The best adjustable bed frames in 2021

The best adjustable bed frame overall

The Intellibed Sleep Genius Smart Base is your best option if you have a larger budget and want an adjustable bed frame that can do it all, including play audio and provide sonic massages.

Pros: Six built-in speakers, haptic pulse technology for sonic massages, an intuitive app with presets and programmability, voice controls, whisper-quiet operation, compatible with a broad array of mattresses, 20-year limited warranty

Cons: No returns, expensive, controls and speakers sometimes experience connectivity issues

There’s no getting around the fact that the Intellibed Sleep Genius Smart Base is a luxury item. It’s the most expensive model we tested. But the bed frame’s performance and smart features make it worth the hefty price tag.

You can adjust the frame using the back-lit remote control or intuitive Intellibed phone app, which is available on iOS and Android devices and has voice control. Or you can pair it with your smart-home assistant, such as Amazon Alexa, and adjust the Sleep Genius using verbal instructions.

This smart base has six speakers located near the head that pair with your Bluetooth-capable devices. Thanks to haptic pulse technology, the speakers work with the unit’s massage functions so that you can actually feel whatever you are listening to, whether it’s the action movie or the preprogrammed relaxing sounds for sleep.

There are varying intensities of massage and wave massages, or you can target your head or feet. I found the high-intensity massage was relaxing but not particularly powerful. The vibrations were light and relaxing, but there wasn’t any kneading or deep tissue work. However, I tested the base with Intellibed’s Matrix Grand, which is an incredible 17 inches thick and very heavy. Other thinner mattresses will likely facilitate a more pronounced massage. Regardless, even when the massage function was at its highest intensity, the frame was still whisper quiet — only about 5 decibels above ambient sound levels, so it didn’t interfere with whatever I was watching.

It has four preset positions. TV/PC is the steepest incline of the feet and head so you can sit up and watch media or work. Lounge has a less harsh incline at the feet and head. I liked this one the most because it kept me comfortable for longer periods of time and worked well for reading and watching streaming media. Zero Gravity inclines the head and foot slightly with the feet slightly higher to make you feel like you’re floating in space. Flat flattens the base for a traditional sleep experience. You can also program the base to remember up to three custom positions. I like that the mattress doesn’t shift or cause the split frames to “walk” away from their original position. This is a common problem with adjustable frames.

The frame has about seven inches of clearance underneath, which you can adjust to 2.5 inches. And, the platform that your mattress will rest on is about 14 inches off the ground (9.5 inches if you choose the lower height option). I chose the maximum clearance and have found the under-bed lighting comes in handy when I drop items and need help finding them.

Other than the price, my biggest complaint is that connecting to the base via the app — both the speakers and the controls — can be finicky at times. Also, the audio doesn’t sync up perfectly with video when I use the speakers to stream media.These issues are compounded by the fact that there are no returns so if you’re unhappy with the performance of the high-end features, you’re out of luck.

The best budget adjustable bed frame

If you don’t need a bed frame that can massage you, the Lucid L300 Bed Base is an excellent budget option that comes with a 30-day return policy.

Pros: 10-year warranty, compatible with a variety of mattress types, 30-day return policy, head and foot incline, easy assembly, USB charging stations, remembers your preferred position

Cons: No white-glove delivery available, no massaging, not available in showrooms 

The Lucid brand regularly pops up in our sleep product guides as a top budget option, and the Lucid L300 Bed Base is an example of this. It costs $300 less than any other adjustable bed frame we considered. Despite it’s low price, it appears to be a solid option. We say “appears” because we have not had a chance to test it as of this writing. Fortunately, it’s backed by Amazon’s 30-day return policy.

Since the L300 is offered through Amazon, white-glove delivery isn’t available. But it’s designed with a folding hinge that allows Lucid to ship the base virtually completely assembled. You just unfold it and install the appropriate hardware, and you’re good to go. The company claims this process takes five minutes. 

The L300 has both foot and head inclines. You use a wireless remote with built-in flashlight to adjust the head to angles of 0 to 60 degrees and the foot to 0 to 45 degrees. Plus, you can program the remote to remember your favorite position.

Each side of the frame has two USB charging ports: one for fast charging and the other for regular-speed charging.

The Lucid L300 is backed by a 10-year warranty and is available in Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and Split King sizes. The frame is designed to accommodate spring, foam, and hybrid mattresses ranging in size from 8 to 12 inches thick. The base holds the mattress in place using metal support bars at the foot of the bed.

The biggest negative with the L300 is that it’s the only model in our guide that doesn’t have a massage function.

The best sleep-tracking adjustable bed frame

If you are looking for an adjustable bed frame that provides hard data to guide you in improving your restfulness, consider the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo Smart Base.

Pros: Helps neutralize snoring, tracks your sleep quality, 25-year limited warranty, quiet operation, available in eight different sizes and styles

Cons: No returns, weak massaging

Like our top pick, the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo Smart Base also has high-end smart features you won’t find in most adjustable bed frames. However, unlike the Sleep Genius, it’s available at a slightly more affordable price, around $1,600. 

What sets the Ergo Smart Base apart is its Sleeptracker app. Thanks to sensors installed at the head of the base, the app collects data on the air quality, your breathing, your heart rate, and more. Based on its findings, it can tell you how restful your sleep is and offer recommendations to improve it. Tempur-Pedic is also constantly updating the technology. Since I first started testing the Ergo Smart Base, the company updated the firmware to use sleep data to assess when you are snoring and automatically adjust the base to a position that will help alleviate it.

The Tempur-Ergo Smart Base is the go-to bed frame that I sleep on when I’m not testing mattresses. In addition to the anti-snore quiet mode mentioned above, it has a “zero gravity” preset that elevates the legs and torso, which I regularly turn to when reading or streaming in bed. It’s relaxing for those long binge sessions.

The Ergo Smart Base offers several massaging programs, but I found that it wasn’t very strong even on the highest setting. However, I tested it with the hefty 157-pound Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze mattress, which may have dampened the massaging abilities of the base. On the plus side, whether massaging or adjusting positions, the frame moves smoothly and quietly. My sound meter showed it was no louder than ambient noise. I haven’t had any connectivity issues in the year or so I’ve slept on it. 

I like that the remote is backlit so it’s easy to see what I’m doing in the dark. There are also lights underneath the bed, which are helpful when I need to find something in my bedroom and don’t want to disturb my wife.

Each leg is made up of four 3-inch adjustable segments so you can choose to have 3, 6, 9, or 12 inches of clearance under your bed. Your mattress will rest about 3.5 inches above that.

Read our full review of the Tempur-Ergo Smart Base here.

The best massaging adjustable bed frame

If you are looking for an adjustable bed frame that provides a strong, soothing massage, the Saatva Lineal Adjustable Base is your best choice.

Pros: Adjusts quietly, three massage speeds and modes, under-bed lighting, in-home setup is included in the price, 25-year limited warranty

Cons: Not available in showrooms, no returns or home trials

Of the adjustable bed frames I’ve tested firsthand, the Saatva Lineal Adjustable Base has the most powerful massager. The highest intensity supplies soothing relaxation, and there are two other massage speeds to choose from. I rarely use the lower massage speeds because I prefer more power. The highest intensity doesn’t compare to a deep tissue massage; instead, it’s strong vibrations.

You can choose a head massage, foot massage, or a full-body wave massage. When the massager is running, it’s quiet enough for TV viewing. However, it is significantly louder than ambient sound levels and would likely wake a sleeping partner.

The bed adjustments operate quietly, though. Using my sound meter, I found that the motor was no louder than ambient sound, which is a must when you need to make adjustments in the night and don’t want to disturb your significant other. There are presets for common positions, or you can program your own. The base has brackets on all four corners that did an outstanding job of keeping the Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress in place as I made frequent adjustments.

The Lineal comes in nine different sizes and configurations, including the relatively rare Split Queen, which allows you to independently adjust the positions of the two sides of a Queen frame, an excellent option for your average couple. I like that the bed frame comes with white-glove delivery, so you don’t need to assemble or move around heavy pieces.

Additionally, the legs are adjustable using a push-pin system. You can choose between eight and 13 inches of clearance (in half-inch increments) under your frame for a total height of 13 to 18 inches.

If I hadn’t tested the Lineal firsthand, I’d be hesitant to recommend it since there are no returns and no showrooms where you can see it firsthand. But I’ve been using the frame for nine months now — it’s currently in my teenager’s room — and we haven’t had any degradation in performance. It’s also covered by a 5-year full and 25-year limited warranty.

Read our full Saatva Lineal Adjustable Base review

The best adjustable bed frame with a risk-free trial

The Casper Adjustable Pro is ideal if you are unsure if a massaging adjustable bed frame is right for you since you can try it for 30 nights risk-free.

Pros: 30-day risk-free home trial, intuitive backlit remote control, massages, 20-year limited warranty, available in showrooms across the country

Cons: Expensive for the features it offers, no white-glove delivery due to the pandemic

The best way to tell if a bed frame is right for you is to test it out. Unfortunately, most retailers don’t offer risk-free trials. This is not the case with the Casper Adjustable Pro, which comes with an impressive 30-day risk-free trial. Plus, you can try the bed frame in showrooms across the country, and it’s backed by a 20-year limited warranty. This makes the Adjustable Pro a safe pick.

We haven’t tested the Casper Adjustable Pro firsthand yet, but we can tell you it has many of the features that have made adjustable bed frames a popular solution. It has USB ports so you can keep your devices nearby as they charge. The under-bed lights make it easier to find your devices in the dark. The remote controller is intuitive and back-lit for easy night use. There are also presets for anti-snoring, zero gravity, and flat positions. As you make adjustments, the mattress is held in place using a foot retainer bar. 

The maximum height of the legs is 16.3 inches, but there are four height settings. You can reduce the height in three-inch increments so that it’s just 7.3 inches off the ground for custom accessibility.

The Adjustable Pro also offers an array of relaxing massage functions. You can isolate your head or your feet or do both at once.

One negative with this model is that it’s fairly expensive for not having any of the high-end features that set our top picks apart. Also, Casper doesn’t currently offer white-glove delivery so you are on your own putting it together.

The company recommends using either an all-foam or hybrid mattress. This is a fairly common recommendation among adjustable bed frame manufacturers. Traditional innerspring mattresses shouldn’t be used with adjustable bases because they are too rigid and don’t flex with the base.

What we’re testing next

We looked at numerous adjustable bed frame models while researching this guide. Though the following units missed the cut, they may suit your needs better than the above options.

Purple PowerBase ($1,499): There’s a lot to like about the massaging PowerBase. The remote control lights up for easy visibility at night and has three one-touch functions, and you can program your favorite positions. Plus, the base features a remote cradle, which is useful since I’ve misplaced my adjustable bed remotes in the past. There are no returns, but Purple has showrooms across the nation. Also, white-glove delivery is included in your purchase. 

Nectar Adjustable Bed Frame ($699.00): Insider Reviews’ Lulu Chang tested the Nectar Adjustable Bed, and it was our previous top pick. However, we’ve found other manufacturers have surpassed this model, which, though affordable, lacks basics like under-bed lighting and white-glove delivery. Also, the massage it provides is weak. Still, if you are looking for a good, basic, cost-effective adjustable base with a 50-night home trial, the Nectar base may be for you.

Leesa Adjustable Base ($1,299.00): Lulu Chang also tested the Leesa Adjustable Base and included it in previous versions of our guide. She liked that it has a super-quiet motor, telescoping legs to achieve your ideal height, and an under-bed light to guide you during midnight bathroom runs. However, the base doesn’t have a massaging function or any preset positions. At this price point, there are more feature-rich bases worth considering.

Methodology

I’ve tested sleep products professionally for three years and have reviewed dozens of mattresses, sheet sets, sleep aids, and more. I put each adjustable bed frame I receive through several tests, and for any highly rated units I have not fully tested firsthand, I extrapolate the key performance indicators based on the reviews of my colleagues and those of other trustworthy product-review websites. The most important adjustable base factors to consider are ease of use, basic performance, and how well special features work.

Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:

Ease of use: There will be times when you’re half asleep and want to adjust your bed. Is this achievable with the bed frame? To assess this, I look at the controller to see if it’s backlit and clearly labeled for intuitive control. I also assess the phone app, if available, and see if it lets me make adjustments. Many of us would prefer not to have another remote control on our nightstand to keep track of so we gave preference to frames that could be controlled with an app on your phone. I also examined the presets and programmable buttons for accurate operation.

Noise: As you’re making adjustments in the middle of the night, you don’t want to wake your partner. This makes quiet operation a must. I tested this by positioning a sound meter 12 inches from the side of the frame and measuring the decibel readout as I moved both the head and foot of the bed. I compared this to the ambient noise (usually around 45 decibels) to assess how loud it gets. If the difference is less than 10 decibels, I consider the frame to be quiet.

Massage intensity: I also measure the loudness — using the same method above — and intensity of the massage functions. You want a bed to soothe and relax you, but you don’t want it to be so loud you can’t watch TV. Many manufacturers advertise that their base offers a “deep tissue massage.” I have not found one that does that. Instead, the best you can hope for is a good rumble that comes close to making your voice sound weird as you talk. My massage intensity test is somewhat subjective. Fortunately, I can easily compare the frames head-to-head in my lab (i.e., my home).

Special features: Just about all of the top bases feature USB charging ports and under-bed lights. I look at unique extras, such as sleep tracking, alarms, speakers, voice control, and more. Of course, I look at whether the smart features actually work as advertised.

Mattress considerations: First, I examine what mattresses are compatible with the frame. Due to space constraints, this is hard to test firsthand so my assessments are mainly based on a combination of experience and manufacturer recommendations. With the mattress in place, I adjust the frame from flat to maximum foot and head angles several times to see if the mattress or frame move in relation to each other or the floor. This factor is important because constantly readjusting heavy mattresses and frames may be untenable for some.

Additionally, we examine what sizes are available, whether there are split units that allow you to adjust each side of the bed individually, the location and number of adjustable points, the warranty period, the return policy, the availability of showrooms, and whether white-glove delivery is an option.

What to look for in an adjustable bed frame

If you’re willing to forgo some features, you can save money. It pays to shop around and really consider what features you need. For example, I rarely use my bed frame for massages. If massages don’t interest you, you can save hundreds of dollars on a base.

The biggest negative we’ve found with buying an adjustable bed frame is that few brands offer risk-free home trials. The standard is no returns, refunds, or exchanges. This problem is compounded when the bed frame isn’t available in showrooms. This forces you to make an expensive purchase of a product you can’t try out first or return. If you want to avoid the risk, we encourage you to choose a base that you can potentially return. Casper is the only model in our guide that comes with one, though you might also want to consider Nectar’s base.

On the bright side, warranties for bed frames tend to be long – usually 20 or 25 years. Take a good look at the fine print, though. The full length of the warranty usually only applies to the frame and mechanical parts, not electronic components. And the warranty tends to be prorated after the third year.

Keep in mind that not all mattresses work with adjustable bed frames. For instance, traditional innerspring mattresses should not be used on adjustable bases. On the other hand, if you have a bed that arrived compressed, commonly called a “bed-in-a-box,” then it will almost always work on these frames. If you are unsure if your mattress is compatible, check with the manufacturer.