A ripple mattress is bought for one reason: to stop a pressure sore forming, or to stop an existing one getting worse. It is one of the few pieces of home care equipment where the cost of not buying it is measured in months of wound care, and occasionally in a life.
Ripple mattress prices in Kenya: 2026
| Item | Price | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Ripple Mattress – Bubble | KSh 5,000 | Prevention in patients at moderate risk, home care, short-term bed rest |
| Ripple Mattress – Tube | KSh 10,500 | Higher risk patients, existing grade 1-2 sores, long-term immobility |
| Hospital Bed – Single Crank with Mattress | KSh 25,000 | Complete home care set-up on one order |
| Hospital Bed – Double Crank with Mattress | KSh 43,000 | Patients needing both back and knee positioning |
Bubble or tube: the difference that matters
A bubble (cell) mattress is an overlay of individual air pockets that inflate and deflate in alternating groups. It is light, inexpensive and effective for prevention in a patient who can still shift position a little on their own.
A tube mattress uses long transverse air tubes, usually deeper, with a stronger pump. Because the tubes are deeper the patient is properly suspended rather than resting on a thin layer of air, and the alternating cycle offloads tissue more completely. That is what you want for a patient who cannot reposition at all, or who already has a sore.
If you are choosing between them and the patient has been bed-bound for more than a few weeks, buy the tube. The price difference is roughly the cost of two weeks of dressings for a grade 3 sore.
A ripple mattress does not replace turning
This is the most important thing on this page. An alternating pressure mattress reduces risk substantially; it does not eliminate it. Patients still need repositioning, and the schedule most home carers can realistically sustain is every two to three hours during the day and every four at night.
- Heels. The mattress does very little for heels. Offload them with a pillow under the calves so the heels float clear of the surface entirely.
- Skin checks. Look at the sacrum, heels, hips and shoulders daily. Redness that does not blanch under light finger pressure is a grade 1 sore and needs action that day.
- Moisture. Incontinence and sweat soften skin and multiply the risk. Manage continence properly and change linen promptly.
- Nutrition. Protein and fluid intake affect healing more than most families expect. Raise it with the treating clinician.
- Sheets. One loose sheet only. Layers of tightly tucked bedding under the patient cancel out the alternating action.
Setting it up correctly
Lay the overlay directly on the existing mattress, secure the straps, hang the pump on the footboard with the air hoses running clear of the floor, and leave it to inflate fully before the patient gets on it. Set the pressure dial to the patient weight, not to the maximum: over-inflation makes the surface hard and defeats the purpose. Check the pump is running every morning, because a mattress with a failed pump is worse than an ordinary mattress.
Most families order the mattress with a bed. The hospital bed guide explains the manual, crank and electric options, and the home care starter pack puts the bed, mattress, commode and transfer aids on a single delivery.
Questions we are asked most often
How much does a ripple mattress cost in Kenya?
A bubble ripple mattress is around KSh 5,000 and a tube ripple mattress about KSh 10,500. Both include the pump.
Will it fit an ordinary bed at home?
Yes. Both are overlays sized for a standard single bed and they sit on top of the existing mattress.
Does it need to run all the time?
Yes, continuously, whenever the patient is on it. The pump uses very little power.
Can it heal an existing pressure sore?
It removes the pressure that caused the sore, which is a precondition for healing, but the wound itself still needs proper dressing and clinical review. Use it alongside wound care, not instead of it.
Ordering
Stock is listed under mattresses, with beds under hospital beds and dressings under wound care. We deliver to all 47 counties and can set the mattress up at the bedside in Nairobi.