I need to buy a lift-chair, have no clue, ideas?

November 3, 2011 7:29 PM

Caring for elderly relatives: What is the best brand of lift-chair?

My Father-In-Law had polio as a teenager and as a result has lived with a seriously atrophied leg. He's tough as nails and it didn't slow him down until recent years where the wear and tear started to catch up with him. Compensating for any injury has a price and now his "good" leg has had lots of problems, knee replacement, and he has spinal stenosis and post-polio syndrome. He walks with cuff style crutches and has for decades. He is moving to a walker.

He is 75 YO, I'd guess 235 pounds, 6 feet tall.

He spends a goodly amount of time in his recliner, but getting in and out of it is clearly a source of great discomfort for him.

In an effort to make his life easier we are going to buy him a lift chair. I've looked at the LaZboy site and a number of other sites, but honestly I doubt I've purchased a new piece of furniture in my life, much less a specialty chair.

I want it to be bulletproof, reliable, warrantied, and in deference to my Mother-In-Law, not hideous. Any advice, anecdotes, or wisdom you can offer would be appreciated!!!

posted by Ponderance to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

We have one, a LaZboy. It was purchased for my SO after open heart surgery in the mid 90s, and though it has seen only occasional mechanical use (i.e. lifting) after an intensive six-month period, it's still working fine. Mostly, it's just a spare chair in the living room now.

However, SO is only 5 foot and about 125. I'm about the same size and weight as your FIL. Though the chair can lift me, I don't find it at all comfortable. It's too small and too firm to sit in for long and the foot rest hits me way too high on the calf to adequately support my legs.

So FWIW, I suggest that, whatever you invest in, let FIL (or someone of similar size/weight) try it on for size.
posted by peakcomm at 7:55 PM on November 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was actually just looking into this for my mother. While she is significantly shorter than your FIL, she is heavier, and so I found mobility chairs offered by Living XL. I have no experience with these chairs, but I thought I'd give you the link so that you could check them out.
posted by crankylex at 6:10 AM on November 4, 2011

My uncle has a LaZboy lift chair that is huge. I didn't know it was a lift chair at first; it looks just like a big, comfortable recliner. Don't know the model but he said he paid about $2000 for it at a local furniture store. It also has two levels of heat that can be turned on if desired.

I'm encouraging my dad to get one as he too can get around only if he uses a walker.
posted by apartment dweller at 10:47 AM on November 4, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks! I dislike going in to these sorts of choices without a solid sense of what the marketplace has. I suspect I'm going to have to do the legwork and check out several brands in person, they all look the same and I'm sure they aren't (although this is true of every product I suppose).
posted by Ponderance at 5:18 PM on November 4, 2011