Exam Tables

Manual, Power, Pediatric and Imaging Tables for Every Clinical Room

Medical exam tables fall into four working categories: manual fixed-height tables, electric hi-low power tables, pediatric tables, and specialty tables built for imaging or casting. MediDepot stocks more than 120 models from Clinton Industries, Bailey Manufacturing and Hausted, covering general practice through OB/GYN, imaging suites, therapy rooms and pediatric clinics.

The exam table is the one thing in a clinical room that every single patient touches. It also outlives almost everything else you buy: a well-built table is still in service fifteen years later, long after the computers and the blood pressure cuffs have been replaced twice. Which means the specification you choose today is a decision you live with for a very long time.

Most of that decision comes down to four questions. Does the table need to move (power) or stay put (manual)? Does the base need to be open for cleaning access, or shrouded for storage? Do you need a drop section, stirrups, or a window drop for imaging? And what patient population is actually using it? Everything below is organized around those questions.

→ Browse by type: Manual Exam Tables, Power Exam Tables, Pediatric Exam Tables. Related: All Clinic & Exam Equipment, Therapy Tables, Physician & Surgical Stools.

What Is the Difference Between an Exam Table and a Treatment Table?

An exam table is built for diagnostic examination and typically includes an adjustable backrest, storage drawers, pull-out steps and often stirrups. A treatment table is a flatter, simpler surface built for procedures, therapy and recovery, usually with a one-piece top and a heavier frame. Both appear in this collection, and many clinics use both in the same building.

Open Base vs Shrouded Base: The Choice Most Buyers Overlook

An open base leaves the frame exposed underneath, giving you floor access for cleaning and room for a stool or a wheelchair footplate. A shrouded base encloses the mechanism in cabinetry, adding storage and a finished look but blocking floor access underneath. Both are available across the Clinton Industries Power 500 and Power XL 600 lines.

Choose an open base when

• Infection control requires visible floor access under the table for daily cleaning.
• Clinicians work seated and need knee clearance under the table edge.
• Wheelchair users transfer to the table and the chair footplates need somewhere to go.
• The room already has adequate cabinetry and you do not need more storage.

Choose a shrouded base when

• The exam room is small and the table has to double as storage.
• You want a finished cabinet look in a patient-facing space.
• Supplies need to live at the point of care rather than in a separate cabinet.

Worth knowing: shrouded models cost more and weigh more, and once they are placed they tend to stay placed. If your room layout is still in flux, open base gives you more room to change your mind later.

Table Options That Change What the Table Can Do

Four options separate a basic table from a procedure-capable one: an adjustable backrest, a drop section, stirrups, and a window drop for imaging. Each one is specified at order time and generally cannot be added later, so it pays to think a year ahead rather than buying to today's exact caseload.

One-piece top vs adjustable backrest

A one-piece top is a flat, unarticulated surface. It is more durable, easier to clean and cheaper, and it is the right call for treatment, therapy and recovery use. An adjustable backrest lets the patient sit up for conversation, respiratory examination and ENT work, then lie flat for abdominal or pelvic exam. If the table is in a room where you take a history and then examine, you want the backrest.

Drop section

A drop section lets the foot end of the table fold down, opening access for pelvic examination, podiatry and procedures where the clinician needs to work at the end of the table rather than the side. Clinton models with a drop section include the 80330 and 80399 in the open base line and the 81330 and 81399 shrouded. The 80220 and 81220 combine a drop section with a space-saver footprint for tight rooms.

Stirrups

Integrated retractable stirrups matter for any practice doing gynecological examination or urological procedures. The Clinton 81360 pairs stirrups with an adjustable backrest and footrest, and the 85309 multi-use imaging table adds stirrups to a powered imaging platform. On the manual side the Hausted 4200 series includes stirrups and pelvic tilt as standard.

Window drop for imaging

An imaging table has a radiolucent window in the top that allows a C-arm or portable unit to image through the table without repositioning the patient. Clinton's imaging line covers the 85100 (window drop), 85200 (window drop plus adjustable backrest) and 85300 (three-section top). If you do injections under fluoroscopy, this is not an optional feature.

Compare Table Configurations by Specification

A side-by-side of the configurations that come up most often in specification conversations.

Brands in This Collection

Clinton Industries supplies the majority of this collection, covering the Power 500, Power XL 600, Power 600 Extra Wide, E-Series and Power-Glide lines plus the full themed pediatric range and the imaging tables. Their model numbering is systematic once you learn it: the 8 prefix is powered, the second digit indicates the top configuration, and a 99 suffix marks the XL 600 frame.

Bailey Manufacturing covers manual examination and treatment tables, therapy tables, and the Model 498 pediatric exam cabinet. The 490 through 493 series gives you four cabinet layouts at a 300 lb rating.

Hausted covers the 4100 and 4200 manual series and the 4600 powered hi-low series, plus replacement upholstered tops for existing tables in the GF100RT through GF405RT range. If you have an aging Hausted table with good mechanics and tired upholstery, replacing the top is usually a fraction of the cost of a new table.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an exam table and a treatment table?

An exam table is built for diagnostic examination. It usually has an adjustable backrest, integrated drawers, a paper roll dispenser, pull-out steps and often stirrups. A treatment table is a simpler, flatter surface built for procedures, therapy, casting and recovery, typically with a one-piece top and a heavier frame designed to take manual force. In practice the terms overlap and many manufacturers use them interchangeably, so read the configuration rather than the name.

Should I buy an open base or a shrouded base table?

Open base if you need floor access underneath for cleaning, knee clearance for seated clinicians, or room for wheelchair footplates during transfers. Shrouded base if the room is small and you want the table to double as supply storage. Shrouded models cost and weigh more, so if the room layout is not settled yet, open base keeps your options open.

What weight capacity do medical exam tables have?

Standard manual exam tables in this collection are rated around 300 lb. Powered tables generally carry higher ratings, and extra-wide models such as the Clinton Power 600 series at 34 inches wide are built for larger patients specifically. Weight capacity and top width are separate specifications: a patient can fit comfortably on the surface and still exceed the frame rating, so confirm both against your patient population before ordering.

Can I add stirrups or a drop section to a table later?

Generally no. Stirrups, drop sections, window drops and powered backrests are built into the frame at manufacture and are specified at order time. Some accessories such as paper roll holders, side rails and treatment trays can be added afterward, but structural options cannot. This is the single most common regret we hear, so specify for where the practice is heading, not only for today's caseload.

What is a window drop and do I need one?

A window drop is a radiolucent panel in the table top that lets a C-arm or portable imaging unit image through the table without moving the patient. You need it if your practice performs fluoroscopically guided injections, pain management procedures, or any imaging at the table. If imaging happens in a separate room on dedicated equipment, you do not.

Can I replace just the upholstery on an existing exam table?

Often yes, and it is usually far cheaper than replacing the table. This collection carries Hausted replacement upholstered tops in the GF100RT, GF204RT, GF304RT, GF404RT and GF405RT series. Match the replacement top to your exact table series, since dimensions and mounting differ between models. If your table mechanics are sound and only the vinyl has aged, this is the economical fix.

How do exam tables ship and do they need assembly?

Most cabinet and powered exam tables ship pre-assembled on a pallet via freight delivery and need only positioning and, for powered models, an outlet. Simpler treatment tables with open frames may need minor assembly such as attaching legs. Individual product pages specify delivery method. For multi-room installations, submit a quote request so freight can be scheduled in one coordinated delivery.

Do power exam tables qualify for the ADA tax credit?

Electric hi-low tables that lower to wheelchair transfer height meet the accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment, and eligible small businesses may claim the IRS Section 44 Disabled Access Credit, which covers up to 50% of qualifying expenditures within statutory limits. Eligibility depends on your practice structure and gross receipts, so confirm with your tax advisor before relying on it in a budget.

MediDepot Purchasing Advantages

• Price Match Guarantee: found the same model number for less elsewhere? We will match the verified price.
• Equipment Financing: spread a multi-room table purchase across monthly payments instead of one capital hit.
• Extended Warranty: coverage on actuators, control electronics and upholstery beyond the manufacturer term.
• Military Discount: available for qualifying military medical facilities and personnel.
• Request a Quote: configuration guidance, upholstery colour matching across rooms, and freight coordination.

Related Buying Guides

• Physician Office Setup Checklist: What to Buy First
• Private Practice Equipment Buying Mistakes That Waste Budget
• Medical Equipment Quote Comparison Checklist
• Medical Equipment Financing Guide for Clinics
• How to Verify Authorized Medical Equipment Sellers Before You Buy
• Model Number Comparison Guide: Avoid Counterfeits

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