Laybrook Lewes Single Adjustable Care Bed reviewed

The Laybrook Lewes is a single adjustable care bed that does two jobs. It profiles at the head and foot like any electric adjustable bed, and a separate vertical lifting frame raises the whole sleeping surface by up to 18 inches. That second movement lets a carer wash, dress or turn someone without bending over a low bed, and it can help the user stand up from the edge. Laybrook makes it in the UK and sells it direct in 2ft 6 and 3ft widths with a Q-flex mattress included, according to its Lewes product page.

Four motors, two movements

Two motors drive the five-part profiling, which raises the back to 80 to 85 degrees and lifts the knee section 10 inches. Two more power the lifting frame, which starts from a standard height of 23 inches (58 cm), floor to mattress top. Laybrook says all four motors are German-made, and the base has a centre support belt and bolted, sleeved load points. Raised flat, the bed sits at a comfortable working height for a carer. Raised and profiled at the same time, it gives the user a higher seat for looking out of the window. An optional 7-inch gap between floor and base leaves room for a hoist or an over-bed table to slide underneath.

Sizes and prices

Laybrook’s website shows prices without VAT. Including VAT at 20%, the 2ft 6 version costs £2,268 and the 3ft £2,332.80. Disabled people and those with a long-term illness can usually buy a bed like this without VAT, because GOV.UK’s VAT relief guidance names adjustable beds as a qualifying product. Being elderly is not enough on its own to qualify. Laybrook also builds the Lewes as a double and as a linked pair, and it can shorten the bed or change its height to order for a fee.

Trial, delivery and guarantee

The bed carries a five-year guarantee and a seven-day money-back period, and you can exchange the mattress within 14 nights. Laybrook’s engineers deliver, install and demonstrate it free on the UK mainland within 21 working days, with a charge in Scotland and some other postcodes. If the bed is needed for a discharge from hospital, the paid express service installs it within 6 to 10 working days. Before you buy, ask your council for an assessment, since councils in England and Wales can provide equipment or help to adapt your home if you are disabled.

Who it suits, and the drawbacks

We recommend the Lewes to households where a partner or a visiting carer helps someone into and out of bed, and to anyone who wants a care bed that looks like bedroom furniture rather than hospital equipment. It has limits. Laybrook publishes no maximum user weight for this model, so ask before ordering for a heavier person, and at 2ft 6 or 3ft wide it sleeps one. If pressure care matters, ask about Laybrook’s care mattresses rather than settling for the standard foam one.