Truth in advertising seems about as relevant today as a trusty Sony Walkman or a rotary phone, but hearing users of the Freedom Bed rave about the independence it has brought them makes you think it might still exist.

“Thanks to the Freedom Bed I’m able to work, read, move around and do everything I need from bed,” says Wes Price, a C3-4 quad who splits his time between Oregon and Alaska. “It offers me almost the same freedom in bed that I have in my chair.”

In fact, Price found the Freedom Bed to be such a game changer that he bought a second one so he could have one in both his homes — no small feat when one costs upwards of $40,000. Price urges those who might be dissuaded by the high price tag to give the bed a closer look, as it offers a number of unique features that have been liberating for him and other users.

The Freedom Bed was designed by ProBed Medical to make it easier for people to reposition themselves and avoid pressure sores and other complications possible from spending time prone in bed. The bed allows users to program and adjust the exact angles and frequency of left and right rotations and then executes the repositioning independently.

Being able to rely on the bed for turning has been a lifesaver for Steve Jenkins, who has been battling neurological pain and pressure sores since he was paralyzed by transverse myelitis four years ago.

“My bedsores were really giving me a run for my money, and I just never seemed to be able to get the upper hand,” he says. “I had a conventional bed with a foam mattress, and I had to basically spend most of my day on my side to have any chance at all of getting those sores to heal. But I can’t sleep on my side comfortably, and I just never was able to really make any progress.”

After looking at various alternating pressure mattresses and other options, Jenkins settled on the Freedom Bed and started using it this spring. “It’s very simple,” he says. “As soon as I begin to get sleepy, I turn the thing on and I have it turn me to the left for 20 minutes, bring me flat for 20, and turn me to the right for 20. You can adjust the angle at which it turns you. You can do just about anything by way of customizing it.”

He credits the bed with saving his wife’s back and easing his caregivers’ load, helping his sores heal and reminding him what a good night’s sleep is. “I was sure it would drive me nuts turning in the night, but I’m pretty sure it never wakes me up,” he says. “I think I sleep better now than I ever did.”

Price agrees about sleep quality and has been equally surprised by the bed’s ability to help maximize his productivity while he is awake. Thanks to an optional integrated voice control device, Price is able to control his entire home — lights, garage door, TV — by voice from his bed. To up the ante even further, he mounted his computer to the frame. “The world is my oyster,” he says.

Jenkins has no complaints about what he calls “a wonderful product” and is thankful he and his wife invested in long term health care insurance over 25 years ago. “It saved our lives, and it paid for the bed,” he says.

While Medicare does not cover the Freedom Bed, many commercial insurance policies will, according to Stephen Plummer, ProBed’s president and CEO. ProBed has a legal team who will help prospective clients build cases. “If a claim gets denied but it looks like legitimate claim and not a fair denial, we’ll fight it,” he says.

For more on pricing and options, see pro-bed.com.