How to choose a riser recliner chair
At this stage, you’ve probably decided you need to buy a rise and recline chair and you’re wondering how you go about choosing the right riser recliner for you.
We’ve got to say that if you’re looking for the cheapest riser recliner chair, maybe for basic, short-term use, this guide won’t be the most relevant advice for you. But if you’re buying a riser recliner chair and it’s an investment you want to get your money’s worth from, then this outlines the steps we recommend you take to choose the best riser recliner for your needs. Obviously, depending on the level of your requirements, this may well be a quicker, simpler process – but the key point is a riser recliner assessment with Felgains is tailored for you.
8 steps to choose the best riser recliner for you
1. Your needs
Perhaps the first thing you’ll hear us say is, “what do you want to achieve?” To be frank, too often this is left out, which means the conversation becomes about the chair, not you. So, we recommend answering these questions first:
- What do you want to use your chair for? e.g., activities
- Do you have any health needs you’d like to meet? e.g., symptoms to improve
- What environment will you be using your chair in? e.g., space considerations
This defines your goals and means you can move on to specify a riser recliner chair that offers good value for money for you.
2. Size
The first option you should choose is what size of riser recliner chair you need, partly because it’s the most important thing to get right, but also because it can affect what choice of motor types you have. Based on your measurements, you’ll either find a standard size or a made to measure riser recliner is the best option for you.
Standard vs made to measure riser recliners: which is best for me?
3. Motor type
The two most common types are single motor and dual motor riser recliners. This determines how the riser recliner chair moves and you should choose this based on what you want to use your chair for. By way of example, you may need to keep your feet up as much as possible, but also eat meals in your riser recliner. In which case, a dual standard motor, which has an independently operated legrest and backrest, is probably going to be the best option to go for.
What is a single motor rise and recline chair? Your Ultimate Guide
What is a dual motor rise and recline chair? Your Ultimate Guide
4. Backrest style
Along with your comfort and posture, this can also have a big impact on the size of your seat, which is why it’s high on the list. Some of the most popular backrest styles include waterfall back, button back and lateral support back. This is where ‘trying before you buy’ becomes helpful. Admittedly we’re bound to say this, but having an expert eye on hand to assess your posture is also important! After all, I think we’re safe to say you don’t want to order a riser recliner, only to find your head pushed too far forwards or you’ve got an aching back because there’s no lumbar support.
5. Seating type
This may be as simple as ‘something comfortable’ and you’ll have the standard options of foam or pocket sprung seating. But, if you have more specific pressure care needs, this will be one of the most important decisions you make. You can choose from a range of in-built pressure relief, all the way from memory foam (low-medium risk) to gel (medium-high risk) and air cell (high-very high risk) seat cushions.
6. Upholstery
You’ll have hundreds to choose from (if you want that many)! As well as the obvious things, like whether you want a fabric or leather riser recliner, and your preferred pattern or colour, you’ll be able to specify wipe-clean or waterproof upholstery too. If you’ve chosen a pressure relief riser recliner, you’ll need a breathable stretch fabric.
7. Options and accessories
Yes, options – there’s lots of them too! On selected models, such as the Ashore Maiden, you can choose armrest style, for example, scroll arm or wooden knuckles. One less common, but no less valuable, option is a removable arm (available on selected models such as the Ashore Haven). This allows you to transfer from your wheelchair to your riser recliner chair.
There are too many riser recliner accessories to list here, so we’ll limit ourselves to a few of the most popular, such as the classic arm caps and protective covers, as well as battery back-up.
8. Your budget
There’s a reason this is the last, but it’s not because it’s the least important. Rather, having fitted thousands of people with riser recliners, we’ve found customers prefer to look at all the options and select the ideal configuration that they’re sure will meet their needs. This means you get a price for a riser recliner that you can work with. If it’s a bit more than you were expecting to pay, you may decide some of the optional accessories you’ve chosen aren’t essential. Or you may be pleasantly surprised! Perhaps the most important thing at this point is to make sure you feel confident you’ll get more out of your riser recliner than you put in.
A good place to get started is our Bespoke Riser Recliner Inspiration Gallery!
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Natalie Webber
