I’m not elderly but when I had a massive knee injury from a fall, I was SO grateful that I had specifically swapped out one of my toilets with a tall toilet that didn’t make my knees carry the weight of my body while squatting down to sit on the toilet seat.
You don’t have to order a completely new toilet, though. You can simply order a toilet seat riser that goes on top of your normal toilet seat and helps with people who are elderly (where standing up is hard) or recovery from injuries.
There are two options for you:
Contents
Best Raised Toilet Seats for the Elderly or Disabled
| Name | Price | Quality | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toilet Seat Riser with Arms (Editor’s Choice) | $$ | A+ | Check Price |
| Toilet Seat Riser without Arms | $ | A+ | Check Price |
Option #1: Toilet Seat Riser with Arms
What I love about this specific model of toilet seat riser with arms is that the arm handles are padded. Maximum comfort because if you’re buying for an elderly person, sometimes arthritis can be an issue and hard metal handles would hurt.
It fits both elongated and round toilet bowls, and you can easily detach it and clean it if necessary. But it fastens without tools, and stays put, so no slippage is possible. Consumers loved it for aging in general, hip replacement, knee issues, or simple loss of strength.
Option #2: Toilet Seat Riser without Arms
If you don’t need the arm handles, but need the extra height, then you can get an additional 4-3/4″ using this type of toilet seat riser.
This version is highly portable, which is great because you can have that stability and support anywhere you go. It’s held onto the toilet by nonskid pads on the bottom, so you don’t have to screw anything in or work with tools to reattach it every time you move it.
It’s also extremely lightweight and comfortable. It gets very high marks from consumers. Go check those out and then decide if you’d rather have the version with handles or without.
Best Toilet Seat Riser Buyer’s Guide
A raised toilet seat or portable toilet makes life easier for those with limited mobility. Here are some benefits you can expect from a raised toilet seat.
- Less pain
- Use the bathroom without assistance or embarrassment
- More privacy and independence
- Enhanced confidence
- Reduced pressure on knees while squatting down to the seat
- Relief for chronic joint pain, such as arthritis
For even greater safety and independence, also try a shower or bath chair.
Who Needs The Toilet Seat Riser?
In this article, we will try to discuss those who need the toilet seat riser and why they will need the toilet seat riser. We will start with discussing how everybody can benefit from the toilet seat riser, before mentioning some other group of people who need them for special needs.
Everybody: It is possible for everybody to benefit from installing a toilet seat riser in their homes. This is considering the fact that everybody will enjoy a higher level of comfort from having a toilet seat riser installed in their homes. Have you wished that you could somehow get to rest your hand when you are in the bathroom or have some more comfort? Most toilet seat risers come with the arm, meaning you can rest your arm on them while you are easing yourself. You will also get more comfortable if you enjoy reading a newspaper/magazine, novel or playing with your phone during the process.
The Elderly: We all know that after getting past our prime, the older we grow, the weaker and more fragile we become. In line with this, sitting down on a very low chair or other low objects could become very stressful and difficult. The toilet seat riser will, therefore, come in handy to increase the height of the toilet seat. The added arm rest will also make it more convenient for them.
People with hip problems: For people who have issues with their hips, a toilet with a good seat riser, will really go a long way to help them. This is considering that toilets with low seats could be very uncomfortable and even deteriorate their rate of recovery.
Safety Tips: Using a Toilet Seat for Elderly Adults
Raised toilet seats allow those with limited mobility go to the bathroom alone, but safety is still a concern. Moving slowly and maintaining balance and control are crucial to preventing an injury. Implement these safety tips when using a raised toilet seat.
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Balance
Always make sure you are balanced before sitting or standing. If possible, your feet should be at about shoulder-width to maximize balance. As you squat down, don’t shift your knees forward past your toes. This places a lot of pressure on the knees.
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Force
If too much force is applied to the raised toilet seat or toilet seat handles, the toilet can slip. Make sure the toilet seat will support your weight. If you need to put most of your weight on the handles, consider using an aid until you gain more strength.
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Clamp
Make sure both the clamp and toilet seat are secure. A wobbly, unsecure toilet seat may cause injury.
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Fit
If your toilet seat wobbles or is unstable, it likely doesn’t fit your toilet. Never settle for a wobbly toilet seat. If it isn’t secure, send it back.
Most household falls happen in the bathroom. Make your bathroom as safe as possible by using safety products and implementing simple safety tips.
Regain Your Independence with a Toilet Seat for Elderly Adults
A toilet seat can make a huge difference in your ability to use the bathroom independently. Most are easy to install and use, too! If you suffer from pain or limited mobility, these devices are an affordable way to get rid of bathroom embarrassment. And a raised toilet seat for handicapped seniors creates a whole new level of safety and independence. We’re sure the seats we’ve listed will make a huge difference in your life.
Final Verdict
Getting the best toilet seat riser for you or your elderly ones will go a long way to make the period you use the toilet more comfortable and will also go a long way to reduce the risks you will be exposed to. You might have to talk with your elderly ones to know the type of toilet seat they will prefer for their toilet. Overall, it will be difficult to go wrong getting a toilet seat with arms if you are buying for an elderly one.
You should, however, confirm from them as some of them might prefer a toilet seat that does not come with arms. You should also ensure that the toilet seat risers are very stable and secure. Any of the 5 toilet seat risers explained above will be able to serve you or your elderly ones. They are easy to install, comfortable and safe to use.
Thank you for helpful hints. It helped us with the installation of the Seat Riser! My husband added the non-slip material that is used in the kitchen under glassware to put around the rim of the toilet bowl and also used double sided sticky tape to hold down the not slip material to keep the seat from sliding side to side. Once that was done, there were no problems. I even got to keep my soft padded toilet seat. Anyone with back and knee issues will love my Drive Medical Premium Seat Riser with Removable Arms!
Seat Riser with Arms has been a life saver for my elderly mom who stays with us frequently. It was easy to install, and is very sturdy. Doesn’t wobble around or move at all. I wouldn’t suggest you get this though if you need something for a temporary situation and you want to remove it frequently. She has her own space that no one else uses, so this wasn’t a concern for us. One thing to note is that you cannot use this with a slow close toilet seat. We had to replace ours with a standard seat to have it operate properly.
luckily I read a couple of seat riser reviews before I tried to install my Essential Medical Supply Elevated Toilet Seat with Arms.
If you tighten it down at the back, it raises the front up off the porcelain
So I had to put shims under the back, then if you sit on the seat, it may stress your own seat fittings, will see how that goes, if it breaks, no biggie, need a new one anyway. But if you have a new one, it may break the hinges. Due to lying higher than the seat sits flat, so when you sit, it stretches the plastic hinge. Will buy something else if I have to, or can find one.
I had to put back on the plastic nuts because the wingnuts look really easy to corrode, the bolts are good, but the head is large, so it does not fit under the little covers for the bolt, again with moisture getting to it.
Nice size! For height, not so good for the round seat, the bottom front lip does not reach, even with the huge slots it has. Which the huge slots also contribute to some looseness.
Will add after a few days, but in general, I was a senior citizen had to improvise too much to say it was easy to install!
Looking forward to the smell the other customer mentioned! LOL