Insiders' Guide to Adjustable Beds:
Part 3 - Buy an adjustable bed base that is easily transported, assembles easily, and offers instructions that any lay person can understand

After being in the bedding business for a number of years, you see many knockdown products, or RTA (ready to assemble) products, and adjustable bases are available in many forms as well. Remember, if you are buying something that you have to put together, you are assuming that all of the pieces will fit together easily. You are also assuming that the instructions will be accurate, will include lots of pictures, and will be in English (if that is the language of choice) Adjustable bases are no different. We've seen some adjustable bases with air beds that require the use of many tools, and bolts, and other sometimes unrecognizable parts. Ask your dealer..is the base largely pre-assembled? This is a highly desirable characteristic. The Leggett and Platt system is largely pre-assembled, and although the big box is heavy and cumbersome, it takes 10 minutes to typically assemble one, and the instruction page might have a maximum of 2 -3 pages, not 7-9. We like it because about the only things you have to do are remove the bed frame from the box, slap on the caster wheels, plug it in, attach the front bumper, and program the remotes. It's heavy, its big, but it is solidly put together, at the factory.

4. Have your dealer spell out the warranty. The odds are you will have an adjustable base for a while, and since it is a mechanical device that you probably can't fix because you don't stock adjustable bed parts, ask a lot of questions.

The warranty should be a good 10 or 20 years. Be highly skeptical of "Lifetime Warranty" scenarios…We like Leggett and Platt because they typically offer a comprehensive 20 year warranty where everything is spelled out, with one year full technical support, including free on site labor. Make sure that you have at least one full year of this service, since problems with products of this kind will typically happen within the first 3-6 months of ownership. Get the warranty in writing before you buy. Do an internet search on adjustable bed bases you might be interested in and find message boards offering critical of the product. Even the occasional bad write-up may not mean the product is not worth considering, because not everyone reads instructions properly, or properly tightens bolts or wheels, or programs remotes correctly.

5. It doesn't have to look like a hospital bed. And, in most cases, an adjustable bed may seem like a hospital bed, but it is radically different . Young couples still in their prime buy adjustable beds every day. Aesthetics make a difference. Buy an adjustable base that is pleasing to you, and you will enjoy it.

Most adjustable base manufacturers today understand the need to create a product that is aesthetically pleasing and looks like a conventional bed. The adjustable part of the bed usually conceals the motors and flex points, and is decorated with a fabric covering to look like a regular box spring or foundation piece. Find a base that has a finished look to it. Avoid a bed with motors that are not permanently mounted to the inside of the system, because these parts could be damaged, tripped over, and cords could get torn out of the motors causing electrical hazards. Again, and I know we sound biased, but experience has shown us that Leggett and Platt are probably the industry wizards at concealing and decoration. If you look sideways at a L&P base, you will most likely have to study it at first glance to figure out that it is a fully articulating bed! The quality of the fabric is very desirable, the top of the bases are finished with a non-skid type material that keeps the mattress in place, and the casters and wheels have a "residence" feel rather than an institutional look to them.

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