Need to take care of business on the golden seat (there is an actual golden toilet)? Simple! Just sail in, squat, do your thing and sail out, in record time — hopefully.
Unfortunately, this ideal situation is not the reality for seniors and the physically challenged. Squatting or even changing positions requires strong joints and muscles, which aged people and their care givers know they don’t have. They might easily make an uneventful trip to the toilet with or without aid, but then lack the energy to take ‘action’.
OUR TOP PICK
No products found.EDITORS CHOICE
No products found.Nova Medical Product Toilet Seat Riser
BEST VALUE
No products found.Lightweight Molded Toilet Seat Model 7011
What are toilet seats?
The toilet seats we’ll be discussing here are different from the normal toilet seats we are familiar with, and they’re also different from commodes and portable toilets.
Here, we’re talking about specialized toilet seats, which are raised seats placed over toilet bowls to increase their overall height. These enable seniors and disabled people do the “toilet business” at a more comfortable height.
Why are toilets seats necessary for elderly people?
Any form of movement for the elderly usually translates into discomfort for the weak joints and muscles of the elderly. Bending or squatting can be pure agony.
A toilet seat will make visiting the toilet easy (perhaps memorable) and comfortable. Using a toilet seat means the senior can seat and rise at a height that won’t require bending, squatting or stressing the joints.
High toilet seats for seniors: Things to look for before buying
As a senior or caregiver, chances are you understand why you need to buy a toilet seat. But making the right choice can be difficult because the market abounds with toilet seats of different types and by different brands.
Before you part with your hard earned money, be sure to look out for the following things in a toilet seat.
- Rails: It must have side handles or rails to keep the senior stable when seating down and rising up. This safety feature can be the difference between life and death.
- Comfort: It must be ergonomically comfortable, that’s why you want to get it in the first place. Anyone using it must be able to sit on it for a prolonged period without developing rashes.
- Adjustability: The height of the toilet seat handle/rail (if present) must be proportionate to the user’s height. Get one with an adjustable height to save yourself undue stress.
- Weight support: Its maximum weight support must be higher than the weight of the user. Imagine the accident that would occur, which could be fatal, if the seat crashes due to excess weight.
- Lightweight: Yes, the weight must support the user, but you will also want one you can carry without needing extra hands.
- Durability: This is essential when buying any product. What’s the point of buying a new one every fortnight?
Best toilet seats for seniors (review)
We scoured the online marketplace and compared a good number of available toilet seats in terms of real buyer opinions, features, pricing, brand trust, and other factors that matter.
Here are our three best picks.
OUR TOP PICK
Vive Deluxe Toilet Seat
No products found.The Vive Deluxe Toilet Seat is a raised platform installed over the normal toilet seat. Its adaptability is versatile, meaning you don’t have to worry about its compatibility with your toilet model. Whether you’re using a standard toilet of 16.5 inches or the elongated type of 18.5 inches, this toilet seat can fit with little effort.
Assembling the Vive Deluxe toilet seat needs no tools or equipment — probably easier than building a tower with Legos. After assembling, you can easily fit the seat to the toilet bowl, no game of thrones there.
Remember the sole aim of a toilet seat is to raise the height to a comfortable one, Vive Deluxe adds 5 inches to whatever height of the original toilet bowl.
What we liked
- Versatile in adaptability to different types of toilet models
- Padded handles for stability
- Safety features like the anti-slip locking mechanism.
- Easy to assemble and fit onto the toilet bowl
- Cool design
- Does not require extra hands to carry
- Handle has lever for height adjustment
What we disliked
- Needs lots of strength to fit seat onto the bowl securely
- The bars may make some feel edged in.
Buyer opinions
Buyer reviews have been glowing. They report easily assembling and fitting the seat without tools. The height is high enough for one to remain standing while in ‘action’. Product gives better performance than previous ones they have tried.
EDITORS CHOICE
Nova Medical Product Toilet Seat Riser
No products found.The Nova Medical Product Toilet Seat Riser has the model number 8346. It adds 3.5 inches to the original toilet bowl height. Other measurements of the seat are 19.5 inches by 14.5 inches. It has a maximum weight support of 300 pounds, and yet still portable.
This product was designed with easy maintenance in mind, and this is the reason for the hinges. It can be fixed without need to remove the original toilet bowl lid.
What we liked
- Fits easily on the toilet bowl
- Easy to clean and maintain
What we disliked
- Does not work with some standard toilet bowls
- Has no handle/rail
Buyer opinions
Average height senior citizens have been satisfied with the product’s performance. It’s budget-friendly and easy to maintain.
BEST VALUE
Lightweight Molded Toilet Seat Model 7011
No products found.The third riser we will be considering is the Lightweight Molded Toilet Seat from Personal Care Products with model 7011. It adds 5 inches to the original height of the toilet bowl, and is 15 inches wide to conveniently support users of any size. The maximum weight it can support is 300 lb.
Assembling and fitting the toilet seat is quite easy, doable in quick record time, and doesn’t even require tools. There is a reason this product’s name is “lightweight”, and that’s because it is portable and needs no extra hands to move about.
What we liked
- Suitable for tall or overweight seniors or physically challenged
- Easily fitted and maintained
- Sturdy hand rails
What we disliked
- Not stable on many standard toilets; will require additional fitting.
Buyer opinions
Buyers and users have been satisfied with product’s performance. It meets up to expectations and great for its money worth. Tall and overweight senior citizens cherish it more.
Last update on 2023-12-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API