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Daily Living Aids

5 Best Shower Seats for Seniors (Review)

Written by Dayna C
Last Updated :

It is not easy to reach a phase of life when even the simplest tasks seem impossible to maintain.

Taking a shower is one of the activities that might be an obstacle to your normal functioning.

Luckily, if you find the right shower seats for seniors, you can provide a solution for every person who needs additional support and safety assistance.

We are not talking about the elderly here, but everyone who finds it hard to start or finish a day with a refreshing, warm shower.

Most of us have at least one experience with a slippery bathroom floor, no matter what age we are.

Falling on the bathroom floor or inside your shower is not a pleasant situation for anyone, but the consequences of the fall are far more severe with elderly or disabled persons.

Taking this as a challenge might cause injuries, such as a broken arm, leg, knee injuries, sprained muscles, and in some cases – even death.

You see, even completely healthy people can experience an accident in their bathrooms, not to talk about someone who has issues with stability. It is very important to think about safety in our bathrooms, especially if our household counts elderly or disabled persons.

On the other hand, if you have a broken leg, an ankle, a knee injury, or any other issue that prevents stable standing and reduces your stability, you might want to seek assistance to keep you safe.

Shower seats for the disabled will keep you safe and comfortable at the same time while giving you the right support while you are enjoying in your shower.

We will explain the crucial features of shower seats for seniors so you know what to look for. Yet, as there are many products on the market, you might find it hard to pick the exact one, so we reviewed some of the best shower seats for the disabled to make things easier for you and save you time.

Check our review of walk-in bathtubs as an alternative to shower seats


Top 5 Shower Seats for Seniors Compared

1. Shower Chair Seat with Padded Armrests and Back by Mediline

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • 350 lbs weight capacity
  • Padded armrest and strong backrest provide you additional support and comfort
  • You can adjust the legs easily, so the chair fits your height

Cons

  • Too small arms for people over 300 lbs
  • Doesn’t fit narrower showers or bathtubs
  • It might need some time to figure out how to assemble it, as the instructions are pretty unclear

If you are looking for a bath chair for seniors or disabled adults with greater weight capacity, Mediline chair is one of the best on the market.

Mediline provides comfortable and safe showers, so you can rely on this product completely.

This is a durable product, as its aluminum frame ensures long-term use.

Whatever your height is – you can adjust the chair to it in order to make perfect conditions for your new bath.

Padded armrests are a comfortable tool that will make your baths even more enjoyable.

Yet, you also get a chair with a strong backrest that provides support for people who have spinal injuries or issues with maintaining balance.

When we talk about additional safety features, Mediline shower chair comes with non-slip feet tool.

If you are living by yourself, or if you are a caregiver looking for a lightweight product, this shower chair might be the one for you.

With help of the Mediline shower seat, showering won’t be a dangerous activity anymore but a real pleasure.


2. Premium Series Shower Chair with Back and Arms by Drive Medical

Shower Chair with back and arms for seniors

Pros

  • Sturdy construction with adjustable legs
  • Fits even narrow bathrooms
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to assemble with no tools required
  • 350 pounds weight capacity

Cons

  • Legs are made of plastic
  • The chair gets wobbly once you adjust it to maximum height

If you are feeling unstable, insecure, or dizzy when taking a bath, then it is about time to get rid of this tress and stop worrying about possible injuries.

By using the Medical Drive’s shower seat, you will get a whole new, improved bathing experience.

Safe, pleasant, and carefree baths are closer than ever.

The chair is designed to offer you maximum comfort and safety while entering or exiting the shower.

One of the best features of the Drive Medical’s chair is its large, stable legs that provide you with safety and stability at any time.

Drive Medical designed a lightweight, portable shower chair for elderly and disabled persons with a weight capacity up to 350 pounds.

This is an adjustable shower chair, so you can adjust the height with the tools easily.

If you want to use it without back or arms, that is no problem, as you can remove them easily.

This is great when we talk about trips, as the chair is easy to disassemble and assemble afterward, which makes it portable. Additionally, you don’t need any tools to do this.

3. Folding Sliding Transfer Bench

Sliding and folding shower transfer bench for Seniors

Pros

  • 2-in-1 product – shower seat and a transfer bench
  • 5-minutes assembly
  • Cleaning of it is a breeze
  • HI-view blue color makes the chair stand out from the surrounding, so you can easily notice it even if you have vision issues
  • Molded polyurethane padding keeps the chair from gathering cold water, which makes you bath more pleasant

Cons

  • It is heavy
  • One of the most costly shower chairs on the market

If you are looking for one of the best shower seats for seniors or disabled, this is the best of the best 5-star rating products designed by Platinum Health.

This shower chair and a transfer bench product, which means that you get a 2-in-1 efficient and quality product for the use when showering or taking a bath.

As this product is widely used in many private homes, hospitals, assisted living and nursing homes, it already tells you a lot about the quality.

The seller thought of both functionality and design of the product, so we can assure you that you will experience no more slippery, cold, plastic chairs that don’t seem reliable.

Molded polyurethane padding doesn’t absorb water, which means you will feel the warmness of the water falling down on you.

On the other side, you can clean and disinfect it easily.

Assembly takes no more than 5 minutes and you need no tools to put it to work.

Platinum Health cares about people with vision issues, so they designed a chair in the HI-VIEW BLUE color, so it is easy to see.

This unique blue color makes a strong contrast to anything that surrounds it.

As it stands out from the rest of the colors in your bathroom, you can rely on it, as there will be no slips, falls, or trips by using this one.

4. Shower Seat for Seniors with Tote Bag and Handles by Medokare

Shower Seat for Seniors with Tote Bag and Handles by Medokare

Pros:

  • Fits curvature showers or tubs
  • Has a drainage system
  • Wide base
  • Comes with a tote bag and built-in side handles

If you need a comfortable padded bath chair for seniors with no back, Medokare has a comfortable shower stool for adults that lets the water drain from your body.

Cons

  • Even though it has solid weight capacity, we don’t recommend it for the use of persons above 260 pounds
  • This is not a chair for people who need long-term support, as it doesn’t have a back

The chair is made of heavy-duty anodized aluminum that is corrosion and rust-resistant and has a great weight capacity of 280 lbs.

It is strong and stable, but lightweight product at the same it.

Padded seat provides you with comfort, while you can use built-in side handles for a handheld shower and you can put all your showering product in the tote bag, so you don’t have to make many moves.

The chair has a wide base that offers you maximum stability, but you still can fit it into small tubs and showers.

With non-slip feet, there is no chance to slip while taking a shower.

The chair has good and sturdy construction and doesn’t need any additional tools in case you want to disassemble it.


5. Bathtub/Shower Chair with Arms for Disabled, Seniors, Handicap and Elderly by Vive

Pros

  • Ergonomic design
  • Portable
  • Aluminum construction
  • Textured seat and backrest prevent slipping
  • Drainage holes
  • Lifetime warranty

Cons

  • It could have slightly more weight capacity
  • Comes with poor instructions

Ergonomically design, Vive shower chair for adults offers great support for any user.

With padded handles, you will get extra support, as you can count on their comfortable grip.

To make things even better, Vive designed this chair so each leg has a rubber non-slip tool that adds on safety and security.

You don’t have to be a technician to assemble this chair, as it doesn’t require tools use.

This means that you can remove the legs, back, and arms and store the chair easily if you are on a trip.

The chair is countered for exceptional comfort, while the seat and backrests’ design make it textured, which furthers prevent slipping off.

Thanks to the drainage holes, pooled water will never make a slippery surrounding for you.

Don’t worry about the construction.

The chair’s corrosion-free aluminum construction is strong and has a weight capacity up to 300 lbs.

Aluminum won’t rust, while the construction is stable, so you can count on the durability of the Vive shower chair.

The seller’s unconditional lifetime guarantee will boost your confidence in this shower chair!


Buying a Shower Seat for Seniors or Disabled?

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Millions of people all over the world face unintentional injuries in their bathrooms due to slippery floors or personal instability.

If you think that your bathroom is a potentially dangerous place for you and the other members of your family, keep on reading this article.

Bathroom tiles get slippery because of the water or hot steam if space doesn’t have good ventilation and small windows.

People usually take showers alone, so no one helps them in most situations.

Elderly people or people with mobility issues might find their bathroom as the most dangerous place as chances of slipping off are high.

That is why a shower chair is the best device to have in your bathroom.

Showering will get you back on the earlier, more pleasant phase, while you will assure safety and assistance with one of the best shower seats for the disabled.

Living by yourself is not an issue here, as the chair gives you even more independence and self-sufficiency.

Who Can Use a Shower Seat?

As mentioned above, the greatest benefit of using a shower seat is preventing falls and injuries.

Anyone who feels unstable or unsecured when entering a bathtub or a shower should consider purchasing one of the best shower seats for the disabled.

With the right product, you get all the necessary assistance and support to use a shower confidently without anyone’s help.

Even though most of the shower seats’ users are elderly or disabled persons, we can assure you that people of all ages are free to use them.

Potential users are:

  • Elderly, people with disabilities get full support while showering,
  • People who go through a recovery from a back or spinal injury will get an assistance while taking a shower,
  • Anyone with a leg, ankle, or knee injury,
  • People who use crutches for any reason.

There is an alternative to shower seats, but you would have to do a complete rearrangement of your bathroom, which is a decent investment and time-consuming task.

You should look for a solution that is as simple as possible and efficient at the same time – a bath chair for disabled adults.

The Most Important Features to Look for in a Shower Seat

Now that you have decided to get yourself a shower seat, we want to point out to some of the features that you should look for in a shower seat.

  • Weight capacity

Using a shower chair with less weight capacity that you need is as dangerous as entering a shower without it at all. Some shower chairs support the bariatric weight, but these are slighty more expensive models.

Read the capacity descriptions carefully and if you need chairs with more capacity, go for heavy-duty ones.

  • Durability

Different shower seats have different lifespans.

For example, some provide short-term support for people with injuries or fractures, while others provide full support for long-term mobility issues.

If you want a durable shower seat, then go for padded seating with sturdy frames or strong plastic seat.

This will provide you comfort and durability at the same time.

  • Safety

Even though a shower seat for the disabled offers you support either way, you may want an extra feature to support you more.

Handles, non-slip seats, or rubbed grips add-on safety while using a shower.

Seniors with vision problems should use a high-visibility colored shower chair for the elderly.

Final Words

Even though taking a bath might seem like the easiest task in the world, for some of us – this is a true nightmare. What is more, many people out there experienced severe injuries and fractures due to slippery bathroom environment.

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High-quality shower seats provide you with comfort and stability, as each one of these is reliable.

All of the shower seats we reviewed in this article are great for people with stability or vision issues and need additional support and balance.

Your stability and safety in the bathroom have a great chance if you pick one of the best shower seats for disabled.

Our Choice

Vive Shower Chair

VIVE 60-DAY GUARANTEE: 60 day unconditional guarantee so you can purchase now with confidence.

SHOWER SAFELY: Feel comfortable and secure when showering. Ergonomically designed, the extra wide seat supports up to 300 pounds. Padded handles on each side provide a comfortable grip without the risk of slipping. Each chair leg is capped with a rubber non-slip, anti-skid tip for additional safety and security.

DURABLE AND VERSATILE: Corrosion resistant aluminum construction is the perfect choice for a lightweight bath chair or shower bench that will not rust. Easily adjust the height of the shower chair seat to create a secure, customized experience. With a range of 14”-19.5”, the seat adjusts to fit any height, or to provide additional stability on uneven flooring. The backrest is also removable if desired.

COMFORTABLE NON SLIP SEAT WITH DRAINAGE: Contoured for superior comfort, the nonslip seat and backrest are constructed with a lightly textured composite material. Drainage holes reduce slipping or sliding on pooled water, creating a safe and comfortable shower seat.

EASY TOOL FREE ASSEMBLY: Easily assemble the lightweight shower seat without the use of any tools. Tool-free removal of legs, armrests, and backrest make storage and travel easy and convenient.

This shower chair has great customer rating, so that already speaks about the quality Vive provides.

As you want the best products to improve your stability, safety, and health in general, you should consider this product.

Vive shower chair is definitely one of the best shower seats for seniors and disabled.

With its awesome features, you can be assured that taking a bath will be a hassle never again.

Sturdy and stable lightweight aluminum construction makes it easy to move, while you can disassemble it easily too. The drainage system leads the water down, while the textured seats and backrests make things more safe and comfortable.

Which one is your favorite shower seat for the disabled? Share with us below!

About Author

Dayna C
Dayna has an incredible passion for helping others and a background as an in-home caregiver for the elderly. She left the field temporarily three years ago to stay at home with her twins, but found that she really missed working with senior citizens. She launched LoAids as a way to help not just her own loved ones and former clients, but ALL seniors live life to the fullest in their golden years.  Follow her on LINKEDIN and TWITTER. Read her LATEST POSTS. Learn more about her HERE.

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