If you’ve ever tried to spec out hospital beds for your facility, you know it’s not as simple as picking what looks good in a catalog. The details matter, especially when choosing between the industry’s biggest players: Hill Rom and Stryker. Both brands are known for performance, innovation, and long-term value, but which one truly fits your care environment?
Whether outfitting a fast-paced med-surg unit or upgrading beds in a critical care wing, the equipment you choose directly affects patient outcomes, staff efficiency, and long-term ROI. In this guide, we’re breaking down the real-world differences between both so you can make the right choice for your patients, your staff, and your bottom line.
Understanding the Brands
Both brands are at the top of the medical equipment game. Their hospital beds stand out because they are durable, comfortable, and practical — made to serve their purpose for a long time.
Stryker Hospital Beds: Overview
They’re all about safety, innovation, and mobility. Hospitals and care facilities count on them for smart bed systems that help prevent falls, enhance monitoring, and make everyday caregiving tasks easier. Whether you’re running a general med-surg floor or a high-acuity unit, they have a solution.
Benefits of Choosing Stryker Hospital Beds
These beds focus heavily on intuitive design and smart features. Many models come with built-in fall prevention tools, like alarms and safe-zone indicators, and are also designed with ease of movement in mind. They help reduce strain during transfers and repositioning and support a wide range of needs.
Hill Rom Hospital Beds: Overview
These beds are built around patient comfort and clinical efficiency. They focus on advanced technology and user-friendly features that serve everyone. From recovery units to critical care, their hospital beds are a staple in facilities that value performance and flexibility.
Benefits of Choosing Hill Rom Hospital Beds
The biggest strength is the way its beds blend high-tech tools with real-world usability. Many beds feature advanced microclimate systems to help regulate temperature and customizable positioning for support and pressure relief. They’re also designed to work seamlessly with other hospital equipment, reducing the friction in daily routines.
Key Models at a Glance
Each brand offers several standout models, and understanding the differences can help you make a more informed decision. Here’s a quick overview of some of the top picks in each lineup:
- Hill Rom Advanta hospital bed: Compact, versatile, and designed for med-surg environments where comfort and adjustability matter.
- Hill Rom Versacare hospital bed: Offers advanced support, ergonomic controls, and safety enhancements ideal for fast-paced settings.
- Hill Rom Totalcare hospital bed: This model is a go-to for bariatric or high-acuity care. It supports higher patient weights while offering integrated therapy options.
- Stryker Secure 2 hospital bed: Built for safety and fall prevention, this model is great for general use and mobility-focused treatment.
- Stryker InTouch hospital bed: A tech-forward option with touchscreen controls, real-time monitoring, and seamless integration with hospital systems.
These beds all offer a range of innovative features, but the details make one the right fit for your specific needs.
Hospital Bed Feature Comparison
Choosing a hospital bed is about more than looks or brand loyalty. Here’s how they compare in key areas.
Comfort, Support, and Safety
Both brands deliver strong performance when it comes to patient comfort and support. Hill Rom focuses heavily on pressure relief, using multi-zone mattress systems and customizable settings to help reduce patient discomfort. Stryker emphasizes mobility and safe repositioning with design elements that protect both the patient and the staff.
Safety features like bed exit alarms, side rail sensors, and brake lock indicators are common across models, but Stryker beds tend to emphasize fall prevention more. Hill Rom, on the other hand, excels in micro-adjustments and patient-driven positioning.
Technology and Innovation
Both companies are tech-forward, but they approach innovation differently. Stryker beds often feature touchscreens, motion sensors, and real-time monitoring systems that give staff instant data. The Stryker InTouch hospital bed is a prime example of this.
Comfort, therapy, and positioning are all key features of Hill-Rom beds. For example, hospital staff love the Hill-Rom Versacare bed due to its advanced features for positioning and breathing support. These features make it perfect for intensive care.
Durability and Build Quality
Stryker beds are known for solid bed frame construction and low-maintenance mechanics. Their beds perform well over time with minimal wear and tear. Hill-Rom beds also offer high durability, especially in high-use areas like ICUs and long-term care units.
While both brands use high-quality materials, HillRom beds tend to be a little more customizable regarding mattress types and add-on accessories.
Ease of Use and Adjustability
Hill Rom’s control panels are intuitive and often dual-sided, accessible from either side of the bed. Stryker beds often have simplified touchpads and color-coded functions to reduce training time and user error.
Adjustability is excellent across HillRom and Stryker, with smooth motion and multiple programmable settings. It comes down to which interface feels most intuitive to your team.
Customization Options
Hill Rom hospital beds tend to offer more flexibility in how the bed can be configured — changing the bed frame, adding accessories, or integrating with other medical tools. Stryker beds are a bit more standardized, which means easier ordering and consistent functionality.
If your facility needs varied beds for different types of patients or departments, Hill Rom may offer more versatility. Stryker is a strong choice if you prefer uniformity and ease of training across departments.
Which Bed Is Right for Your Facility?
The real question isn’t which brand is better — it’s which one works best for your specific needs. If your facility focuses on patient mobility and fall prevention, Stryker hospital beds might be the better match. If your priority is advanced comfort systems, therapy features, and tech-forward integration, Hill Rom beds offer a compelling edge.
Making the Smart Choice for Your Facility
Both brands offer dependable, high-performance beds that elevate patient care and support medical staff. Whether you’re focused on technology, mobility, or long-term value, you’ll find strong options on both sides.
Explore our full lineup of hospital beds for sale at 1hospitalbeds.com and compare top models side-by-side. Whether you’re interested in a Totalcare hospital bed or a Secure 2 hospital bed, we’re here to help you find the perfect fit for your facility’s needs. Request more information today and make your next bed purchase a strategic win for your team and your patients.
