Choosing a lift recliner when the handset is hard to use
A lift recliner is a big purchase, and it is easy to focus on fabric and size and forget how it will be controlled. If the person using it finds a handset hard, start there.
1. Get the fit right first
Seat height, seat depth, width and back height all matter, and many ranges come in
petite, standard and tall versions. An occupational therapist can measure and advise, and it is worth trying the chair in a showroom before buying.
2. Count the motors
On a single-motor chair the back and footrest move together. A dual-motor chair moves them separately, and chairs with more motors add a powered headrest, lumbar support or tilt. More motors means more positions, but also more buttons on the handset. If the handset is the problem, voice or button control helps here: “Alexa, legs up” takes the same effort on a five-motor chair as on a two-motor one.
3. Try the handset with the person's own hands
Look at button size, how firmly they need pressing, whether the symbols can be read, and whether there is somewhere to keep the handset so it doesn't end up down the side of the cushion.
4. Ask how else it can be controlled
Ask whether the chair can be fitted with voice or button control. Lift recliners from Theorem Concepts and the K Care Alivio range work with YourVoice; look for the “YourVoice compatible” stamp on Theorem's product pages. It is easiest to plan if you ask before the chair is delivered.
5. Ask about power cuts
Many lift chairs offer battery back-up, so the chair can still return to sitting if the power goes out. Voice control needs power and Wi-Fi, so a battery and the handset are the fallback.
6. Plan the space
Room behind the chair to recline, unless it is a wall-hugger design.
Clear space in front to stand up safely.
A power point nearby, and Wi-Fi that reaches the chair if you are adding voice control.
7. Think about funding early
If an OT is involved, they may be able to recommend the chair and its control together. See Funding voice control for a bed or recliner.
Try before you buy
The YourVoice team are happy to arrange a demo of voice control on a recliner at a disability equipment retailer near you. Contact Us and we can arrange this for you.
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