Best Shower Chairs and Shower Benches 2023
This blog is about the review of different types of shower chairs, benches and seats, their uses, how to purchase the ideal one and how to use them effectively. Shower benches are necessary for many reasons, they help elderly and individuals with disability to assist themselves in the shower with little or no help from a caregiver. They come in diverse colors, they are crack-proof, water- and tarnish-resistant.
Below you will find a detailed review of the best shower transfer benches, shower benches, bath and shower chairs. You might be interested, what’s the difference between them? Actually, there is a difference.
Transfer bench is a showering bench that helps handicapped people to get into a bathtub. Typical transfer bench consists of one armrest, backrest, wide seat and four legs, two of which stay outside.
Shower chairs are lightweight stools that have two armrests and a backrest. They are a great find for people with limited mobility. Unlike them shower benches do not provide any back and arm support, they are quite simple in their design.
II. Top 7 Best Transfer Shower Benches Reviews
1. Carousel Sliding Transfer Bench with Swivel Seat
2. Tub-Mount Swivel Sliding Bath Transfer Bench
3. Swivel Sliding Bath Transfer Bench
4. Moen Non Slip Adjustable Transfer Bench
5. Drive Medical Plastic Tub Transfer Bench
6. Duro-Med Heavy-Duty Sliding Transfer Bench
7. MedMobile Bathtub Transfer Bench
III. Top 4 Best Shower Chairs and Shower Benches Reviews
1. Shower Chair with Back by Vive
2. NOVA Medical Products Deluxe Bath Seat with Back & Arms
3. Healthline Trading Lightweight Bath Bench with Back Adjustable
4. EZ2Care Adjustable Lightweight Shower Bench
IV. Most Popular Types of Shower Stools
V. How to Choose the Best BathTub Seat?
VI. Bathroom Safety Tips and Recommendations for Seniors & the Handicapped
7 Best Transfer Shower Benches for Elderly and Disabled
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Top 7 Best Transfer Shower Benches Reviews
1. Carousel Sliding Transfer Bench with Swivel Seat (editor’s choice)
It’s made of anti-slip materials for extra safety and comfort, goes with back and can support more than 300 pounds of weight.
Carousel Sliding Transfer Bench is one of the most suitable benches for elderly and handicapped people that combines the efforts and long-term experience in design and construction of healthcare professionals. In sum, it’s well deserved to be one of the best rated medical grade shower seats.
- Solid and quick to assemble product (up to 5 minutes)
- Includes safety belt for falls preventing
- Skin tear prevention due to the padded seat, back and arms
- Easy to get in and out of the tub
- FreeSafe E-Book included
- The only thing that can give up on purchasing is price: not the cheapest option available, but it’s worth every penny
2. Tub-Mount Swivel Sliding Bath Transfer Bench
This medical shower chair is suitable for disabled because it has a safety belt and snugly holds the patient in place when being bathed.
The bench is light and very comfortable to use. The shower bench has a light construction of aluminum and plastic, while rubber-covered feet are angled and make it sturdy. With its compact form, this chair can be stored easily.
- Up to 350 lbs weight capacity
- Nice clamp system that other benches don’t have
- Require no tools to assemble
- No assemble instruction
- Not a returnable product
3. Swivel Sliding Bath Transfer Bench
Despite all the extra features on this sliding shower chair, it maintains a lightweight structure and can be moved around easily. It also comes with a plastic covered feet for extra stability.
This seat is quite costlier than other models, however, features available justify the asking price.
- Supports 400 lbs of weight
- Adjustable height
- Great variant for large sized tubes
- It’s quite cumbersome
4. Moen Non Slip Adjustable Transfer Bench
Moen bathroom bench is stronger than an average standard seat and supports up to 400 pounds of weight. While in the bath, it can be adjusted to suit the height between 16.5 and 21 inches.
The seat is anti-corrosive and rust resistant, thus you can be rest assured that you are using one of the best standard shower seats around.
Unlike models above, this bench is fairly priced, considering the fact it’s one of the high end medical grade seats in the market. It can be used by disabled and elderly patients without a doubt.
- Designed with ADA specifications
- Lifetime warranty
- User manual available
- Reasonably priced
- Large and heavy construction
5. Drive Medical Plastic Tub Transfer Bench
The entire frame is made of lightweight materials for easy movement and storage. There is a special texture used in the making of backrest and seat that prevents slipping.
While it’s not so great in transporting the user in and out of the shower, it offers great comfort and stability.
Consider purchasing Drive Medical shower transfer bench in case of a limited budget.
- Comfortable transfer bench
- Up to 400 lbs of weight capacity
- It’s cheap
- Many users say it’s not sturdy enough and they have legs’ suction cups issues
6. Duro-Med Heavy-Duty Sliding Transfer Bench
This bathtub chair has a simple design. The curved surface ensures that it’s non-slippery. This model also comes with adjustable legs, alongside an aluminum frame that makes it lightweight.
Duro-Med seat can support weights of up to 400 pounds, thus it’s ideal for overweight individuals. There are anti-slip covers on the feet for additional security even when it’s placed on slippery surfaces.
- From side to side sliding seat
- Cheaper than other sliding models
- Adjustable nylon safety straps
- Hollow plastic cutout
- Some users say it’s wobbly
7. MedMobile Bathtub Transfer Bench
It’s resistant to corrosion and comes with an adjustable height. Each leg has some plastic covers that ensures that the seat doesn’t slip, while the foldable structure makes it easy to transport if needed.
MedMobile bench is one of the best portable high-end shower stools around, and it’s not the most expensive. Good deal for a competitive price.
- 250 lbs weight capacity
- Durable and easy to clean plastic
- 5 levels height options
- Hard to assemble
Top 4 Best Shower Chairs and Shower Benches Reviews
1. Shower Chair with Back by Vive
The bathroom chair comes with an handicap shower seat, two armrests that have a non-slip cover and a small backrest. The frame comprises of aluminum structure, thus it’s lightweight and resistant to corrosion.
This model sits perfectly in an average or medium size bath. Though, it has no foldable design, it stores relatively well. Small size also makes it very comfortable.
- User instruction
- Drainage holes for slip prevention
- Removable back
- 300 lbs weight capacity
- Not so sturdy
2. NOVA Medical Products Deluxe Bath Seat with Back & Arms
The entire frame consists of lightweight aluminum and the feet has plastic caps to prevent moving around.
Despite its lightweight structure, this shower chair still has a sturdy frame that makes it more durable than any other shower seats you can find around. Its quality makes it one of the best and most recommendable shower seats today. At the same time, it remains one of the most competitively priced models.
- Easy and quick to assemble
- 275 lbs weight limit
- Adjustable legs
- Too lightweight
3. Healthline Trading Lightweight Bath Bench with Back Adjustable
The legs have rubber tips that ensure that the seat doesn’t move around or slip when in use inside the bath.
The legs have rubber tips that ensure that the seat does not move around or slip when in use inside the bath.
Like many other models, adjustable height available, and its lightweight nature makes it easy to store and place anywhere in the bath or shower.
- Anti corrosive frame
- Drainage holes
- Use carefully, it can be unstable
4. EZ2Care Adjustable Lightweight Shower Bench
EZ2Care bench has rubber-covered legs, so it doesn’t slip out of its position. It’s corrosion resistant and can support weights of up to 250 pounds. The combination of lightweight aluminum frame with a curved seat makes the shower stool more comfortable than the rest.
It’s produced to move and store relatively easily. Having a compact design, this seat can be used virtually in any type of shower by everyone, including seniors and handicapped.
- Corrosion resistant legs
- Anti slip perforated surface
- May be too low for some people
Importance of Choosing the Best Shower Chair
The shower seats are must haves in a handicap accessible bathroom, or for the elderly that have limited movements. Now, there are different types of shower chairs for disabled and elderly, so you have to choose the right one. Shower seats are designed for supporting the body while not putting any pressure on the existing injury. The best shower seats should be sturdy, weatherproof and durable while offering comfort and solidity to those who need it the most.
Most Popular Types of Shower Stools
There are different kinds of shower stools, the most popular among them are:
- Rolling shower chair – Perfect for moving from place to place.
- Shower chair with arms – Provides additional stability and support, making it a good choice for the elderly.
- Corner shower seat – Best for people with injury or lower extremity instability. Thanks to its convenient size, it is a good choice for a small bathroom and shower.
- Bariatric shower chair – It has a round design with no edges, thus gives extra comfort and more safety to the user.
- Reclining shower chair – Comes with a commode seat, padded leg extension, footrest and lumbar support, so that a caretaker can assist to your loved one during shower time.
- Folding shower chair – Ideal for a temporary use, for example, after recovering from an operation or injury.
Best Shower Seats Brands
There are different brands of shower chairs available today, and it all depends on your situation and budget. Among the most popular and recognized shower chair brands are Drive Medical, Nova, and MedMobile.
How to Choose the Best BathTub Seat?
Whether you need to buy a handicap shower chair or a shower seat for the elderly, there are some things that you need to take into account. Of course, a medical condition will have much to do with the choice of a shower seat, because you need to get a seat that will not aggravate the pain but will still offer stability and support. So, here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the best shower seat for the elderly or a disabled person.
Who will be using a shower chair?
The first thing that you want to think about is who will be using a shower chair. Is it for an old person who cannot move too much? Then you should buy one of those bathtub seats for the elderly to give them support, extra stability, and comfort. If you need to buy handicap shower seats, think about permanent ones or shower chairs with arms.
Where will a shower bench be used?
Clearly, a shower bench is used in the bathroom, making showering a whole lot easier and safer for the elderly or handicap people.
Before opting for a certain shower bench, make sure to take the exact measurements of the shower and your bathroom. That way, you will know if the shower bench will fit the shower or bathtub.
Other things to consider are the cabinets, sink and other items in a bathroom that might have an impact on your decision when choosing a particular shower bench.
Permanent or not?
Another thing to think about is the portability of the shower seat. Do you need to install a permanent shower seat? Or, you only need a folding shower seat that you can easily put aside when not needed? Then again, there is a shower chair with wheels, for easy moving from room to room. Whichever model you choose, just pick the one that would be sturdy and safe for your loved one.
How much space do you have in your bath and will the shower chair fit in?
When it comes to measuring your bathtub or shower in order to determine the right size of a shower seat, here are some tips.
According to most industry guidelines, a shower seat or bench should be 17 – 19 inches off the shower floor. However, you can go to your loved one’s therapist and ask them to give you exact measurements so that the shower seat can be tailored to your loved one’s needs.
Also, keep in mind that any shower that is bigger than 36 x 36 inches should have a few grab bars for increased safety.
Does a shower chair come pre-assembled or not?
One more thing worth considering is the installation. If you are not very skilled at assembling items, let alone a shower chair for elderly or disabled, then you would want to buy a pre-assembled model or get a retail staff to install the shower chair for you. However, if you don’t like either option, you can install the unit on your own. Most of them come with easy-to-understand instructions.
The budget
Last but not least. What is your budget limit? Can you afford a high-end model or you’d rather go with a mid-priced shower seat? Most standard shower chairs, including wall, mounted units can be found within the $50-100 range. Customized medical chairs are the most expensive and can be found above $200. Needless to say, you should go with the trusted brands, since the safety and reliability of a shower chair are very important.
Bathroom Safety Tips and Recommendations for Seniors & Handicapped
Despite the comfort and stylish design, the bathroom is always a high-risk area for the elderly and people with limited mobility. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the likelihood of injuries in the bathroom increases with age. Above 80% of all traumas are due to falls. Slippery surfaces, high humidity and other factors require special attention to safety. We advise you to take the following tips seriously for your own health and well-being.
- Place a mat on the floor in wet areas and use non slip strips. Such tapes are safe, they are of high strength and durability. Also, they are easily cleaned with household detergents and comfortable for bare feet.
- Install handicap grab bars and safety rails in the bathtub. Sometimes there is a slight weakness after a hot shower or bath. So you need to lean on something to coordinate movements.
- Buy the best handheld shower head. This device allows you to select the optimal water supply and turns the bathing into enjoyment. Weighted shower curtain is indispensable as well, unless you want to flood the bathroom with water.
- Invest in the shower base. The perfect handicap shower base does not have side walls. The matte surface with anti-slip coating provides stability and reliability during water procedures. The shower with such a base becomes much safer and gives an opportunity to act independently.
- Use raised toilet seat and bedside commode chair – universal devices with handrails and armrests. They adds extra height, facilitating a comfortable sitting down or standing up from the toilet.
- Finally, consider buying a walk in shower or walk in bathtub. This is a great investment if you have adequate financial resources.
James Leber