Patient lateral transfer market seen reaching $7.58B by 2030

The patient lateral transfer market is projected to grow from $5.32 billion in 2026 to $7.58 billion by 2030, driven by higher hospitalizations, aging patients and wider use of safer transfer systems. North America led the market in 2025 as healthcare systems focused more on patient safety and caregiver injury reduction.

Why it matters: - Patient lateral transfer products help move patients safely between beds, stretchers and wheelchairs. - The market is tied to patient safety and caregiver well-being in hospitals and other care settings. - Rising demand can affect purchasing decisions for healthcare facilities managing more admissions and more frequent transfers.

What happened: - The patient lateral transfer market grew from $4.88 billion in 2025 to an expected $5.32 billion in 2026. - The market is forecast to reach $7.58 billion by 2030. - The projected 2026-2030 growth rate is 9.2% CAGR. - North America held the largest market share in 2025. - The report also covers Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - A free sample of the report is available as the sample report. - The full report is available as the market report.

The details: - The market’s recent growth was supported by higher hospitalization and surgery admissions. - Greater awareness of patient handling safety also boosted demand. - Early adoption of sliding sheets and manual transfer aids contributed to market expansion. - Healthcare facilities have increased efforts to reduce caregiver injuries. - Lateral transfer devices are used more often in intensive care units and emergency departments. - Future growth is expected to come from an aging population that requires frequent transfers. - Demand is rising for air-assisted powered transfer mattresses. - Single-use and disposable transfer products are gaining broader adoption. - Lateral transfer use is increasing in ambulatory surgical centers. - Safe patient handling programs are being implemented more widely across healthcare settings. - Lateral patient transfer means moving patients between surfaces, such as from bed to stretcher or wheelchair to bed. - Sliding sheets and transfer aids are designed to support repositioning and reduce injury risk for patients and caregivers. - In February 2024, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reported 2.96 million acute inpatient hospitalizations in Canada in 2022-2023, up from 2.88 million the previous year.

Between the lines: - The market is being shaped by two linked pressures: more patient movement and more scrutiny of injury prevention. - Product adoption appears to be shifting from basic manual aids toward powered and disposable solutions. - North America’s lead suggests mature safety standards and purchasing power may be accelerating adoption there. - The report’s emphasis on market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis and dashboards signals growing investor and supplier interest in segment-level opportunity mapping.

What's next: - Healthcare providers are likely to keep buying transfer products as admissions rise and patient populations age. - Product makers may compete more on safety, ease of use, disposability and powered assistance. - Wider rollout of safe patient handling programs could support sustained demand through 2030. - The Business Research Company says its 2026 reports now include strategic intelligence features such as company scoring matrix graphics, Excel-based dashboards, market hotspots infographics and updated graphics and tables.

The bottom line: - Patient lateral transfer is moving from a niche equipment category into a broader safety and workflow market, with steady growth expected through the end of the decade.