Positions
What is the zero gravity position on an adjustable bed?
Short answer
Zero gravity is a reclined position with the head slightly raised and the knees lifted, so your legs rest a little above your heart and your weight spreads along your back. The name comes from the relaxed posture NASA observed in astronauts floating in space. On the kaipuyiree Massage model it is the one-touch ZG button; on the Classic, hold the head-and-foot button until you reach it.
What the position looks like
Lie on your back, raise your head and shoulders a little, and lift your knees so your lower legs sit about level, slightly higher than your chest. Your weight spreads along your back and thighs instead of resting mostly on your hips and shoulder blades. That is the zero gravity position on an adjustable bed.
It is not sitting up. The head section stays fairly low; most of the change happens at the knees. If you raise the head a lot, you get the TV position instead.
Why it is called “zero gravity”
The name comes from NASA. Astronauts floating in microgravity settle into the same relaxed shape without trying: knees bent, hips flexed, arms floating up. NASA measured this neutral body posture on Skylab and later Space Shuttle missions and wrote it into its design standards for spacecraft. Bed and chair makers borrowed the idea for a reclined position that copies that shape while you lie down on Earth.
The bed does not remove gravity, of course. It just puts your body into a similar shape, supported by the mattress.
How to set it on a kaipuyiree base
- Massage model: press ZG on the remote. The head and foot sections move to the factory zero gravity position. Press FLAT to go back down.
- Classic model: there is no ZG button. Hold the head + foot ▲ button until the knees are lifted, then use Head ▼ or Foot ▲ to fine-tune. Stop wherever it feels right.
If you find a version you like on the Massage model, save it to M1 or M2 so you can return to it with one press.
When people use it
Mostly for resting: after a long day on your feet, while listening to something, or for a nap. Some people sleep the whole night in it, others lie back in it for a while and then press Flat. There is no right answer; the point of an adjustable base is that you can change it.
If you sleep on your side, zero gravity can feel odd for a full night, because it is shaped for lying on your back. A flat bed or a small head lift (the Anti-Snore position) is usually more comfortable for side sleepers.
Make sure your mattress bends
The position only works if the mattress follows the base. Foam, latex and hybrid mattresses up to 10″ thick bend well; a traditional innerspring mattress will fight the shape and can lift off the deck at the knee.Check your mattress before you buy.
Health note. Zero gravity is a comfort position. It is not a treatment for any condition. If you have back, heart or circulation problems, ask your doctor which positions are right for you.
Related questions
Does the Classic have a zero gravity button?
No. The Classic remote has head, foot, head-and-foot together, Flat and light buttons; you reach a zero-gravity style recline by holding the head-and-foot button. The Massage model has a one-touch ZG button plus TV and Anti-Snore presets and two memory buttons.
How far does it go up?
The head section raises from flat up to 65°, and the foot section up to 45°. The two move independently, so you can raise one, the other, or both.
Which mattresses work on a kaipuyiree base?
Mattresses 10″ thick or less that can bend: memory foam, gel memory foam, latex, and latex or foam hybrids with pocket springs. Traditional innerspring coil mattresses, thick firm one-piece mattresses, air mattresses and water beds are not recommended.
Sources
- Evaluation of Neutral Body Posture on Shuttle Mission STS-57 (SPACEHAB-1), NASA Technical Reports Server. Background on the neutral body posture documented in NASA’s Man-Systems Integration Standards
- kaipuyiree Adjustable Bed Frame Queen with Massage (B0DKHJQKVR), Amazon.com listing. Head 0–65°, foot 0–45°, one-touch ZG