I need to get a liftchair for DH. I'd appreciate any input about how to select the chair, what features you've found helpful. Also, if anyone has experience getting Medicare to cover part of the cost, that would be helpful also. Thanks -
Linda, when my Dad wanted a lift chair I decided to rent one from a local medical store that does these types of rentals. That way my Dad could take his chair on test drive to see what he liked or didn't like.
Getting the right fit is important. Since my Dad had shrunk over the years thus was small in frame, the women's size chair worked perfectly. The chair control he had was so easy to use. He loved that chair.
The fabric was a weaved cloth as Dad would sweat in a leather/vinyl type chair. I have that same problem myself :(
(1) I choose vinyl both because its cheaper and its easier to clean. I prefer to use a soft quilt or blanket as a "liner" that can be easily thrown into the washer.
(2) A metal frame with a warranty and a rated weight capacity above what we needed.
(3) Measurements were very important - how much space needed when fully reclined, with only the feet raised, when completely closed - how wide (will it fit through the door?). In general the chair takes about as much space as a twin bed.
(4) A battery that allows the chair to operate for a few hours when the electricity is out.
(5) A power supply that sits on the floor and not under the chair. The power supply needs to be outside of the chair itself because they can get hot and is the component most likely to fail during the lifetime of the chair. When it's outside you can just order a new one ($25-50) and continue on.
(6) Simple ATTACHED controls; a lot of these chairs come with a wireless control but as fun as it can be to find the TV remote, I did not want to have similar searches for the lift chair control.
Don't plan on moving this chair very often. They are heavy and you likely need some help to move it very far. To clean under it just raise it to highest position and you have good access under the chair. Pockets on each side are good for storing the control and reading material.
I also paid a couple of hundred dollars more to make the purchase local where delivery and setup were free. The local store also has a good reputation for 24/7 servicing of the products they sell. I found chairs online beginning at $400 including shipping costs. When buying something like this online, I prefer Amazon because of the return and customer service policies.
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Getting the right fit is important. Since my Dad had shrunk over the years thus was small in frame, the women's size chair worked perfectly. The chair control he had was so easy to use. He loved that chair.
The fabric was a weaved cloth as Dad would sweat in a leather/vinyl type chair. I have that same problem myself :(
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(2) A metal frame with a warranty and a rated weight capacity above what we needed.
(3) Measurements were very important - how much space needed when fully reclined, with only the feet raised, when completely closed - how wide (will it fit through the door?). In general the chair takes about as much space as a twin bed.
(4) A battery that allows the chair to operate for a few hours when the electricity is out.
(5) A power supply that sits on the floor and not under the chair. The power supply needs to be outside of the chair itself because they can get hot and is the component most likely to fail during the lifetime of the chair. When it's outside you can just order a new one ($25-50) and continue on.
(6) Simple ATTACHED controls; a lot of these chairs come with a wireless control but as fun as it can be to find the TV remote, I did not want to have similar searches for the lift chair control.
Don't plan on moving this chair very often. They are heavy and you likely need some help to move it very far. To clean under it just raise it to highest position and you have good access under the chair. Pockets on each side are good for storing the control and reading material.
I also paid a couple of hundred dollars more to make the purchase local where delivery and setup were free. The local store also has a good reputation for 24/7 servicing of the products they sell. I found chairs online beginning at $400 including shipping costs. When buying something like this online, I prefer Amazon because of the return and customer service policies.