Patient Lateral Transfer Market Report 2026

Patient Lateral Transfer Market Overview

• Patient Lateral Transfer market size has reached to $4.88 billion in 2025 • Expected to grow to $7.58 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% • Growth Driver: Rising Hospitalization Rates Driving Patient Lateral Transfer Market Growth • Market Trend: Xodus Medical Unveils Advanced Lift-Free Air-Assisted Patient Positioning Devices • North America was the largest region in 2025.

What Is Covered Under Patient Lateral Transfer Market?

Lateral patient transfer involves moving patients from one surface to another, such as transferring them from a bed to a stretcher or from a wheelchair to a bed. It is done in every medical unit and is essential for safe patient management. The products and sheets involved in transfer aid for safe lateral transfers and patient repositioning. The main types of products in patient lateral transfer are air-assisted lateral transfer mattresses, sliding sheets, and accessories. An air-assisted lateral transfer mattress refers to a type of medical device that is designed to help caregivers transfer patients. It is used for single-patient use and reusable and it involves a variety of end-users, such as hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.

What Is The Patient Lateral Transfer Market Growth Forecast?

The patient lateral transfer market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $7.58 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to aging patient population requiring frequent transfers, rising demand for air-assisted powered transfer mattresses, increasing adoption of single patient use and disposable transfer products, growing lateral transfer utilization in ambulatory surgical centers, expanding implementation of safe patient handling programs across healthcare facilities. Major trends in the forecast period include rising adoption of air-assisted lateral transfer mattresses in acute and critical care units, increasing utilization of sliding sheets and transfer aids for safe patient repositioning, growing demand for single-patient-use transfer products to reduce cross-contamination, expansion of lateral transfer solutions in ambulatory surgical and day-care settings, increasing focus on caregiver safety and musculoskeletal injury prevention during transfers.

Global Patient Lateral Transfer Market Segmentation

1) By Products: Air-Assisted Lateral Transfer Mattress, Sliding Sheets, Accessories 2) By Usage Type: Single Patient Use, Reusable 3) By End-User: Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Other End-Users Subsegments: 1) By Air-Assisted Lateral Transfer Mattress: Powered Air-Assisted Mattresses, Manual Air-Assisted Mattresses, Disposable Air-Assisted Mattresses 2) By Sliding Sheets: Standard Sliding Sheets, Gliding Sheets With Handles, Disposable Sliding Sheets, Reusable Sliding Sheets 3) By Accessories: Transfer Straps And Belts, Positioning Cushions, Lifting Slings, Support Pads For Lateral Transfer

What Is The Driver Of The Patient Lateral Transfer Market?

The increasing hospitalization rate is expected to propel the growth of the patient lateral transfer market going forward. Hospitalization is the admission of a patient to a hospital for medical care, treatment, or surgery requiring at least an overnight stay under professional supervision.The rising hospitalization rate refers to the growing number of people admitted to hospitals for medical treatment. Lateral transfer is used for patients in hospitals to change the patient's position, provide care, and assess the patient's condition. For instance, in February 2024, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, a Canada-based healthcare company, in 2022–2023, there were 2.96 million acute inpatient hospitalizations in Canada, up from 2.88 million visits in 2022. Therefore, the increase in hospitalization is driving the growth of the patient lateral transfer industry.

Key Players In The Global Patient Lateral Transfer Market

Major companies operating in the patient lateral transfer market are Stryker Corporation, Medline Industries Inc., Scan Medical Co Inc., Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Wideblue Ltd., Arjo AB, Etac AB, Handicare Group AB, AliMed Inc., Prism Medical Inc., EZ Way Inc., HoverTech International, Blue Chip Medical Products Inc., Airpal Inc., McAuley Medical Inc., Samarit Medical AG, Patient Positioning Systems LLC, David Scott Company, Haines Medical Australia, WY East Medical Company, GBUK Ltd.

Global Patient Lateral Transfer Market Trends and Insights

Major companies operating in the patient lateral transfer market are focusing on technological innovation, such as lift-free, air-assisted patient positioning devices, which enhance patient transfer, repositioning, and staff safety while reducing physical strain on caregivers. Lift-free, air-assisted patient positioning devices use air channels, low-friction surfaces, and optimized pad designs to enable effortless lateral transfers, support complex procedural positions such as Trendelenburg and lithotomy, and accommodate patients with high BMI or unique mobility needs. For instance, in February 2024, Xodus Medical, a US-based medical device company, launched two new variations of its Pink Pad Air-Assist system. The Pink Pad Air-Assist Trendelenburg, features an extra distal air channel for improved lifting and transfer of heavy patients, while the Pink Pad Air-Assist EXT + Trendelenburg extends to 72 inches with revised air channels and pad strips, providing safe, flexible, and efficient patient repositioning for a wide range of clinical scenarios.

What Are Latest Mergers And Acquisitions In The Patient Lateral Transfer Market?

In August 2023, Pelstar LLC, is a US-based provider of medical supplies for both commercial and personal use, acquired Bridge Healthcare USA, or an undisclosed amount. This strategic initiative aims to strengthen Pelstar's portfolio of Safe Patient Handling products, which is focused on minimizing injuries among healthcare workers during patient transfers. Bridge Healthcare USA is a US-based company that provides patient lateral transfer solutions.

Regional Outlook

North America was the largest region in the patient lateral transfer market in 2025. The regions covered in this market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in this market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain

What Defines the Patient Lateral Transfer Market?

The patient lateral transfer market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as patient care assessment, patient management. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The patient lateral transfer market also includes sales of transfer boards, transfer slings, ceiling lifts and rolling transfer boards that are used in patient lateral transfer services. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

How is Market Value Defined and Measured?

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified). The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.