The best bed exit alarms

Best overall

Smart Caregiver Wireless And Cordless Weight Sensing Bed Pad

Fantastic wireless alarm

With its large surface area and excellent alarm, this offering will give you peace of mind. Three alarm volumes give you plenty of options over how to be alerted.

Smart Caregiver’s kit can protect your loved one from unnecessary harm efficiently.

The kit comes with a 10 x 30 in bed sensor pad made of soft, easy to clean, incontinence-resistant vinyl. In addition to the sensor pad, you’ll also get a wireless bed alarm that can be 100 ft from the bed pad.

The wireless feature is helpful for both caregiver and patient or loved one as the actual alarm doesn’t need to be in the same room as the sensing pad. This is beneficial in case the alarm sounds, it won’t disorient or agitate your patient or loved one, allowing you to check-in and gently guide them back to bed.

The alarm has low, medium, and high volume options as well as a gentle chime alert so you can modify the volume to your liking.

Key Features

  • Wireless bed alarm
  • Cordless 10 x 30 in bed sensor pad
  • Low, medium, and high volume options
Best latex-free pad

Secure Bed Exit Alarm Set for Fall And Wandering Prevention

This alarm is ready for anything

With no weight restrictions, this incontinence-proof and antimicrobial alarm is a great option. It is made of tough ABS plastic plus has a velcro holder.

Secure’s sensing bed pad kit isn’t wireless, but it’s still effective. The system comes with an alarm monitor made of a tough ABS plastic plus a velcro holder for easy carrying and storing.

The bed pad is 12 x 30 in, incontinence-proof, and antimicrobial. It is not made with any latex, so you don’t have to worry about any potential sensitivities.

Most wired alarms have plastic connectors that are prone to break over time, but Secure’s has a metal connector that ensures durability and long-term function.

The alarm will go off immediately when the pad detects movement and will reset when the patient returns to the pad or you hold down the Reset button for three seconds.

Beware––this alarm is a loud one, and it will definitely wake you up in time, as well as your patient or loved one, and possibly others in the area. If you’re looking for a quiet alarm, this one isn’t for you.

Key Features

  • Tamper-resistant ABS plastic alarm monitor
  • Yellow velcro holder
  • 12 x 30 in antimicrobial, incontinence-proof pad
The complete system

Smart Caregiver Wireless Alarm With Bed Sensor Pad And Chair Sensor Pad

Sense the bed and the chair

Easily hook this alarm up to both a bed and a chair and get peace of mind with over 100 ft of range. Plus, it's comfortable enough to be used in a wheelchair.

This exit alarm system made by Smart Caregiver includes a wireless alarm that syncs up to both a bed sensor pad and a chair sensor pad.

Users can be 100 ft from the pad, and if the alarm goes off, all you need to do is reapply weight to the pad or click the button on the side of the monitor.

The bed pad works best when placed between the shoulder blades so it will go off the moment a patient or loved one sits up in bed. The chair pad can comfortably be used in any wheelchair or favorite lounging chair, which is great for patients or loved ones you’re concerned could hurt themselves if attempting to stand on their own.

Key Features

  • Wireless bed/chair alarm
  • Adjustable alarm volume
  • Operates on three C batteries
Best range

Smart Caregiver Wireless Exit Alarm System

Monitor six devices at once

With the extended distance, the ability to monitor multiple devices, and extra bonus inclusions like a pillbox and cleaning wipes, this set up is a fantastic option.

This exit alarm system is unique because caregivers can actually be 300 ft away from the bed pad and the monitor will still work. This allows for even greater flexibility in the setup of the alarm for the caregiver while eliminating noise from the patient’s or loved one’s room.

Not only does the system work from a farther distance than other models, but it also comes with cleaning wipes to make disinfecting the pad a breeze since accidents do happen. A bonus item in the kit is a 7-day pillbox.

Another useful feature, especially for use in a hospital or nursing home, is the ability to monitor multiple devices at once. The alarm is compatible with up to six nurse call buttons, motion sensors, and/or cordless weight sensing pads.

Key Features

  • Cordless monitor
  • Latex-free, incontinence-proof vinyl bed pad
  • Week-long pillbox

Before purchasing a bed exit alarm for your loved one or patient, make sure to consider the small details that will make the bed pad and monitor as useful and long-lasting as possible.

Wireless versus wired

There’s a huge difference between wired and wireless sensing exit alarm kits. Wired options usually are more cost-efficient and tend to sync up movement with sound more quickly. With wired kits, the moment there’s movement off the bed, the alarm will be triggered. With wireless sensing bed pads, that’s not always the case. It’s possible there will be a delay as the sensor translates movement to the trigger.

Cost and synchronization are the two benefits of the wired exit alarms, but the need to install the alarm in your patient’s or loved one’s room while still being loud enough for you to hear could be a drawback. The alarm could potentially be distressing or cause added confusion, especially to those who have dementia.

This is only compounded by the fact that most bed exit alarm pads max out at 30” wide, so if used in a larger bed, there is the potential for it to sound if your loved one rolls to another side of the bed. With wireless kits, you don’t have to worry about waking your loved one, and you can simply put them back to bed without disturbing their sleep or frightening them.

Alarm options

Loud sounds can be extremely triggering for people with Alzheimers or another form of dementia. To avoid unnecessary stress on your loved one, it’s nice to have options for the volume and ringer style of the sensing bed pad alarm if going with a non-wireless option. But your ears are important too! If possible, we suggest purchasing an alarm that has various volume options that can mold to you or your loved one’s auditory needs.

Bed exit alarm pad fabric

Most bed exit alarm pads are made of vinyl as the material is soft, durable, and easy to clean. It also provides good protection for those who suffer from incontinence issues. Yet some bed pads also contain latex, which is a material commonly used for various medical products because of its elasticity and versatility, but it isn’t safe for everyone.

In fact, latex can cause allergic reactions like hives and rashes for many people. Though it’s not necessary to purchase a sensing bed pad that’s latex-free, especially since most bed exit alarm pads are installed under the fitted sheet, it might instill peace of mind that you’re buying a product that won’t cause unwanted irritation.

Bed exit alarm pad lifespan

Due to normal wear and tear, bed exit alarm pads will eventually need to be replaced. Be sure to take note of the manufacturer’s specifications regarding this–often times they indicate one year’s use before a replacement needs to be ordered, some as little as 45 days. Of course, your pad might last much longer, especially with proper use and care. That being said, it might not hurt to have a backup ready in case the pad does give out so there will be no gap in care.

Batteries

All bed exit alarms will require batteries. Some kits come with batteries to start you off, but that’s an exception to the rule. Read up on the product beforehand to figure out what kind of batteries you’ll need (many require CCC) and buy beforehand so you’ll be ready to use your bed exit alarm as soon as it arrives!

Alaina Strollo

Alaina is a writer and editor for the TravelAwaits team. Between her love for delicious food, hidden gems and niche destinations, and binge-watching travel series on Netflix, Alaina loves writing most of all. She is a storyteller at heart with a passion for sharing stories with the world.