As a senior, you’d probably have known that resting on a lift chair is one of the best ways to relax after a busy day. Only few things are more soothing than bringing your body to its most convenient resting position and probably getting some subtle massage. This helps to ease off piled-up stress within a short period.
What are lift chairs?
Lift chairs are flexible, foldable armchairs that allow you to relax in a wide range of positions by simply adjusting the angle between the seat and the recliner. They allow for easy manipulation and angle adjustment at the press of a button.
At the touch of the button, the recliner tilts backwards and the footrest extends outwards and upwards, turning the lift chair into a “stretcher”. You can adjust the angle to suit your body’s preference.
Electric lift chairs are far better and are easier to use than the old non-electric ones that are controlled with levers instead of buttons. This makes them the best bet for most seniors, who can hardly cope with pulling mechanical levers.
Modern lift chairs also have in-built heat generators and massagers. These also help to ease off stress and make relaxation sessions more soothing.
Why are lift chairs good for elderly people?
Elderly people are often plagued with joint and muscle pain. This is sometimes due to arthritis and gradual joint weakening over the years. Lift chairs distribute the body weight by taking the weight off the joints, thereby alleviating joint pain.
In addition, chairs that come with in-built massagers help to improve blood circulation, thereby making the heart healthier and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
What should you look for in a lift chair meant for seniors?
- Flexibility: People have different body shapes and a lift chair should be able conform to any user’s body shape and still make them comfortable.
- Side pocket: When you sit in a relaxing position, the last thing you want to do is get up unnecessarily to pick up some things you need. The side pocket serves as storage for the lift chair’s remote control and other stuff like magazines, drinks and so on.
- Massage head: This is important in a lift chair to help target and relief stress on the neck region. Seniors often have aching muscles and a nice massage head would be of tremendous benefit for stress relief.
- Power recline: Simplicity is everything. A good lift chair should be able to glide smoothly to the recline position just with the touch of a button.
- Emergency battery backup: An ideal lift chair should have a power back up to get the chair back into position, in case there is power outage.
- Heat generation: Lift chairs with heating systems create a more relaxing feel along with the massage function. A combination of both heat and massage is particularly important for the elderly, as it helps to soothe aching muscles and joints.
- Two-motor system: In a good lift chair, the backrest and footrest should each be controllable independently of the other. This will allow raising of the legs without lowering the backrest as well as lowering the backrest without raising the footrest.
Review: Best lift chairs for the elderly (seniors)
While looking to buy a lift chair, you can easily get confused because the market abounds with various models by different brands. To make the whole task much easier, we have scoured the market and have compared various electric recliners in terms of buyer satisfaction and brand trust.
Based on our own judgment, here are the 4 best electric recliner chairs available at the moment.
1. The Electric Shiatsu Massage Recliner
The electric Shiatsu massage recliner is an awesome piece of furniture — a modern and elegant design with power rollers that will work on your stressed up muscles to eliminate fatigue and rejuvenate your body.
Its features include programmable functions for extending, relaxing and refreshing depending on your needs. It also has a full automation for reclining and this can be done with just the press of a button.
The massage feature is extraordinary. You can select neck massage, lower limbs massage, or a combination of both. While at it you can increase the intensity of the vibrations for a deeper level of massage.
Other features include:
- Multiple air bags in more than 30 positions
- Roller system with inbuilt heat intelligence
- Flexible contours
- Extended lower back range
- Available in 3 colors
Buyer opinions
The Shiatsu Massage Recliner presently has 117 reviews on Amazon. 65% of these are 5-star ratings while 22% are 4-star ratings. The overall rating for this recliner is 4.4 out of 5. Although one customer complained about too many buttons on the remote control, this is a minor issue that can be taken care of by carefully reading the manual.
>>> Click here to buy now on Amazon
2. The Easy Comfort Infinite Position Reclining Power Lift Chair
The Easy Comfort infinite position reclining power lift chair is an all-encompassing lift chair. Its features make it very comfortable and suitable for elderly people. This fully automated lift chair is equipped with a lift mechanism made of heavy duty steel and it has a maximum weight capacity of 327lbs.
A separate motor controls the back rest and footrest respectively and this gives you the option of engaging either one independently. The recliner is also equipped with an emergency backup battery in case of power outage to help you restore the chair to its normal position.
Other features include:
- 7 Color option with 2 sizes
- Roll arms and Chaise seat with padding
- Automatic power recline
- Side storage pocket
- A remote control
Buyer opinions
The Easy Comfort infinite position reclining power lift chair presently has a total of 41 customer reviews on Amazon. 59% of these are 5-star reviews while 24% are 4-star reviews. The overall rating for this electric recliner is 4.3 out of 5.
>>> Click here to buy now on Amazon
3. The Mega Motion Power Easy Comfort Lift Chair LC-100
The Mega Motion Power Easy Comfort Lift Chair LC-100 comes with built-in heat generator and massager and provides infinite positioning for its user. The chair has a maximum lift capacity of 325lbs – thanks to the lift mechanism, which is made from heavy-duty steel.
It also has automated lift and recline controls for flexibility and you can move it to any position you want.
Other features include the following:
- Available in 6 colors and 2 sizes
- Integrated backup emergency batteries
- Button controls for selecting position
- A side storage pocket
- Made from furniture grade hardwood
Buyer opinions
The Mega Motion Power Easy Comfort Lift Chair LC-100 presently has 22 customer reviews on Amazon.com. 73% are 5-star reviews and 14% are 4-star reviews. It has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5.
>>> Click here to buy now on Amazon
4. The Mega Motion Lift Chair Easy Comfort Recliner LC-200
The Mega Motion Lift Chair Easy Comfort Recliner LC-200 is an exclusive electric lift chair suitable for all. It’s simple yet functional design gives it a combination of comfort and style, constructed from furniture-grade hardwood.
The Mega Motion recliner features a scissor-motion mechanism and lift actuator made of heavy duty material to support heavy weight individuals. It can support a maximum of 329lbs lift capacity. For added durability, it has steel legs with adjustable levers that allow you to set different positions that will suit your needs.
Other features of the Mega Motion electric recliner includes:
- Chaise padding
- Zipped and replaceable seat and back cushions
- Available in chocolate color
- 3 positions settings available
- Automated lift and recline
- Emergency backup battery
Buyer opinions
The LC-200 presently has 65 Amazon customer reviews. Of this total, 62% are 5-star reviews while 17% are 4-star reviews. It has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5. Lower ratings were also received.
>>> Click here to buy now on Amazon
Our final recommendation
A whopping 117 customers cannot be wrong about the electric Shiatsu Massage Recliner, which is our top pick. But if you want more options in terms of color, then you are better off with the Easy Comfort infinite position reclining power lift chair, which comes in 7 different colors; or the Mega Motion Power Easy Comfort Lift Chair LC-100 with 6 color options.