Help and advice

These chairs facilitate independent sit to standing and lowers you down and allow people to retain some active use of their hip and leg muscles. It is important that the lifting mechanism is adjusted according to the user's weight so that adequate assistance is provided when the user rises, but not to eject them from the chair.

Currently in this section there are no powered riser chairs with whole chair rising however depending on your weight you may find the weight capacity of the chairs are sufficient for your needs or discuss with one of the suppliers as usually they can be customised to order.

See more information on riser and recliner chairs.

You may be eligible for an assessment and equipment from your local authority. If you are eligible the equipment will be provided on a long-term loan basis. Alternatively, you may be eligible for a direct payment from your local authority to purchase something suitable. View more information on equipment provision via your local authority and the direct payments scheme.

It is important to know your weight before purchase of one of these type of chairs. If not, particularly if you haven;t weighed yourself for a while, you may not be aware of your current weight which means there could be safety implications especially if you are using a chair near its maximum weight capacity.

For the heavier person, their weight distribution will vary and there tends to be a variation between males and females. This means a person does not necessarily need a wider chair but may need a deeper chair with additional features. Pressure care needs are often essential and there are chairs with integral pressure relief available

You need to bring their weight forward and have sufficient strength in your arms to lift your body from the seat in order to trigger the riser mechanism. Extended arms rests on the chair with non-padded ends will also assist with this. You also need to be able to position your feet correctly before the seat starts to rise up. It is advisable to position the chair with its back to the wall. Many have a spring mechanism which can be adjusted according to the user's weight and may be preset by the manufacturer. You must be able to maintain enough balance to stand while the chair seat rises. These chairs are unsuitable for people with poor trunk control or balance. People with deteriorating conditions may choose to get a riser recliner if they are likely to need additional features in the future.

One of the benefits of these type of chairs is that they are much more compact than related recliner or riser recliner chairs but they only assist with getting in and out of the chair but are much cheaper to buy than a riser recliner chair.

Many of the products listed will be CE marked as a medical device which means it should be used only in accordance with the manufacturer's intended purpose i.e in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the government agency responsible for ensuring these products work and are safe.

For further information you may wish to read one of our factsheets:
- Choosing equipment for the heavier person factsheet