Buying guide · Toilet

Over toilet aid or raised toilet seat?

Name: Connect Mobility
Address: T27/9 Margaret Street, Picton, NSW, 2571, AU
Telephone: 1300 216 888
Price range: $$

Written by Nadim Assaf, registered pharmacist, Connect Mobility in Picton

Both make the toilet higher. Only one gives you something to push up on. Let's work out which one suits you.

If sitting down and getting up is the hard part, but your legs are strong, a raised toilet seat is enough. Ours start at $149.95.

If you need something to push up on, or your legs feel weak, get an over toilet aid. It adds height and two armrests, from $169.95.

Had a hip replaced recently? Use the height your OT gives you. Hip precautions usually last 6 to 12 weeks.

Two ways to go higher

A raised toilet seat is a thick plastic seat that sits on the toilet bowl. It lifts you by 50, 100 or 150 mm. A lip at the front and clamps at the back hold it in place.

An over toilet aid is a metal frame with four legs, two armrests and its own seat. It stands over the toilet, and the seat height adjusts. You get the extra height plus arms to push up on.

Queensland Health's occupational therapists sum it up like this. A raised seat is for people who find sitting down and getting up hard because of pain or stiffness. A frame is for people whose legs are weaker and who can take their weight through their arms.

There's a third option. A toilet surround ($249.95) gives you the arms without the extra height. It suits shorter people who need their feet flat on the floor.

Why the toilet matters

A large US study looked at where in the bathroom people get hurt. About one in four injuries happened on or near the toilet. For people aged 85 and over, it was more than half.

Sitting down and standing up is where people lose their balance. That's the moment both products are built for.

After a hip replacement

Hip precautions are the rules you follow while a new hip heals. NHS hospital guides say they usually last 6 to 12 weeks.

The main rule is not to bend your hip past 90 degrees. On a low toilet, your knees end up higher than your hips, and that bends the hip too far.

A raised seat or a frame keeps your hips above your knees. Your OT will tell you the height to set. Leeds Teaching Hospitals advise against fitting the seat yourself after surgery, so have someone do it before you get home.

After a knee replacement it's a similar story. If the toilet is lower than your knee, you'll probably need a raised seat. Arms help too, because you keep the sore leg out in front as you sit.

Getting the height right

Sit on a chair with your shoes off. Measure from the floor to the crease behind your knee.

Queensland Health's therapists aim for a toilet seat about 5 cm above that. They also say not to go more than 10 cm above it, and your feet should still sit flat on the floor.

Then measure your toilet from the floor to the top of the seat. The difference tells you which height to buy.

A worked example

The back of your knee is 46 cm from the floor, so you're aiming for about 51 cm. Your toilet seat is 41 cm high. You need about 10 cm more.

That's a 100 mm raised seat, or an over toilet aid set close to 510 mm.

Which one fits

Pick the line that sounds most like you.

Getting down and up is hard, but your legs are strongRaised toilet seat$149.95

You need arms to push up, or your legs are weakOver toilet aid$169.95

You weigh over 125 kg, or want a frame that won't rustAluminium frame$249.95

You need arms, but the toilet is already high enoughToilet surround$249.95

You're not sure which height or typeCall 1300 216 888talk it through

Our raised seats

The Serenity Raised Toilet Seat is $149.95 in every height, with or without a lid. It comes in 50, 100 or 150 mm and takes up to 190 kg.

Care Quip made it with smooth edges and hidden fittings, so it's easier to wipe clean. It has a cut-out at the front for personal cleaning.

The Savannah Raised Toilet Seat (from $149.95) has cut-outs front and back, and a contoured shape that some people find more comfortable. It also takes up to 190 kg.

Our over toilet aids

The Overtoilet Aid ($169.95) is powder-coated steel. The seat goes from 470 to 620 mm, there's 440 mm between the arms, and it takes up to 125 kg. The seat and splash guard lift out for washing.

The aluminium version ($249.95) takes up to 150 kg. Aluminium won't rust, and it's tested to Australian Standard AS/NZS 3973.

There's also a stainless steel frame ($349.95) that takes up to 125 kg.

Living with it

Check the clamps. Queensland Health's therapists say to check a raised seat's fit regularly. One government guide suggests loosening and re-tightening the knobs by hand each week, never with a tool.

Four legs down. Before you sit on a frame, make sure all four legs are flat on the floor. Use both hands on the armrests to sit and stand.

Mind the space. In a small toilet room, the frame's legs can trip someone. Check the back legs also clear the toilet's waste pipe.

Splashes. A higher seat can let urine go over the front of the bowl. Our frames come with a splash guard. For drips around the base, a Conni Toilet Floor Mat ($86.95) soaks them up and lies flat, so it's less of a trip risk.

Cleaning

Care Quip don't publish cleaning steps on their site. Their listings say the moulded plastic is stain and odour resistant, and the frame's seat and splash guard lift out.

Wash the removable parts regularly and wipe the frame down. If a seat cracks or a clamp won't hold, stop using it and call us.

What people run into

Some reviewers found their raised seat shifted as they sat down. Others found it didn't suit the shape of their toilet bowl. If your toilet is an unusual shape, send us a photo first.

A few found hard plastic seats cold and firm. It is easier to keep clean than a padded seat, though.

Frames get a lot of praise for keeping people independent on the toilet. The most common complaint is arms that wobble on cheaper frames.

Paying for it

Everything here costs under $1,500. The NDIS treats that as low-cost assistive technology, so you usually don't need a quote or an assessment. They still suggest getting advice before you buy.

On Support at Home, the AT-HM scheme covers toileting supports. Its low tier is up to $500 a year.

We're NDIS registered (#4050144759), and we can invoice your plan manager directly.

Side by side

Height onlySerenity Raised Toilet Seat$149.95For stiff or sore hips and knees, when your legs are strong.View seat

Height and armsOvertoilet Aid$169.95For when you need something to push up on.View frame

Up to 150 kgOvertoilet Aid, Aluminium$249.95Lighter, rust-proof and rated for more weight.View frame

	Serenity seat	Savannah seat	Overtoilet Aid	Aluminium frame	Toilet surround
Our price	$149.95	$149.95 to $249.95	$169.95	$249.95	$249.95
Adds height	50, 100 or 150 mm	50, 100 or 150 mm	Seat 470 to 620 mm	Seat 470 to 620 mm	No
Arms	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes, 620 mm apart
How it fits	Front lip, rear brackets	Front lip, clamps	Stands over toilet	Stands over toilet	Stands around toilet
Max user weight	190 kg	190 kg	125 kg	150 kg	150 kg
Lid	Optional, same price	Optional	Not included	Not included	Uses your toilet's
Frame	Moulded plastic	Moulded plastic	Powder-coated steel	Aluminium	Powder-coated steel