Your guide to over bed tables

To help narrow down your search for the right table, you need to consider where it will be used. Are you looking for a table that fits around a specific piece of furniture or works with a wheelchair? An Easylift table may be a great option for those who are bedbound, but is likely to be too large and unwieldy for use with an armchair.

You should also consider the size of the table top - if the person using it is bedbound, a longer table may be more appropriate, for those in a chair looking to use it as more of a raised side table, they may want a narrower table.

If the table is purely to be used to put food or drinks on then it’s unlikely you’ll need one that tilts.

If you are planning to use the table over a bed, you may want to look at a table that can tilt so the person using it can rest things against it, like a book while they read. 

Some over bed tables are designed to be primarily used with one kind of furniture, like a divan bed, and so uses a specific frame design. A frame type suitable for use with a bed will likely not be suitable to use with a wheelchair, for example. 

Deciding what type of bed or chair you want to use the table with will help to narrow down the options available to you as you will need to carefully consider the frame type on your chosen table to work out whether or not it will be suitable.

Over bed tables come in a variety of sizes, double-check the measurements of where it will be stored when not in use (e.g. beside the bed itself), as while it could fit perfectly over the bed, you may encounter problems when it’s moved aside.

Some of the over bed tables can only tilt on one side, meaning that there is only one side of the bed or chair it can go on to be used properly. This doesn’t apply to all over bed tables, but it’s worth checking before you buy to avoid disappointment if it doesn’t fit.

You may find a non-slip mat useful to have with the table to help stop things from sliding around on top of it. These come in a variety of colours, which can be useful for those with limited vision or who need colour coding to help with their orientation.