Anyone tried full-bed-width over bed tables?

Yes, I have one. It's not exactly the same as the pictured one. Mine doesn't seem to be available on Amazon now.

I use it every day. I wheel it to the side of the bedroom at night and back again when I want to use my laptop during the day for internet, forum and watching TV. I have a sloping pillow so I can see the screen and type on the laptop while lying down with my upper body raised at an angle.The table is wide enough to keep other stuff I want to hand during the day on it too.
 
I have an over-bed table on wheels, just on one side of the bed. I have to move it away if I want to bend my knees. I could adjust the height of the table to avoid it (if it can go as high) but then it would be too high for general use. I just thought I'd mention it as I didn't think about it when I was buying the table.

Also, the wheels on mine got clogged with hair and we haven't figured out how to open the wheels to clean them without breaking them :bag: So, perhaps they slide more than roll :rofl:
 
Mine has a central section that I can slope up at the back and a slight ridge at the front, so I can angle my laptop if I want to. I tried that for a while but decided it worked better for me with the table flat.

I use a mouse which I put on the bed beside me on a mouse mat, so I if I'm using the mouse to navigate rather than the keyboard, I can lie with my arm resting along the bed and just move my hand on the mouse.

I agree about needing to move the table if I want to bend my legs, and I also wheel it to the end of the bed if I want to lie on my side during the day.

What do you want to use if for? The purpose may affect whether it's the right thing for you.
 
Trish said:
Mine has a central section that I can slope up at the back and a slight ridge at the front, so I can angle my laptop if I want to. I tried that for a while but decided it worked better for me with the table flat.

I use a mouse which I put on the bed beside me on a mouse mat, so I if I'm using the mouse to navigate rather than the keyboard, I can lie with my arm resting along the bed and just move my hand on the mouse.

I agree about needing to move the table if I want to bend my legs, and I also wheel it to the end of the bed if I want to lie on my side during the day.

What do you want to use if for? The purpose may affect whether it's the right thing for you.
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the main reason is to be able to change the side I reach for basics like drinks or medication/things that can't sit on the bed when not being used and to reduce using my normal side and less twisting from a bedside table there. I'm having trouble with both arms getting exhausted but the side where a bed table currently is is going to be more out of action for a while and just changing that to the other side isn't an option due to space and weight of bed etc.

I thought of a very long one-side on far side that I could twist out of the way, but they don't come long enough and risk spillage more doing that, on the current side there isn't space or usefulness having an overbed there as it would be too much congestion if/when I need to get out.

it could theoretically be useful having the legs to help get out of bed depending on the design but that would be an incidental side-benefit

I'm looking at the height issue and thinking the same as has been mentioned by you and @Felis Catus - and that if I roll it down to bottom of bed it would need to be very high to be out of way of legs etc.

electric height adjust ones seem out for now (cost more so would like to test concept first, less common in width I need, but also there are no reviews and the delivery times are long time away etc)

and then I wonder whether setting it high could solve the issue if I eg need to use it for drinks and hoping I won't knock it. PLus how sturdy (or not sturdy) they are if they are set eg 1m high to being toppled when pushed back and forth.

There is also the issue of assembly and how hard a task that is for someone else to do.
 
I have one which I used for years when I was spending most of the day until late afternoon in bed. I kept everything I was likely to use ( apart from my ipad) on it, so as to reduce the twists that were required if I kept things on my bedside table. Twisting hurt the arthritic parts of the body. It was relatively easy to push the table out of the way when needed and it had a ridge to prevent things falling off. I used the ipad just in front of me and reclined against a sloping pillow.

Now that I am in a recliner (with feet fully elevated and leaning back when necessary) downstairs most of the time, I don't need the table over the bed. I do find that even though I have small tables on either side of me by the recliner, it isn't as convenient and I run out of space to put things and overflow onto the sofa which is inconvenient because I have to lower my legs and get up to get them. I can sleep there however and did all this morning. I just prefer to be downstairs after many years upstairs.
 
Binkie4 said:
Now that I am in a recliner (with feet fully elevated and leaning back when necessary) downstairs most of the time, I don't need the table over the bed. I do find that even though I have small tables on either side of me by the recliner, it isn't as convenient and I run out of space to put things
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Could you use the over the bed table with your recliner? I had thought of getting a recliner, but want to be able to use my laptop on a table over it.
Sean said:
What angle is it (approx.)?
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I use 2 sloping cushions about 10 degrees each to make it about 20 degrees slope. And a normal sized pillow for my head on top of it.
 
I've always used a bag for the small stuff I want to hand when I'm really unwell. It's a smallish top-zipped structured leather bag (the sort often called a man bag), where things don't fall out easily even when it's not zipped.

In it I keep my meds, phone, TV remote, lip salve, hair bobble, nail clippers, etc—all the bits I can't just put on the mattress next to my pillow because I'd end up lying on them. It's easy to push it further away if I want to move, but it's also easy to pull it onto my stomach and reach a hand inside to firkle about for whatever I want. The main benefit is that it leaves the bedside table clear for drinks and food items.

If I needed so many bits and bobs that it was hard to locate them inside a bag, I'd probably split them over two. One on each side of the pillows.
 
Kitty said:
I've always used a bag for the small stuff I want to hand when I'm really unwell. It's a smallish top-zipped structured leather bag (the sort often called a man bag), where things don't fall out easily even when it's not zipped.

In it I keep my meds, phone, TV remote, lip salve, hair bobble, nail clippers, etc—all the bits I can't just put on the mattress next to my pillow because I'd end up lying on them. It's easy to push it further away if I want to move, but it's also easy to pull it onto my stomach and reach a hand inside to firkle about for whatever I want. The main benefit is that it leaves the bedside table clear for drinks and food items.

If I needed so many bits and bobs that it was hard to locate them inside a bag, I'd probably split them over two. One on each side of the pillows.
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The main issue is cups of tea or drinks and I don’t want to have to switch to closed bottles or sippy cups as I’ve lost enough (pleasures to disability) and bottles in itself are an issue

I will however not always finish a mug or cup before it might be pushed away to lie down - in fact I sort of envision it could end up being a bit of a collection hence the worry about getting the height right for shoving it to end of bed and hoping I don’t kick it adjusting quilt or foot position etc

The medications would be good to have there too next to the drinks etc

I’m sure as I go on there might be more needs or more things it become useful for but these are my begging gaps atm and I won’t be able to turn but do find I need to drink a lot and often
 
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bobbler said:
The main issue is cups of tea or drinks
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Yeah, that's why I use the bag. You need a largish clear area to put cups down without having to prop yourself up to look, so all the things that would otherwise make the cup tip to one side are out of the way.

I don't use the bedside cabinets when I'm unwell, as even though they're level with the mattress they're high enough to make my arm muscles ache. I use small 'tables' by the side of the bed, one of which is an old hi-fi speaker (small footprint and just the right height), the other of which is the smallest of a nest of 1970s coffee tables. The coffee table is on wooden runners and can easily be pushed away, so that's on the side where I get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

[Edited to add a few words]
 
Over the bed tables are big and heavy. Mine moves quite smoothly usually on hard flooring but it still requires significant effort. I don't know whether it would be harder to meve on carpet. It is on caster wheels which sometimes bump against the side of the divan bed and turn their brakes on, so I need to get out of bed and lean down to pull the lever up. In terms of leaning on it when getting out of bed, it's very stable against the table falling over, but will wheel away if pushed on, so can't be depended on as a stable base to lean on.

I don't know whether local authority OT's do home adaptation visits might be able to loan you one to try, or make alternative suggestions on the basis of seeing your particular bedroom set up and needs. I have never consulted them, as I just work out what I want and buy online.
 
I haven't tried what you're looking for @bobbler, but it looks great. I hope you find the right one. I wouldn't have the space to move it out of the way.

I can't reach bedside tables at the moment because of shoulder issues. I'm using a really sturdy rectangular lacquer tray with high sides and handles on the bed. The handles and high straight sides and smooth surface mean I can push/pull it around the bed really easily.

I know what you mean about drinks spilling. I use normal glasses/mugs on the tray when I'm alert. But I do now use a thermal flask at night and when resting. I found one that I can use one-handed and drink from any direction. For me, it's perfect. I've only used it for cold liquids so far, but it can do hot liquids too.
www.evasolo.com

Urban thermo flask - 0.5 litres - Blue sky

Urban thermo flask - 0.5 litres - Blue sky
www.evasolo.com www.evasolo.com

For laptop I use an adjustable tray like this one:

NRS Healthcare Adjustable Tray : Amazon.ie: Health & Household

NRS Healthcare Adjustable Tray : Amazon.ie: Health & Household
www.amazon.ie

Hope you find what's right for you, @bobbler. These threads are so helpful.
 
Kitty said:
I've always used a bag for the small stuff I want to hand when I'm really unwell. It's a smallish top-zipped structured leather bag (the sort often called a man bag), where things don't fall out easily even when it's not zipped.

In it I keep my meds, phone, TV remote, lip salve, hair bobble, nail clippers, etc—all the bits I can't just put on the mattress next to my pillow because I'd end up lying on them. It's easy to push it further away if I want to move, but it's also easy to pull it onto my stomach and reach a hand inside to firkle about for whatever I want. The main benefit is that it leaves the bedside table clear for drinks and food items.

If I needed so many bits and bobs that it was hard to locate them inside a bag, I'd probably split them over two. One on each side of the pillows.
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To be fair I sometimes feel like I need to hang my remote and/or phone round my neck or something - the amount of times u find them inside a pillow case or sitting on it without boticing it even while im searching somehow (despite it being white duvet and dark colour objects) , or at least have one of those ‘find my keys’ whistle functions
 
If your bed’s not hugely wide @bobbler, it might be worth trying a felt bed pocket? I use these for my whistles. It’s just a long piece of fabric with pockets at one end and you shove the other under the mattress. They’re very cheap, so you don’t lose much if they don’t work for you. Find them on eBay, Temu, etc.
 
@Trish -there could be some problems with using an over the bed table with a recliner. Firstly it would need to be able to slip under the recliner - my table wouldn't do that by one inch unless the recliner was placed on blocks. Then the table would need to be pushed to the side when you were ready to get up, unlike the bed when you just push it down the bed, which would mean quite a lot of free space ( width of the table) at the side of the chair. That would depend on the configuration and space in the room where you had the recliner, not insurmountable but would need thought.
 
Thanks Binkie. The bit about fitting under the recliner wouldn't be a problem as the legs don't have a section that goes under the bed. It just has vertical legs with wheels on each side of the bed.
 
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