lose. The base is compatible with foam and foam-hybrid mattresses, and it has a head incline up to 58 degrees and a foot incline up to 40 degrees. The bed isn’t zero-clearance, so you can’t place it on top of platform bed frame, but it can stand inside an existing frame and it has 11 inches of underbed clearance, so there is some room for storage underneath if desired. The legs themselves are 12 inches tall and can’t be adjusted. However, you can combine this base with just about any mattress — Linenspa says most mattresses within the weight limit are compatible.
Best high-weight-capacity adjustable bed base
Elevations: Not listed | Clearance: Non–zero | Additional features: USB charging ports | Weight limit: 850 pounds | Warranty: 10-year
This Brooklyn Bedding adjustable base has a higher-than-average weight limit of 850 pounds (the Saatva base listed below also has an 850-pound weight limit but is more expensive). The higher weight limit makes the base a great choice for heavier people, heavier mattresses, those who share a bed with partners or pets, and anyone who wants an ultra-sturdy base. I’ve personally tested this base and found it pretty simple and easy to use. It doesn’t have many extra features, but it does come with a few different presets on the remote, including zero gravity, anti-snore (which raises your head to open your airways), TV (a sitting position), lounge (similar to the TV setting, without raising the head quite as high), and flat. I was also able to create my own custom positions and save them with the memory presets. The base is made primarily of steel, but it does have an upholstered platform to give the frame a slightly upgraded look. It doesn’t have zero clearance, though, so you can’t use it on a platform bed. You will have to assemble this base yourself, but I didn’t find it too challenging. All you have to do is unfold the main platform of the base, screw the legs on, and attach the retainer bar at the end. It is heavy, though, so I recommend having a friend help you out. Brooklyn Bedding says this base is compatible with all Brooklyn Bedding mattresses, so it’s a good bet it’ll work with most other brands too, as Brooklyn Bedding sells a wide variety of memory-foam, latex, and hybrid beds.
Best split-king adjustable bed base
Elevations: Not listed | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: Massage, underbed lighting, safety lock, adjustable legs | Weight limit: 850 pounds | Warranty: 25-year
A split-king bed base — which basically holds two twin-size mattresses side by side — is a great option for people who share a bed but have different sleeping styles and preferences. Each person can adjust their side of the base independently without bothering their sleeping partner. Saatva’s Adjustable Base Plus offers a split-king size, as well as split California king and queen and king “Upperflex” options, which pair with the Saatva Solaire mattress and allow the head of each side to be adjusted independently on queen and king mattress sizes. A few other bases on this list (Amerisleep, Brooklyn Bedding, Nectar, and Tempur-Pedic) come in split-king sizes too, but I like Saatva’s the best because of the variety of split models the brand offers, as well the option to use it as a zero-clearance frame on an existing platform bed.
The base is controlled with a wireless remote, and in addition to basic lift and lower for the head and foot, the Saatva has several presets — zero gravity, anti-snore, and custom memory presets where you can save your favorite combinations. The base is zero-clearance and is made to be compatible with several of Saatva’s stylish bed frames, or it can stand alone. If used alone, you can adjust the legs by half-inch increments between 13 and 18 inches.
I tested this adjustable base at a Saatva showroom and found it really easy to use. The remote is well labeled, making it clear which buttons control what. For the split-king model, each side gets its own remote, and I had no issue operating the two sides independently. I tested the base in one of Saatva’s bed frames and noted how the base’s wall-hugging design allowed me to easily adjust the head without hitting the headboard (this is similar to our top-pick Amerisleep’s Wall Glide function). Best of all, Saatva offers free in-home set-up with this base, so you don’t have to worry about assembling it yourself.
Best high-angle adjustable bed base
Elevations: 65° head, 50° foot | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: Massage, adjustable legs, app or remote for controls, USB charging ports | Weight limit: 750 pounds | Warranty: 3-year
The head of this Nectar adjustable base can be elevated up to 65 degrees, and the foot of the bed can be elevated up to 50 degrees — the highest head and foot elevations on this list. Lookswise, it is similar to the Lucid L300 above, with an upholstered platform that mimics a traditional bed frame. It also comes with two different leg heights, eight inches and three inches, as well as a set of two-inch extenders that will result in ten-inch or five-inch legs. But if you still wish to add it to a bed frame, the base is zero-clearance and can also be used on a platform bed. Additionally, the base has several tech-forward features, including a USB charging port, app-controlled capability, and programmable memory to store your favorite settings. There’s also a massage option that can be used on the head of the bed, the foot of the bed, or simultaneously for ten- or 20-minute intervals.
Best adjustable base with sleep tracking
Elevations: Not listed | Clearance: Zero | Additional features: Massage, USB charging ports, adjustable lumbar support, underbed lighting, adjustable legs, sleep tracking, app or remote control | Weight limit: 650 pounds | Warranty: 25-year
The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Ergo smart adjustable base has an integrated sleep tracker that can gather insights about your sleeping heart rate, breath rate, and overall sleep quality, which you can use to set personalized sleep goals. It comes recommended by Mitch Costner, a buyer for Mattress Firm, and has some of the same bells and whistles as other bases on this list, like a built-in massager and preset positions. Other features that set this smart base apart are an adjustable lumbar support and that it has an auto-snore response, so when snoring is detected, the base will automatically adjust the position of your head by up to 12 degrees to improve airflow and decrease snoring. All of the settings can be managed through an iPhone and Android-compatible app, a smart-home device, or the included remote. And as with the Saatva base, Tempur-Pedic offers free white glove delivery, so a delivery team will set the entire thing up for you. However, that’s only if you purchase directly from Tempur-Pedic — third-party retailers may have other policies.
Some more Strategist-approved products to help you sleep better
Our experts
* Mitch Costner, mattress expert and buyer for Mattress Firm
* Dr. Robert Hayden, chiropractor
* Karen Jacobs, occupational therapist and clinical professor of occupational therapy at Boston University
Additional reporting by Latifah Miles.
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