The 10 Best Bed Pans

Someone who can't raise their hips much can use the AliMed Comfortable Bed Pan, whose back edge is only about half an inch tall, so it slides under the buttocks with little lifting. The wide, flat seat is rated for 325 pounds, and a raised lip helps contain splashes. The seller's title claims a far higher limit, but the photos match the 325-pound model, so plan on that. It can still be hard to position.

For people who can lift their hips, the DMI Deluxe Autoclavable bedpan is a classic standard pan in thick, smooth plastic with a rounded rim. It can be boiled or steam-sterilized, handy if you'd rather sanitize with heat than chemicals, and it doubles as a female urinal. A medical supplier lists it for 350 pounds, though we found no rating from DMI itself. There's no handle, and it runs small for larger adults.

A flat underside helps the Yumsum Y0005 sit level on a mattress pad, and its thick plastic and smooth oval rim make it a sturdy standard pan. Steam or boiling water can sanitize it between uses, and a health roundup on local news sites named it among its picks for regular pans. The 220-pound rating comes from the seller alone, there's no handle, and it can crack or fit tight on larger adults.

Larger patients and anyone who can't lift their hips after a hip, pelvis or leg injury are the target for the Medline Mega-Fracture pan, rated for 900 pounds. Its tapered front slides under the body with little lifting, and a loop handle gives the caregiver a grip while placing and removing it. The surface is nonstick, and it doubles as a female urinal. It can be too big for an average adult, and the price is high.

For someone who has to stay flat, such as after hip surgery, the Vakly Fracture Bedpan is a low-cost wedge. The front tapers to a thin, textured ramp that slips under the buttocks, and the back rises into a tall spill guard with a molded handle, so a caregiver can lift it out level. It's compact enough for a nightstand. It's small for larger adults, and one split in use, so check it for cracks before each use.

Both men and women can use the Pepe Mobility P40016 for bowel movements, but its manual says only women should urinate into it. It's a long wedge pan with a low front lip that slopes up to a round well holding about 2 liters. A small handle helps with positioning, the flat profile slides under a bed for storage, and it washes with soap and water. No weight rating is given, and heat sterilizing isn't listed.

If a hard rim hurts, the KikiGoal Inflatable Bedpan is the soft choice: an air ring, filled with the included hand pump, that is meant to keep a rim from pressing into the skin. People with tailbone pain can find it easier to tolerate, and empty, it folds flat for a bag or drawer. KikiGoal warns against overinflating it. The opening is small and can be too tight for average-size women.

Caregivers who want a pan that won't crack and can be sterilized with heat again and again should look at the DEXSUR Stainless Steel Bedpan. It's a standard shape with a rolled rim, and steel won't warp the way thin plastic can. The drawbacks are real: steel is cold against bare skin and noisy, so run it under warm water and dry it just before use. DEXSUR is a little-known brand, and it publishes no weight rating.

If the person can sit up and take a few steps with help, the Drive Medical 11148-1 bedside commode can replace a pan. It's a folding steel chair with armrests, a seat and lid, and a bucket underneath, and the leg height adjusts. It works beside the bed, as a raised toilet seat or as a safety frame, and it's rated for 350 pounds. It's no help for someone who must stay lying down.

Men who only need to urinate and would rather skip the pan can use the Tilcare Spill-Proof Urinal, a 32-ounce bottle. A screw-on lid seals it between uses and glows in the dark after sitting in light, which helps at night. A handle on top gives a firm grip, and marks on the side let a caregiver track output if a doctor asks. It handles urine only, and a full bottle takes a steady hand to empty.