Help and advice

The fit and comfort of a chair is a personal thing. There are essential measurements but it is important to try a chair before purchase to check it feels comfortable and is functional for the activities you want to carry out in it.

Assist UK is the national network for advice on independent living equipment and has a network of Disabled Living Centres. Contact Assist UK to find your nearest centre and ask if you can visit and try a range of riser chairs.

It is advisable to position the chair with its back to the wall. You require enough strength in your arms to lift themselves from the seat in order to trigger the mechanism. 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. A powered riser seat tends to provide more variations in the seat rake but ensure you are not left in an unstable position. These chairs are unsuitable for people with poor trunk control. People with deteriorating conditions may choose to get a riser recliner or one of the support and positioning chairs if they are likely to need additional features in the future.

Some powered models have a key that can be removed when the chair is not in use, and an option of removable handsets or sensors which stop the movement of the chair to prevent entrapment of children or pets. Only a few manufacturers at the moment include these sensors as standard.

Before purchasing a riser chair you may wish to review your technique for standing from a chair. If your chair is too low for you to stand from read our advice on raising a chairs height. Riser cushions may be a possible alternative to a riser chair, they can be portable for travelling or could be used on a current chair.

For further information you may wish to read our Choosing a chair and chair accessories fact sheet or our Choosing pressure relief equipment fact sheet.

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