Choosing Raised Toilet Seats: The Ultimate Buying Guide
For someone who has limited mobility, a raised toilet seat is a game changer. It basically is an additional device or seat that elevates the height of the existing toilet seat, offering people comfort, safety, and independence to go about doing their daily business.
A toilet seat riser might be the simplest and most basic device to be invented but it is such a huge help for elderly individuals, people who have had surgery, those who have chronic pain, people who have arthritis, or those who find it difficult to sit and stand easily. It makes sitting and standing for such individuals way easier by ensuring that there’s not much stress on the muscles and joints.
With so many toilet riser options out there, it can get very confusing to choose the right one. Therefore, in the comprehensive guide, we will shed light on the types of raised toilet seats available, how you can choose the best raised toilet seat, what factors to consider, and more.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the Need for a Raised Toilet Seat
- Types of Raised Toilet Seats
- How to Choose a Raised Toilet Seat: Key Factors to Consider?
- 3 Important Tips for Choosing the Right Raised Toilet Seat
- Tips for Safe and Effective Use of Raised Toilet Seats
Understanding the Need for a Raised Toilet Seat
The purpose of a raised toilet seat is that it gives an additional height to the existing toilet seat, making toilets more accessible to people who have limited mobility issues and basically reduces the risk of accidents that might occur due to a fall. Let’s understand in a little more detail why a raised toilet seat is needed and who needs one.
Elderly People:
As people age the muscles and joints start hurting, mobility is limited, and there are balance issues, therefore, it becomes very difficult to sit and stand as easily as before. This is when raised toilet seats for elderly people are very beneficial.
Individuals Who Have a Disability:
A lot of people have mobility issues, particularly those that suffer from arthritis, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and more. Hence, for such individuals, a toilet seat riser is very helpful because it allows them to do their routine business comfortably and safely.
People Recovering from Surgery:
Undergoing surgery is hard and so is the post-recovery process. Individuals who go through it are already in so much pain and discomfort, especially people who have undergone a hip, knee or back surgery. Such individuals need additional support to sit and stand to avoid any sort of strain, hence, a toilet riser is very helpful for them.
Types of Raised Toilet Seats
You have numerous types of raised toilet seats to choose from. Let’s take a look at a few of them below.
Standard Raised Toilet Seats
A standard raised toilet seat is one of the most basic designs or types available that is used to increase the height of your toilet for ease of use. These kinds of toilet seat risers generally do not have a locking mechanism. Moreover, these do not come with any additional features such as hands or locks, they are just simple and very basic, ideal for only making some very minor adjustments to your existing toilet seat. Perfect for those looking for a simple, effective, quick, and affordable solution.
Locking Raised Toilet Seats
For a much more secure, safe, and stable option, you have raised toilet seats that come with a locking system, which ensures that your seat doesn’t keep moving when you are using it. Locking raised toilet seats are best suited for people with advanced mobility issues.
Raised Toilet Seat with Handles
Another type that you would find is a raised toilet seat with handles. Now these toilet seat risers are just what is needed for that additional support, stability and safety. With two handles or arms on both sides, this kind of toilet riser makes sitting and standing way easier for someone particularly with balance and strength issues.
Hinged Raised Toilet Seats
Hinged raised toilet seats elevate the height of your regular toilet seats. The hinged feature makes using and cleaning the toilet way easier. These toilet seats can be used at home, in hospitals, or in commercial spaces like regular toilets by even those without any mobility challenges. Therefore, if you need to share a bathroom with someone who needs to use a toilet seat riser, then hinged raised toilet seats would be a great option to have installed.
Padded Raised Toilet Seats
If comfort is a priority because you or someone you know spends longer time seated, then padded raised toilet seats are an ideal option. The extra cushioning makes being seated for a long time easier and comfortable.
Portable Raised Toilet Seats
Portable raised toilet seat are ideal for those who travel often or those that are looking for something temporary. These toilet seats risers are light in weight, comfortable, and easy to carry wherever needed. The quality and comfort are never compromised at all just because they are portable, in fact, they have all the necessary features like any other raised toilet seat and are quite convenient to install and remove.
How to Choose a Raised Toilet Seat: Key Factors to Consider?
There are several factors to take into consideration before choosing a raised toilet seat. Let’s take a look at some of the factors below.
Your Needs and Requirements:
The very first thing that you need to have clarity on is what are your needs and requirements when it comes to choosing a toilet seat. Assess and understand what you need based on your or loved ones’ mobility issues or health conditions. What sort of support do you need? Did you need something post-surgery or do you need something for your arthritis, or do you need something because of your balancing issues, or do you need more cushioning, etc.? Do you have balance issues and need handles or arms on your toilet seat riser? Once you understand what you need the toilet seat for, it gets easier to choose one based on your requirements.
Height:
You have raised toilet seats that typically come in a height of 2 inches to 6 inches, and there are some that can be adjusted to even higher. Having said that, choose the height of your toilet seat wisely because the person using it should also be able to keep their foot on the ground as well. Therefore, when selecting a raised toilet seat keep in mind everything about the person using it – mobility challenges, physical injuries, balance issues, their height, etc.
Weight Capacity:
The toilet seat that you would choose should be able to support your weight or the weight of whoever would be using it. Generally, the models available on the market today do support a weight capacity of around 250 to 300 lbs but always confirm this. In case someone is on the heavier side, then do consider getting one that can support the weight of the person. This is crucial to avoid any uncalled for accidents.
Compatible with Your Toilet Seat:
One very crucial thing that you need to consider is the compatibility of the raised toilet seat with your existing toilet. This means that you need to take into account the size and shape of your toilet. You have the standard round shape and then you have the elongated shape, therefore, make sure you have chosen the right shape and size. Do the measurements correctly so that the raised toilet seat fits correctly onto your existing toilet.
Features and Specifications:
When choosing a raised toilet seat it is extremely imperative that you take a look at the features and specifications. Check to see if it has all that you would require for your toilet. Someone with balance issues would need a raised toilet seat with handles or an armrest so that they can sit and stand with ease without having to worry about falling down. If there is someone that takes a longer time in the toilet, then having a padded raised toilet seat is an ideal option as it provides that extra comfort and support. To ensure the seat doesn’t move or shift, consider toilet risers with locking systems, non-slip pads, or grips for ease of use.
Material and Durability:
Raised toilet seats are basically made of plastic. These are easy to clean and maintain. However, make sure that you choose one that is made of a good-quality plastic, one that is strong, sturdy, and durable. You also have cushioned raised toilet seats and while these are very comfortable, they are difficult to clean and don’t last longer. Therefore, when you need your toilet seat raised, choose a toilet riser that is durable, comfortable and easy to clean.
Hygiene and Maintenance:
We are aware that a toilet is that section of our homes, hospitals or commercial spaces that have to be cleaned every day for hygienic reasons. Hence, even when choosing a raised toilet seat you need to keep in mind cleaning and maintenance that can be done easily every day. Therefore, choose ones that you can easily clean, for instance, hinged raised toilet seats are quite easy to clean as you just need to lift the seat like any regular toilet seat. Seats that come with removable cushions are easier to clean than ones that don’t. So, look for ones that can be cleaned effortlessly so that your toilet is sanitary, hygiene is maintained and you do not run the risk of any infections that generally can happen if you use a dirty toilet.
Portable:
If you are someone who uses a shared bathroom with an elderly, someone with mobility challenges or if you need it when traveling, or just need something temporarily, then look for options that are more convenient and flexible such as a portable raised toilet seat. These portable toilet seat risers are basically lightweight, easy to install and remove, and easy to use.
Easy Installation:
If you are looking for something temporary, then looking for ones that you can effortlessly install works best, but if you need something more permanent, then getting a raised toilet seat that needs to be secured well with screws and clamps is better. Get a professional to do the job if you cannot do it because remember it’s important for the seat to be secured well to reduce the risk of a fall.
Budget:
You have a variety of options out there and the same is with the price range. You have affordable raised toilet seats, mid-range seats, and also expensive ones. This price completely depends on the material, quality, and features of the seats. With so many options out there choose ones that meet all your requirements. However, do keep in mind safety, comfort, and long-term usage and then invest in one that’s most suitable.
Consult a Healthcare Professional:
Ask your doctor or any healthcare professional as they will be able to recommend the best raised toilet seat based on your health issues. Doing so will give you a clear idea of what you should exactly get.
3 Important Tips for Choosing the Right Raised Toilet Seat
Besides these above-detailed factors, here’s three important tips to specifically keep in mind when choosing the right raised toilet seat.
-
Safety is Paramount:
-
Comfort is Essential:
-
Professional Opinion Matters:
Consulting a healthcare professional or your doctor can actually be very helpful. Based on your or your loved ones’ health conditions, healthcare professionals can actually help you with choosing the right raised toilet seat that you need.
Tips for Safe and Effective Use of Raised Toilet Seats
Here are a few tips for safe and effective usage of raised toilet seats.
- Ensure that you have properly installed the raised toilet seat. If you are setting it up by yourself, read all the instructions given in the manufacture’s guide and follow the step accordingly for securely setting up the seat. Once done, make sure you recheck to see if you have set it up correctly. Ensure the locks are securing the seat well enough. In case you cannot install the seat, always call for professionals as they are well-trained in such tasks, and therefore, you will not have to worry about doing something wrong.
- It is very essential to clean and maintain these raised toilet seats to prevent germ buildup and infections. Hinged or removable toilet seat risers are way easier to clean than those that cannot be removed. Therefore, when choosing a toilet riser ensure that you get those that can be easily maintained and cleaned.
- For safety reasons, have additional bars added in the bathroom for holding and anti-slip mats to prevent slipping and falling. Also, make sure the bathroom is always dry and clean.
In conclusion, a raised toilet seat is a crucial device to have for the elderly, those that suffer from arthritis, people recovering from surgery, those who do not have enough strength, ones who have balance issues, etc. Basically, people with health conditions most require a toilet seat riser. Therefore, choosing the right raised toilet seat is crucial because it helps people to go about doing their everyday business with ease, comfort, confidence, and of course without the need to depend on anyone.
Bathroom-related accidents reduce to a significant extent with these toilet risers. So, make sure to choose the right one keeping in mind your or your loved ones’ needs and requirements, height and size, weight capacity, features needed, material, portability, etc.
Explore Garvee’s raised toilet seats in bath products safety category to get what you’re looking for.
