The 10 Best Bed Risers
Editor's Notes
September 15, 2020:
The 8-piece Utopia Bedding Heavy Duty make their way onto our list in this update. Not only is this set easy on the wallet, but it can be used for two pieces of furniture. This way, you can not only give your bed a left, but also any armchair or table you’d like to raise up a little. And, if you don’t need them all at once, rest assured they’ll stack together neatly for compact storage. They’re sold in black, white, or brown, so you’re sure to find one to match your room’s décor. They replace the SoftTech Adjustable, which suffer from some issues with availability at this time. We still think the iPrimio Aluminum and the Home Solutions Premium warrant prominent spots on the list. The former are made of aircraft-grade metal and can support an impressive 9,000 pounds per leg, whereas the latter can be combined to provide a whopping eight inches of total underbed storage space.
For a clear, unobtrusive design that can accommodate posts as well as casters, it’s hard to go wrong with a set of American-made Raise Its, which can be interlocked with one another and stacked, as necessary. For a set as elegant as they are useful, check out the Tomokazu Northpoint, which are constructed of solid, smooth rubberwood. These sturdy supports weigh around a pound each, and they can hold legs up to three inches in diameter. The Slipstick CB654 come in a pack of four, with memory foam tops that help lock in furniture legs and caster wheels. Their nonslip rubber bases help keep them from sliding around, and they can support up to 500 pounds each. No matter which you choose to go with, for safety’s sake, be sure to follow the setup directions carefully. Ensure the weight of the bed is evenly distributed on the risers, and that all four posts are secure, before you add any additional weight to the bed.
June 25, 2019:
Durable and versatile with a budget-friendly price, the Home Solutions Premium can raise a piece of furniture 3, 5, or 8 inches, thanks to their stackable design, and their rounded corners won't scuff or scratch your floors. The Home-it 4-Pack have a very similar look and construction, but they are not height-adjustable. The only real drawback to this style of risers is that they're not aesthetically-pleasing and look very bulky beneath thin posts.
Great for especially heavy furniture, the iPrimio Aluminum can support 9,000 pounds apiece. They come with molded rubber mats to protect floors from scratches, which can be removed to make them easier to move on carpet. The DuraCasa Heavy-Duty are great for beds with wide posts, and they can be stacked for extra height, but you'll have to purchase a set of connectors separately in order to do so. One of few wooden options available, the Tomokazu Northpoint have a much nicer look than most plastic and metal risers. Each one is made from a solid piece of rubberwood, so they won't crack or break like those that are made up of several pieces glued together. As an added bonus, the wood comes from eco-friendly sources.
Ways To Use Bed Risers
A very low bed can be difficult to get up from, causing stress on the knees or back, but replacing a bed frame can quickly become expensive.
Bed risers do exactly as the name would indicate: they raise your bed. The reasons that people choose to do this are varied, as a lifted bed offers several different benefits.
For example, a lifted bed provides more room for storage, whether for clothes that aren’t in season, books, children’s toys, or unused linens. Of course, today’s storage solutions, including underbed shoe organizers and storage boxes, make it possible to get the most out of the space under even an un-lifted bed, but for those in small apartments or dorm rooms, the extra space can be a huge advantage. Besides, you can stack many types of underbed organizers, which will double your storage capacity.
Consider, too, that bed risers help create a more comfortable sitting-to-standing experience for both the tall and those with mobility issues. A very low bed can be difficult to get up from, causing stress on the knees or back, but replacing a bed frame can quickly become expensive. With a quality set of bed risers, the stress of getting out of bed is lessened.
It’s even possible that a properly tilted bed can give relief to those who suffer from medical problems, including acid reflux. In these cases, the head of the bed is lifted while the foot is not, allowing the individual to sleep at an angle. Because the body is not flat, it’s more difficult for the painful stomach acid to creep up, creating a more comfortable sleeping experience. Experts suggest that the head should be raised between 6 and 8 inches for the best effects.
As a bonus, bed risers can often be used on other types of furniture, including chairs and computer desks. You might choose to do this out of necessity, fixing furniture that’s simply too low, or for aesthetics. You could even use bed risers as unobtrusive plant stands to get your greenery off the floor and into a better position to create visual interest.
Choosing A Set Of Bed Risers
When you glance at a set of bed risers, there doesn’t appear to be all that much to them. Once you delve a little deeper, you’ll see that there are some crucial functional differences that will determine which will be the best set for you. Choosing the incorrect version will not only be inconvenient but also could be injurious, as a bed that is not lifted properly has the potential to fall. Fortunately, there are plenty of these items to select from, so there shouldn’t be any reason why your bed can’t be raised both conveniently and safely.
Ornate wood and iron bed frames will weigh more and work best with bed risers made to accommodate a lot of weight.
First and foremost, you need to think about how much weight the bed risers must hold. This includes the whole shebang: bed frame, mattress, box spring, sleepers, even pillows and linens. Most bed riser manufacturers list the approved weight for the entire set, while some prefer to list the per-riser weight rating. In most cases, this will be between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds per set. Of course, if your bed is extremely old, you may not know how much it weighs, but the materials from which it’s made will give you a clue. Ornate wood and iron bed frames will weigh more and work best with bed risers made to accommodate a lot of weight. Aluminum bed frames and those beds that don’t use box springs will probably function fine with lightweight bed risers.
You should also take into account the height you’d like to achieve. Bed riser manufacturers indicate how high their product will lift your bed, which is generally between one and eight inches. Some bed risers are adjustable so that you can change the height as needed, while others require that you place them at one height and leave them.
Finally, don’t forget to account for the materials used to make the risers, a choice that will both affect how sturdy they are and how they look. Metal risers are on the more durable side, but they also tend to look quite utilitarian, a style choice that not everyone enjoys. Wood and plastic can also be sturdy and offer you a wider range of style choices and various colors that will match your existing decor.
A Brief History Of The Bed Riser
The bed as a frame, whether of wood or metal, holding a mattress-type object is an old, old concept; ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks had them, although in most cases, these were reserved for the rich or even the dead. Thanks to such a long lineage, beds have most likely been lifted and raised with various items across the centuries, which makes pinpointing the first person with the idea to create a bed riser slightly difficult. There have been moments of innovation, however, that are of note.
Depending on your personal view toward style, a bed lifted with concrete blocks is either horribly crude or an example of industrial chic.
One of these landmarks along the historical road of bed risers is the concrete block; these have been a go-to for college students everywhere for many years. Depending on your personal view toward style, a bed lifted with concrete blocks is either horribly crude or an example of industrial chic. The reason students often choose concrete blocks isn’t usually the style, though — it’s the cost. But concrete blocks have three large drawbacks. First, they are quite heavy, making them a pain to transport. Second, they can too easily scuff and ruin your floor. Third, and this is by far the worst, they cause incredible pain if you should happen to stub or scrape your tender toes on one.
Along with concrete blocks, college students have also had the choice of plastic and metal bed risers for quite some time, but one innovator found these to be lacking and took the bed riser to a new level. Inventor Jonathan C. Smith used his dorm room experiences to guide the design of his improved bed lifts that featured outlets and USB charging ports for extra convenience. For his effort, he won the opportunity to enter product development in a Students of Invention contest sponsored by a bed products retailer, bringing his powered lifts to dorm dwellers across the nation.