Published 25 August 2026
We only recommend products we think are worth it. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through one we earn a commission from Amazon, at no extra cost to you, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes which products we pick or how we rank them. This is not medical advice. If you are unsure what you need, ask your GP or occupational therapist.
These are the cheapest genuinely useful items on this site. A leg lifter is a strap with a loop that lets you pick up your own leg using your arms. A bed lever is a handle fixed to the bed frame that gives you something solid to pull on. Between them they solve most of the difficulty of getting into and out of bed, for under thirty pounds.
They also both carry safety points that the listings never mention, so read the two catches below before ordering.
Leg lifters: how to choose
Rigid or soft. A rigid or semi rigid lifter with a stiffened section is easier to hook over a foot because it holds its shape. A soft webbing strap is lighter and packs away but is fiddlier to place, particularly one handed.
Length matters more than anything else. Around 35 to 40 inches suits most adults sitting on a bed. Too short and you cannot reach the foot without bending, which is the movement you bought it to avoid.
Check the hand loop. A moulded or padded hand loop is far kinder than a bare webbing loop when you are pulling the weight of a leg with an arthritic hand.
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Best value: Uskerb leg lifter with hand loop
Does the job for the price of a sandwich. A simple strap with a foot loop and a hand loop, long enough for most adults sitting on the edge of a bed.
The catch: soft webbing, so it needs placing carefully over the foot rather than hooking on in one movement. Around £4.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
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| Uskerb Durable Leg Lifter Mobility Aid with Strong Handle Strap - Ideal for Knee Recovery, Post-Surgery & Elderly Assistance - Essential Rehabilitation Aid | £3.99 |
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Best after hip replacement: 39 inch leg lifter
Sold specifically for hip replacement recovery, and the length is the reason. After a hip replacement you are told not to bend past a set angle, and a lifter that reaches the foot without bending is what makes that possible.
The catch: your surgical team sets the restrictions and how long they last, so follow them rather than a product description. Around £7.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
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| 39 Inch Leg Lifter After Hip Replacement and Knee Surgery Recovery Rigid Leg Lifter Strap with Padded Foot Loop Elderly Mobility Aid Tool | £6.97 |
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Best build quality: NRS Healthcare Helping Hand leg lifter
NRS supplies the NHS, and this is the version you are most likely to have been shown by an occupational therapist. Stiffened section makes it easier to hook over the foot.
The catch: three times the price of the budget straps for a job all of them do. Worth it if hand function is poor. Around £13.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
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| NRS Healthcare Helping Hand HA0970 Leg Lifter, Black | £12.50 |
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Best for one handed use: leg and foot lifter strap
Designed to be placed and pulled with one hand, which matters a great deal after a stroke. The foot loop holds its shape enough to drop over a foot without a second hand to open it.
The catch: one handed technique takes practice, and an occupational therapist can teach it in one session. Around £5.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Leg Lifter Strap, Up Leg and Foot Lifter Mobility Aids, Mobility Aid for Bed, Elderly Aids for Daily Living, for Adult, Senior, Disability(Black) | £5.09 |
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Best soft option: padded helping hand leg lifter
A softer strap with padding at the hand end, which suits anyone whose hands hurt when they pull. Packs flat for a bag or a suitcase.
The catch: soft straps collapse, so this is the harder type to place if your reach is very limited. Around £5.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1Pc Helping Hand Leg Lifter Mobility Aid Soft Long Leg Lifter Strap Hip and Knee Single Loop Leg Lifter Aid for Bed Durable Handgrip for Injury, Car and Bed | £5.29 |
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Bed levers and grab rails: how to choose, and the safety point
Read this first. A bed lever gives somebody a handhold to pull on. A bed rail is there to stop somebody rolling out. They are constantly confused and they are not the same thing. Any rail or lever that creates a gap beside the mattress carries an entrapment risk, and that risk is serious for anybody who is confused, restless or frail. If the person might try to climb over it, this is the wrong equipment, and a lower bed with a crash mat is the safer answer.
Match it to the bed. Levers clamp or slide under the mattress and are rated for a particular bed type. A divan and a slatted frame need different fittings, and adjustable beds need a lever made for a moving frame.
Check the fit after any mattress change. A new, deeper mattress changes the gap between the rail and the bed, and that gap is the hazard.
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Best for an adjustable bed: Backcarebeds Samson bed lever
Made for adjustable and profiling beds, where a standard lever fouls the mechanism or shifts as the bed moves. If the bed profiles, this is the category you need rather than a cheaper fixed lever.
The catch: the most expensive item here by a distance, and only worth it if the bed actually moves. Around £95.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
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| Backcarebeds Samson Bed Lever For Adjustable Beds - Bed Rail For Seniors To Provide Support, Adjustable Bed Assist Rail, Adjustable Bed Grab Handle, Bed Grab Rail Handle CE And UKCA Certified. | £95.00 |
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Best clamp on rail: community bed grab rail
Clamps to the bed frame and gives a solid vertical handhold for pulling up to sitting. Straightforward to fit and to remove, which matters if the need is temporary.
The catch: check the clamp suits your bed frame before ordering, and re check it after any change of mattress. Around £35.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Community Bed Grab Rail – Clamp On Bed Guard Rail for Metal Profiling Beds – Adult Bed Lever to Help Sit Up and Rise Safely – Strong Grab Handle Compatible with Integral Bed Side Rails | £34.95 |
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Best adjustable rail: Dyna-Living bed assist rail
Height and width adjustable, which lets you set the handhold where the hand naturally goes rather than where the manufacturer assumed. Adjustability is what makes one of these get used.
The catch: more adjustment means more fittings to check are tight, and they should be checked periodically rather than once. Around £42.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
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| Dyna-Living Bed Assist Rail Safety Bed Rails for Elderly Adults Bed Lever | £42.32 |
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Best simple handle: NRS community bed grab rail
The plain NHS style handle, soft grey finish, no more than you need. If the person can already get themselves upright and just wants something solid to hold, this is enough.
The catch: a handhold and nothing more. It will not stop anybody rolling out of bed and is not intended to. Around £22.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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| NRS Community Bed Grab Rail Handle, Soft Grey, Medium, P94367 | £22.00 |
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Best budget option
The cheapest way to put a handhold beside a bed. Worth trying where the difficulty is mild and you are not sure a lever will help.
The catch: at the budget end, check the weight rating and the clamp carefully, because this is a fitting somebody puts their full weight through when they are least steady. Around £25.
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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| huiziyi Bed Rails for Elderly Adults, Bed Rail with Storage Bag Safely Assist Handrail Bar Fall Prevention, Bed Handle for Getting Out of Bed for Pregnant Women,Seniors,Handicap | £23.99 |
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get these free from the NHS or the council?
Frequently, yes. Leg lifters, bed levers and rails are all standard occupational therapy equipment, routinely supplied after a free assessment through your council adult social care team. The assessment also decides whether a rail is appropriate at all, which is the part worth having.
Do I pay VAT?
Not if you are eligible for VAT relief because of a disability or chronic illness. The declaration is made at the point of purchase, it takes a tick box, and it cannot be reclaimed afterwards. On items this cheap the saving is small but it is still yours.
Are bed rails safe?
They carry a documented entrapment risk, and the risk is in the gaps: between rail and mattress, within the rail, and at the ends. They are not suitable for anyone confused, restless or likely to climb over. Where they are used, the fit must be checked after any mattress change.
What is the difference between a bed lever and a bed rail?
A lever is a handhold for somebody actively trying to move. A rail is a barrier to stop somebody rolling out. If the aim is helping somebody get up, buy a lever. If the aim is containing somebody, that raises restraint questions under the Mental Capacity Act and needs a professional view.
How long should a leg lifter be?
Around 35 to 40 inches suits most adults sitting on the edge of a bed. Measure from your hand at rest to your foot in the position you will actually use it, and buy longer rather than shorter.
Will a leg lifter work after a stroke?
Often, and there are one handed techniques for exactly this. It is worth asking an occupational therapist to show you once, because the technique is not obvious and most people who give up on one gave up in the first week.
Published 25 August 2026