Electric or hydraulic? Treatment tables compared

For most practices, the electric treatment table is the right choice: height adjustment via hand or foot control works without any effort, even with the patient on the table. A hydraulic table is worthwhile where no power connection is available at the location or where budget is the deciding factor.

How the two drive types differ

Electric treatment tables adjust height via an electric motor, operated either by hand control or by foot pedal. A single press of a button is enough: the movement runs smoothly and stops exactly at the desired position. The foot pedal control has a clear hygiene advantage here, because both hands stay with the patient and no control elements need to be touched, which saves time between two treatments. Hydraulic tables instead work with a foot pump that pressurises a hydraulic cylinder beneath the lying surface. Here too the hands stay free, though raising the table takes several pumping movements with the foot while lowering is done via a release valve and takes noticeably less effort. In both cases the height can be adjusted while the patient is already lying on the table, without them having to change position or get up. For the treating professional this means the workflow does not get interrupted, regardless of which drive the table has, and both control types can be learned safely without prior experience. When planning the room, it is worth looking at the intended location: electric tables need a reachable socket there, and the cable needs to be factored into the room layout, while hydraulic tables can be placed freely regardless of connections and rearranged whenever needed. Longevity differs too: the electric drive holds up comfortably to the continuous use of a busy practice and can be serviced when needed, while the hydraulics are inherently low-risk thanks to their simple construction.

Hydraulics play out their strengths where the intended location has no power connection, for example in treatment rooms set up afterwards, shared practices with limited electrical installation, or for mobile use outside your own practice. Because neither a cable nor a power supply is needed, the room can be planned more freely, without regard to the position of sockets, and the table moved around without hassle when required. The technology is simple, robust and low maintenance, because fewer electronic components are built in that could fail, and the purchase price is lower than for the electric variant. The honest downside shows up in daily use: every adjustment requires pumping movements with the foot, which costs time and some effort, especially when the table has to be brought to different working heights several times within one treatment day or when heavier patients are treated. Especially in secondary practices, home visits or rooms used only occasionally, this downside rarely tips the balance, because the table is adjusted less often there than in full practice operation anyway.

Price difference in direct comparison

So you do not have to guess the surcharge for the electric drive, the table below directly compares the current net list prices of our model pairs: the same table, once with an electric and once with a hydraulic drive, each in identical equipment, so you see the drive component alone without having to weigh different models or equipment lines against each other. The figures come directly from our current range and are updated automatically whenever the prices change.

Decision guide

• Choose electric if you have many patient changes every day and want to work in a back-friendly way.
• Choose electric if several people of different heights work at the same table.
• Choose hydraulic if no power connection is available at the location or the table is moved frequently.
• Choose hydraulic if the budget is limited and the height is adjusted only rarely.

Regardless of which drive you choose: not every series is available with both drives, the table above shows you in which series electric and hydraulic sit side by side. Where both drives exist, they can be configured identically, from upholstery colour through frame colour in RAL shades to the width of the lying surface and matching accessories. If you are unsure which drive suits your daily practice, your location and your patient volume, we will advise you without obligation and work out the right configuration for your practice together with you. Just get in touch before you commit.