Are gas lift beds strong enough for overweight people?
Lift beds, often referred to as Ottoman beds, are an excellent way of incorporating more storage into your bedroom, without having to compromise on space. Gas lift beds especially can help with this, as the way they work allows for more storage than a traditional divan or other types of beds.
But a question we get asked a lot is; are gas lift beds strong enough for overweight people? By the end of this article hopefully you will know the answer to this, and many more questions about gas lift beds.
What is a gas lift bed?
A gas lift bed is a piece of furniture which uses gas-lift hydraulics to raise the entire base of the bed, along with the mattress itself, to allow for storage underneath. Most gas-lift beds have a single or double chamber underneath to maximise the space available.
Gas-lift hydraulics are metal tubes which can store and release energy by increasing and decreasing the pressure of the gas inside, giving assistance when attempting to move or lift anything on top of it.
The gas in the tube acts like a spring, compressing and storing the energy when the bed is lowered, and releasing that energy when lifted. The same mechanism is used in office chairs and is what allows them to be adjusted up and down easily.
A gas-lift bed will usually have one arm on each side of the bed. The standard gas struts offered by Reinforced Beds supply 900N of force which is suitable for all of our heavy-duty mattresses, and will lift a 100kg mattress. We are able to offer even more powerful struts if they are needed, for example, if you are using a very heavy-duty mattress. To enquire about customising any gas lift bed with more powerful hydraulic struts, please fill in our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you.
Product: Electric Ottoman Bed
What are the advantages of a gas lift bed?
One of the main advantages of a gas lift bed is the increased amount of space that is freed up underneath the bed. Because a gas lift bed lifts the entire mattress and supporting structure, the entire base of the bed is freed up for storage space.
Other bed styles such as divans use drawers under the bed, meaning that space is wasted by the drawer mechanism, and you can use only a limited amount of the space available. By shifting that mechanism and moving an entire part of the bed out of the way, you can use the maximum square footage of floor space for extra storage.
The other main advantage of a gas lift bed is the reduced effort it takes to move a heavy mattress out of the way to access the storage underneath.
Especially for more overweight people who may require a more heavy-duty mattress, lifting a mattress by yourself can be difficult. They are heavy and too big to get any proper purchase on without removing the mattress from the bed entirely, so having assistance is more than just a luxury for most people.
The gas-lift mechanism allows you to easily lift up much more than you would be able to usually, making accessing the under-bed storage quick and easy.
Being able to free up as much space as possible in a room without having to compromise on the style or quality of your furniture is why reinforced gas-lift beds are the best choice, not just for overweight people, but for anybody who wants a durable, high-quality bed.
Product: End Lift Ottoman Bed
Are gas lift beds strong enough for overweight people?
The simple answer is yes! Though only as long as you purchase a heavy-duty gas lift bed specifically designed for overweight people.
Gas-lift beds will often have a maximum lift guide, telling you how much your mattress and anything on it can weigh and still safely use the gas lift mechanism. However, not many will tell you the weight that the mechanism will reasonably take from above on a regular basis.
Beds that aren't designed with overweight people in mind can shift and move around a lot, and especially gas-lift beds that aren't designed for overweight people may start to degrade over time, making the gas-lift mechanism more difficult to use. In more extreme circumstances, the mechanism may stop working entirely, and you may find it difficult to access your storage, possibly having to remove the mattress and bed frame each time.
Hinges and supports that haven't been designed to take a larger-than-average amount of weight may struggle, bend, or even break. Because of this, it is recommended that a heavy-duty bed and mattress be used, as it would be unreasonable to expect a bed not designed to take heavier loads to work for overweight people.
When shopping for a bed it is important to take into consideration any extra needs you, or whoever is using it, will need. Whether you are shopping for a heavy-duty bed for yourself, or if you are looking for a trusted supplier of commercial beds and care home beds, Reinforced Beds have over a decade of experience in providing beds for people with specific needs.
Contact the experts
Hopefully you have a better answer to the question: Are gas lift beds strong enough for overweight people? The short answer is yes, and the longer answer is yes, as long as you buy high-quality, heavy duty Ottoman beds.
It is a good idea to nip any potential problems with gas lift systems in the bud early by purchasing a bed specifically designed for overweight people, as failing to do so can end up costing you more in the long run. This is because you may have to replace your bed more often, or lose out on that efficient storage space.
Reinforced Beds are dedicated to providing solutions for our customers. We offer stronger/weaker pistons depending on your mattress weight, for no extra charge. If you wish to find out more information about gas lift beds, or any of our other reinforced beds, contact us using the form on our website, by emailing support@reinforcedbeds.co.uk or by calling 01553 615 665.