Drive Medical (Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare) is a manufacturer of medical equipment. They strive to produce innovative solutions to enhance the life quality of patients. Here, we discuss recommended items designed explicitly with bedridden patients in mind. These products could relieve pressure on patients with limited mobility experience when lying or sitting.
The combination of pressurized air and vacuum-like suction in these unique mattresses changes body weight distribution. Cold air blows through the inner chamber of the airbed, where it expands. Once the mattress inflates, the pump turns off. After a while, it begins to deflate. If you spend much time sitting or lying in bed, these mattresses are very beneficial in preventing unwanted health consequences like pressure sores.
A pressure sore forms when blood flow to an area is disrupted by sitting or lying in one position for extended times. Life-threatening complications can arise if bedsores lead to infections. Adjusting the pressure of your medical air mattress using its pump will reduce the stress experienced on pressure points.
- Advantages of Using a Medical Air Mattress With a Pump:
- A Selection of Medical Air Mattresses With a Pump
- Highest Rated: Drive Medical Quick ‘n Easy Comfort Mattress
- Second Highest-rated Option: Drive Medical 15019 White Therapeutic Foam Mattress
- Luxury Option: Drive Medical 14027 Med-Aire Low Air Loss Mattress
- Best Budget Option: Drive Medical Alternating Pressure Pad and Pump System
- Useful Accessory: Drive Medical Manual air pump for air mattress
- Useful Facts for Mattress Topper Decisions
- Parting Thoughts
Advantages of Using a Medical Air Mattress With a Pump:
- Comfortable to sleep on.
- Helps to prevent pressure sores.
- Promotes good blood flow.
- It can ease breathing.
- Relieves muscular tension.
- No need to reposition the patient.
- Cost-effective
- Easy to maintain.
- Portable.
They are also durable. The average airbed lasts about ten years. You can care for it by cleaning the surface regularly. It’s best also to check that there is no moisture or dirt build-up inside the mattress. Inspect it annually for air leaks and damages.
A Selection of Medical Air Mattresses With a Pump
Highest Rated: Drive Medical Quick ‘n Easy Comfort Mattress
- Foam Mattress: Active mattress replacement system provides comfort and support with its decompressing properties.General Note: Please allow 24 - 72 hours for your Mattress to regain its full shape. Any memory foam will expand faster in a warmer room. In cold temperature, at delivery, your mattress may take a bit longer to return to full sized from its compressed state.The expansion time of the mattress will vary as per the surrounding
- Convenient Design: The system has a non-slip bottom and 4 corner straps to keep this home bedding secure; two side carry handles make lifting and placement easy
- Durable Material: Removable Nylon stretch cover is fluid resistant, low shear and vapor permeable, helping protect the skin from friction and moisture
With an average rating of 4.5 stars, this mattress provides comfort and support with its decompressing properties. After unboxing, customers should allow 24 – 72 hours for it to attain its intended shape. However, the memory foam will expand faster in a warmer room. The mattress design is convenient, with a non-slip bottom and four corner straps to secure the bedding.
Two side carry handles make lifting and placing it on the bed easy. It is made of durable material, and the removable Nylon stretch cover is fluid-resistant and vapor-permeable, helping to protect the skin from friction and moisture. It is 80 inches in length x 36 inches in width x 8 inches in height. The weight capacity is 275 lbs, and it has a one-year warranty:
| What we liked | What we didn’t like |
| The mattress is easy to clean. The foam is comfortable and supportive. | It’s not that comfortable. It is too firm. |
Second Highest-rated Option: Drive Medical 15019 White Therapeutic Foam Mattress
- Foam Mattress: Therapeutic mattress replacement system provides pressure redistribution and shear/friction reduction
- Therapeutic Design: The horizontal cross-cut foam works to provide pressure redistribution in 5 therapeutic pressure zones; the non-skid bottom provides extra security
- Durable Material: Removable nylon stretch cover is fluid resistant, low shear, and vapor permeable, helping protect the skin from friction and moisture
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars, this therapeutic mattress with horizontally cross-cut foam redistributes pressure in five pressure zones. The non-skid bottom provides extra security. The removable nylon stretch cover is fluid-resistant to protect the skin from friction and moisture.
The specifications of this product are 80 inches in length x 35 inches in width x 5.5 inches in height. The weight capacity is 350 lbs.
| What we liked | What we didn’t like |
| The mattress is firm and comfortable. | The foam formed to my body and formed hills and valleys. Uneven and too hard. |
Luxury Option: Drive Medical 14027 Med-Aire Low Air Loss Mattress
- Medical Air Mattress: Active mattress replacement system provides both alternating pressure and low air loss to optimize pressure redistribution, shear/friction reduction, and microclimate control
- 20 Individual Cells: Air bed system includes 20 individually replaceable 8-inch air bladders to maximize immersion and envelopment; includes pillow feature for head stability and comfort
- Durable Material: Alternating pressure mattress features removable 4-way stretch PU cover is fluid resistant, low shear and vapor permeable, helping protect the skin from friction and moisture
Considering that this mattress has several unique features and will last a long time, the financial outlay is worth it. The benefits include alternating pressure and low air loss, optimized pressure redistribution and microclimate control. It has twenty individual, replaceable cells or air bladders. It also has a pillow feature for head stability and comfort.
The 4-way stretch cover is fluid-resistant and vapor permeable, protecting your skin from moisture. It also has an audio and visual alarm to alert you when the air pressure is low. The specifications are 80 inches in length x 36 inches in width x 8 inches in height; pump airflow: 8 LPM; control unit cycle time: 10 minutes; weight capacity: 350 lbs.
Please see below for customer feedback on this medical air mattress with pump:
| What we liked | What we didn’t like |
| The mattress is comfortable on the lowest pressure setting It is easy to set up. | It needs power at all times to remain inflated. I felt pain for the first few minutes when using it. One customer wasn’t able to fit a sheet securely on it. The pump is quite noisy. |
Is a medical air mattress with a pump the only way to reduce pressure on patients’ bodies? Another alternative is purchasing and placing a mattress overlay or topper on your regular mattress. This cushioning layer gives you extra support. Here is one overlay product suggestion and a recommendation for a manual pump from Drive Medical.
Best Budget Option: Drive Medical Alternating Pressure Pad and Pump System
- Pressure Sore Mattress Pad: Air pressure mattress for bed sores alternately inflates and deflates individual bubbles, which helps in the prevention, treatment, and management of pressure ulcers; features two end flaps to ensure it remains secure on the mattress and built-in brackets to help with mounting
- 130 Air Cells: Pressure air mattress has individual bubble air cells for maximum comfort and effectiveness
- Alternating Pressure Mattress Overlay: The pump allows inflation or deflation in the medical air pads every 5 minutes, never placing too much pressure on any affected area, resulting in individualized comfort, which increases patient compliance
Available at a very reasonable cost, this alternating pressure pad inflates and deflates its 130 individual bubble air cells. It has two end flaps and built-in brackets to secure it to the mattress. The pump allows inflation or deflation in the air pads every 5 minutes, making this mattress pad an excellent alternative to a traditional medical air mattress. With a pump built into the pad, this product is convenient.
This adjustable bed pad is made of durable heavy-gauge premium vinyl and measures 123 inches in length x 36 inches in width x 2.5 inches in height. The weight capacity is 300 lbs. The quiet pump produces consistent airflow and pressure, providing uniform firmness across the air cells as they inflate and deflate.
| What we liked | What we didn’t like |
| The motor is quiet. The mattress overlay flaps tuck neatly under the mattress. | I don’t think the pump will last long. The pump is noisy. The pad makes a noise when the patient moves. |
If you have an air mattress without a built-in pump, here is one pump recommendation for you to consider purchasing.
Useful Accessory: Drive Medical Manual air pump for air mattress
The weight of this manual hand pump is 27.22 grams. Remember that products with electrical plugs are designed for use in the USA, and you may need an adapter or converter to use them in your country.
| What we liked | What we didn’t like |
| This lightweight pump works well. | The pump was very slow to pump up the mattress. It is too weak, and the adapter is too small for a regular valve air mattress. The hose broke in 2 spots while inflating. |
Useful Facts for Mattress Topper Decisions
Powered overlays require electricity or batteries to operate. Non-powered mattress overlays utilize foam, gel, air, water, or other materials.
Air Mattress Overlays: Air mattress overlays have three varieties: alternating pressure, low air loss, and static overlays. Air is circulated forward and backward in the cells. Low air loss overlays can be powered or non-powered. They constantly fill with air and slowly release it to redistribute the user’s weight. Static air mattress toppers allow an adjustable level of air that remains constant to deliver effective weight disbursement.
Foam Mattress Overlays are made of high-density polyurethane, memory, and/or viscoelastic foam. This high-quality foam provides viable pressure reduction through immersion and weight redistribution. They vary in thickness, softness, and firmness to meet the customer’s needs.
Gel Mattress Overlays: The gel composition is cooling, helping to reduce heat and prevent sweating.
Convoluted Mattress Overlays are configured like an egg crate with its diamond pattern, these contoured, convoluted toppers redistribute the user’s weight evenly.
Other Ways to Use Overlays
Most customers use a mattress overlay on their beds, but some designs could fit a chair, recliner, sofa, or wheelchair.
Which mattress topper is best?
The most effective pressure relief will probably come from an overlay that combines two or more of these designs: powered or non-powered air cells, high-density foam, gel-infused foam, a convoluted egg-crate or waffle design, or gel-filled bladders.
Parting Thoughts
Bedsores can develop in less than a week if a patient sits or lies in the same position for extended periods with compromised health. The goal is to prevent these painful pressure injuries and any harmful complications that can develop from them if an infection develops. Healthcare professionals recommend that you take steps to relieve the pressure experienced by immobile patients on parts of their body that are constantly in contact with their mattresses.
As suggested above, a medical air mattress with a pump to adjust the pressure is one way of doing this. Alternating air-pressure mattresses ensure the skin receives equal amounts of pressure from either side, reducing the possibility of bedsores developing at the pressure points. Alternatively, you can purchase a mattress overlay or topper to place on top of your regular mattress.
Disclaimer: Last update on 2024-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.
This content is provided solely for educational reasons and should not be seen as medical guidance. It’s important to consult with a healthcare expert prior to making any changes to your health regimen, including dietary adjustments or the use of supplements.
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