Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product information for clinic and lab staff, not medical advice.
Short answer
An exam table (also called an examination table) is a patient-support table used during diagnostic examinations. Powered versions are regulated by the FDA as Class I devices, and for accessible use the U.S. Access Board sets transfer heights of 25 inches at the high setting and 17 inches at the low setting. Weight ratings and dimensions are set per model by the manufacturer.
Definition and scope: what is an exam table?
An exam table supports and positions a patient for a diagnostic examination. The U.S. Access Board describes medical diagnostic equipment as equipment used by patients in a supine, prone, side-lying or seated position, and names examination tables and chairs among its examples.
It is a device in the ordinary sense described in What Is a Medical Device?, and it is one of the larger fixed items in any exam room, which is why it appears in room build-out lists such as the exam room furnishing checklist.
What is an examination table called?
The standard name is examination table, shortened to exam table. The Access Board uses “examination tables”. The FDA regulation that covers powered versions does not use that phrase: it is titled “Operating tables and accessories and operating chairs and accessories” (21 CFR 878.4960), and describes devices “intended for use during diagnostic examinations or surgical procedures to support and position a patient.” When a supplier or catalogue uses another name, such as examination couch, check the specification of that model rather than assuming it differs from or matches an exam table.
Types and related concepts: how exam tables are used and what the regulation says
Powered and non-powered tables
The FDA identification in 21 CFR 878.4960 covers AC-powered or air-powered devices, usually with movable components. Such devices are classified as Class I (general controls) and are exempt from premarket notification under subpart E of part 807, subject to the limitations in 878.9. The regulation does not name the exam table specifically, so the accurate reading is that powered tables that support and position a patient for diagnostic examination fall within this regulation’s description.
Exam table with stirrups
“With stirrups” describes a configuration or accessory of a table rather than a different category in the regulation quoted above. Whether stirrups are included, optional or sold separately, and what they are rated for, is stated in the manufacturer specification for that model.
How big are exam tables? Accessible transfer heights
Overall length, width and padding vary by model and are given in each manufacturer specification. One dimension is set by a federal accessibility standard. The U.S. Access Board’s Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment require a high transfer surface height of 25 inches and a low transfer surface height of 17 inches. The Board’s final rule, issued 2024-07-25 and effective 2024-09-23 (36 CFR part 1195), set the low height at 17 inches and removed the earlier 17 to 19 inch range and the sunset provisions. The Board’s rule imposes no mandatory requirements on providers or manufacturers by itself; agencies decide whether to adopt it. The Access Board states that HHS adopted the earlier 17 to 19 inch range in its Section 504 rule on May 1, 2024, and said it would consider adopting 17 inches later, so check the current HHS and DOJ position for your facility.
| Item | What the source states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| High transfer height | 25 inches | U.S. Access Board |
| Low transfer height | 17 inches | U.S. Access Board |
| Final rule | Issued 2024-07-25, effective 2024-09-23; sunset provisions removed | Federal Register 2024-16266 |
| FDA class, powered tables | Class I, exempt from premarket notification | 21 CFR 878.4960 |
How heavy is a medical exam table?
There is no single weight. Table weight and the patient weight capacity are set per model by the manufacturer and published in its specification, so compare ratings model by model.
Where it matters for clinics and supply decisions
Two sourced questions can be put to any supplier before comparing other features:
- Is the table powered? If so, the FDA regulation above applies to that class of device.
- What is its transfer height range, and does it meet the 25 inch high and 17 inch low heights in the Access Board standards?
Exam tables also appear in specialty room lists such as the urology clinic supply checklist and the pediatric clinic supply checklist.
Common misunderstandings
- The FDA regulation does not define “exam table” by name; it covers powered tables used to support and position patients for diagnostic examination.
- Class I does not mean unregulated: general controls still apply.
- The Access Board standard is not the same as FDA classification: the FDA regulation covers device class, while the Access Board standard sets transfer heights.
FAQ
What is an examination table called?
Examination table or exam table. The FDA lists powered versions under operating tables and accessories and operating chairs and accessories.
What is an exam table?
A table that supports and positions a patient during a diagnostic examination.
How big are exam tables?
Dimensions are per model; the accessible transfer heights are 25 inches high and 17 inches low.
How heavy is a medical exam table?
It depends on the model; the manufacturer specification gives the table weight and patient rating.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-30.
- 21 CFR 878.4960, Operating tables and accessories and operating chairs and accessories: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-878/section-878.4960
- U.S. Access Board, public comment on low transfer surface height of medical diagnostic equipment (2023): https://www.access-board.gov/news/2023/05/23/u-s-access-board-seeks-public-comment-on-final-specification-for-low-transfer-surface-height-of-medical-diagnostic-equipment/
- U.S. Access Board, final rule setting low transfer height (36 CFR part 1195), issued 2024-07-25, effective 2024-09-23: https://www.access-board.gov/news/2024/07/26/u-s-access-board-issues-final-rule-setting-low-transfer-height-for-certain-medical-diagnostic-equipment/
- Federal Register 2024-16266, Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-16266
