Changing table
A fixed-position or freestanding workstation for changing and personal care. Height adjustment helps different carers work at a more suitable level, while a surrounding shelf or storage area can keep supplies close to hand.
Changing Tables vs Nursing Benches vs Shower Trolleys
Accessibility School
Changing Tables, Nursing Benches and Shower Trolleys: What’s the Difference?
The names can sound interchangeable, but the equipment is designed around different care routines. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right surface, mobility, capacity and water-management features.
Quick Answer
A changing table is primarily a controlled-height surface for changing and personal care. A nursing bench is a larger, mobile care platform designed for higher user weights, hoist access and assisted routines. A shower trolley adds a water-resistant care surface and drainage so showering and wet care can take place on the trolley itself.
Three related products, three different jobs
Start with the care routine, not the product name
Changing tables, nursing benches and shower trolleys all bring a person to a workable height for a carer, but their construction and intended use differ. The best starting point is to ask what needs to happen on the surface, how the person will transfer onto it, whether the equipment must move around the room and whether water will be used directly on the platform.
Nursing bench
A larger mobile platform for nursing, changing and assisted care, typically with castors, folding side gates and space below for transfer equipment. Higher-capacity models can support adult care routines.
Shower trolley
A mobile height-adjustable platform designed to manage water during showering and washing. A water-resistant surface, raised sides and drainage distinguish it from a conventional nursing bench.
At a glance
What changes between the three?
The labels matter less than the features behind them. This comparison uses the Granberg Care 343, 345 and 346 ranges currently supplied by Independent 4 Life as practical examples.
Feature
Care 343
Care 345
Care 346
Primary role
Changing and personal care
Nursing, changing and assisted care
Showering, washing and wet care
Mobility
Freestanding, fixed in position during use
Mobile on lockable castors
Mobile on lockable castors
Height adjustment
750–1150mm
Powered height adjustment
Powered height adjustment
Current range capacity
50kg maximum user weight
200kg maximum load
200kg maximum load
Water management
Standard table; separate bathtub version available
Care surface, not a shower trolley
Water-resistant surface with drainage
Transfer planning
Plan around table position and user weight
Free space beneath supports mobile-hoist access
Plan hoisting, wet-care access and drainage together
Choose by routine
Three questions usually make the choice much clearer
Is the task mainly dry changing?
If the main need is changing at a controlled working height, a dedicated changing table can be the simplest solution. Consider surface width, storage, cleaning and the person’s current and future weight.
Will hoist-supported adult care be routine?
A mobile nursing bench can provide more space, a substantially higher capacity and clearance beneath the platform for transfer equipment. Side gates and castor brakes then become important parts of the specification.
Will the person be showered on the surface?
If water is used directly around the person, specify equipment designed for wet care. Drainage, the shower mattress, hose routing and room falls all need to work as a system.
Real-world examples
Granberg’s Care range shows the distinction clearly
The Care 343 is a freestanding Corian changing table offered in five widths, with a powered 750–1150mm working-height range and a 50kg maximum user weight. A separate 343 version incorporates a bathtub for combined changing and bathing.
The Care 345 moves the concept into mobile nursing care, with battery-powered height adjustment, lockable castors, folding gates, hoist clearance and a 200kg capacity. The Care 346 is the wet-care counterpart, adding a shower surface and drainage.
Before you specify
Plan the whole care sequence
Dimensions and lifting range matter, but so do transfers, staff positions, storage, water, infection-control routines and the route through the room.
User size and load: check the manufacturer’s stated maximum and allow for likely future needs.
Transfer method: confirm whether transfers are independent, assisted, standing, sliding or hoist-supported.
Working sides: make sure carers can reach the sides and ends needed for the actual routine.
Room circulation: allow space for the trolley or bench itself, carers and any transfer equipment.
Wet or dry use: do not assume a general nursing bench is designed to manage shower water.
Cleaning and accessories: check mattress type, gates, protection, pillows and replacement components against the exact model.
FAQs
Common questions
Is a nursing bench the same as a changing table?
Not necessarily. Both provide a care surface and may be height-adjustable, but nursing benches are commonly larger, more mobile and designed around assisted care, transfers and higher user weights. Always compare the actual specification rather than relying on the label alone.
Can a nursing bench be used for showering?
Only if the manufacturer has designed and specified it for wet care. A shower trolley is built around water-resistant surfaces and drainage; a conventional nursing bench may not be.
Why does height adjustment matter?
It allows the care surface to be repositioned for different carers and tasks, reducing the need to work continually at one fixed level. It does not replace safe moving-and-handling practice or an individual assessment.
What is the difference between the Granberg 345 and 346?
The 345 is a mobile nursing bench for nursing and changing routines. The 346 is a mobile shower trolley designed for wet care, with a shower surface and drainage. Both current ranges include powered height adjustment and 200kg capacity.
Can a mobile hoist fit under these products?
The Care 345 is specifically designed with free space beneath for a patient lift or mobile hoist. Hoist compatibility still needs to be checked against the exact hoist base, room layout and transfer plan.
Where are these products commonly specified?
They can be relevant in schools, care homes, healthcare, rehabilitation and domestic assisted-care settings. Suitability depends on the individual, the care routine and the room rather than the building type alone.
Need help choosing?
Start with the care routine, transfer method and room.
Tell us who the equipment needs to support, how transfers are managed and whether the task involves dry changing, nursing care or showering. Our team can help you narrow the right type of product before you compare individual models.
