Laybrook Glide Plus Turning Bed reviewed

The Laybrook Glide Plus is a 3ft electric turning bed for people who struggle to get into or out of bed on their own. A single button turns you through 90 degrees between lying flat and sitting on the edge of the bed, with or without a carer’s help. It is the middle model of Laybrook’s three single turning beds, and the Laybrook product page says it is made in Oxfordshire with input from occupational therapists.

What the Glide Plus does

Besides turning, the frame adjusts in height and tilt, and Laybrook’s patented foot lift uses an extra motor on the leg section to draw the mattress close to the mechanism as it rotates. That lets the bed carry a deeper mattress while staying low enough for a shorter person to get in. Standard height is 23 inches (58 cm) from floor to mattress top, with lower options. A battery backup covers up to 15 full rotations in a power cut, the remote has large buttons with picture icons and comes in an optional backlit version, and a grab handle and an anti-entrapment guard on the rotation mechanism are fitted. You choose whether it turns to the left or the right when you order, so check which side of the room you will get out on.

Mattress and comfort

The standard mattress is a 6-inch (15 cm) Q-flex foam made for rotating beds, so it bends as the bed turns and profiles. A memory foam upgrade is available, and for users at high risk of pressure sores Laybrook offers a high-risk foam mattress and a dynamic air mattress. Each mattress is made to the user’s weight, and you can exchange it free if it does not suit you. At 15 cm the standard mattress is slimmer than a typical domestic one, so a heavier or bony sleeper should look at the upgrades.

Price, rental and buy-back

Laybrook lists its prices without VAT. Including VAT at 20%, the Glide Plus costs £11,214. If you are disabled or have a long-term illness, GOV.UK’s VAT relief rules usually let you buy an adjustable bed like this without VAT. Because the outlay is large, Laybrook offers a free home demonstration and a rent-to-buy plan, in which you rent the bed for a month and then pay the balance or keep renting weekly. It also sells reconditioned turning beds with new mattresses at a discount, and offers to buy the bed back when you no longer need it. Your council may help too: councils in England and Wales can provide equipment for disabled people at home.

Who it suits, and the drawbacks

We recommend the Glide Plus to people who can sit unaided but find it hard to lift their legs into bed or push themselves up from lying, and to families who want to reduce the number of carer visits morning and night. It is a single bed, so couples need Laybrook’s separate dual turning bed, and anyone over 18 stone should choose the Glide Max. The price is several times that of a standard adjustable bed, which makes the home demonstration worth booking before you commit.