One chair for the shower and the toilet
A mobile shower commode is for anyone who can't walk to the bathroom and transfer twice. You get on once, in the bedroom, and the same chair rolls over the toilet and into the shower.
It suits people who transfer with a carer or a hoist, and wheelchair users who'd rather not swap seats on wet tiles. If you can still walk a few steps, a shower chair and an over toilet aid cost a tenth as much.
Pushed, or self propelled
An attendant pushed commode has four small castors and someone else steers it. The Max Mobility Delta SC1 ($1,123.95) and the Juvo Hybrid ($1,299.95) are the two we sell most. They're narrower than the self propelled chairs, which matters in a tight hallway.
A self propelled commode has 24 inch rear wheels with handrims, so you can get yourself to the bathroom without waiting. The Delta SC2 ($1,373.95) has quick release wheels that come off for the car boot. The Aspire self propelled ($2,499.95) is 665mm wide against 535mm for the pushed version. Measure the door first.
Fitting over the toilet
Two numbers decide this. The gap under the seat has to clear the bowl, and the frame has to straddle it without hitting the cistern. Measure the rim height from the floor and the bowl at its widest point.
The Aspire commodes publish a bowl clearance of 465mm. Most other brands only publish seat height, 540mm on the Smik, 595mm on the Juvo and 550mm on the Lopital chairs. Ask us if your toilet sits high or has a boxed-in cistern. A skirted base will block some frames.
Width, weight and price
| Commode | Propelled by | Seat width | Seat height | Max user weight | Price |
| Max Mobility Delta SC1 | Carer | Not published | Not published | 136kg | $1,123.95 |
| Juvo Hybrid | Carer | 460mm | 595mm | 150kg | $1,299.95 |
| Max Mobility Delta SC2 | Self | Not published | Not published | 136kg | $1,373.95 |
| Aspire platform footrest | Carer | 460mm | 560 to 590mm | 200kg | $1,699.95 |
| Smik sliding footplate | Carer | 550mm | 540mm | 200kg | $1,699.95 |
| Aspire swing away footrest | Carer | 460mm | 560 to 590mm | 200kg | $1,899 |
| Aspire platform, self propelled | Self | 460mm | 560 to 590mm | 200kg | $2,499.95 |
| Aspire swing away, self propelled | Self | 460mm | 560 to 590mm | 200kg | $2,699.95 |
| Juvo folding, tilting | Self | 410, 460 or 510mm | 595mm, adjustable | 200kg (300kg at 510mm) | $3,499.95 |
| Lopital Tango | Carer | 470mm | 550mm | 180kg | $3,499.95 |
| Lopital Nemo, tilting | Carer | 470mm | 550mm | 150kg | $6,999.95 |
| Lopital Flexo, hydraulic lift | Carer | 470mm | 500 to 1,050mm | 150kg | $9,899.95 |
| Lopital Elexo, electric lift | Carer | 470mm | 500 to 1,000mm | 180kg | $13,999.95 |
| Lopital Reflex, lift and tilt | Carer | 470mm | 500 to 1,000mm | 135kg | $15,999.95 |
Aspire commodes come without a seat. Add the Aspire commode seat ($224 to $349) or the pressure reducing seat ($399 to $559). Every other chair in the table includes its seat.
Seat width is hip width plus about 20 to 30mm each side. Too wide and the arms are out of reach for a push up.
When sitting upright is hard
Tilt-in-space means the seat and backrest lean back together, so you don't slide forward. It's for anyone with poor trunk control or low tone. The Juvo folding self propelled ($3,499.95) has adjustable seat tilt. The Lopital Nemo ($6,999.95) tilts on a gas strut, and the Lopital Reflex ($15,999.95) tilts and lifts on a battery.
The lifting Lopital chairs raise the seat to 1,000mm, which saves a carer's back during a wash. The Reflex gets about 40 lifts on a charge. We won't pretend most people need a chair at this price. For a two-carer shower routine, though, it can replace the hoist.
Seats, cut-outs and cushions
The cut-out is the gap in the seat. Open front is standard and lets a carer reach in for cleaning. Closed front is a full ring with a round hole, better if you tend to slide forward. The Aspire pressure reducing seat also comes open left or right.
A plain polyurethane seat is fine for a ten minute shower. With a pressure injury history, the pressure reducing seat or the ACTION polymer ring cushion ($549.95) spreads the load. Talk to the OT first, because a thick cushion raises the seat and lifts the arms out of reach.
Transfers, footrests and brakes
Swing-away arms are what make a sideways slide from bed or wheelchair possible, and every chair here has them. Footrests come two ways. Swing-away footrests fold out of the road. The weight-bearing platform on the Aspire and Smik chairs takes your weight standing, then slides under the seat for a hoist.
Lock the brakes before anyone moves. The Delta SC1 only brakes at the front, while the Juvo, Aspire and Lopital chairs brake on all four castors. A carer stands on the open side with a hand on the frame, not on an arm. Our transfer aids cover slide boards and belts.
Castors are 125mm, about 5 inches, on every chair that publishes a size. That's fine on tiles but not over a step at the bathroom door. Max Mobility rates the Delta chairs for a 10 percent slope at most.
Rust and cleaning
The Juvo and Smik frames are stainless steel and the Delta SC2 is aluminium. Aspire backs its frames against corrosion for 5 years. Rinse the frame after every shower, dry the castor bearings once a week, and lift the seat off to clean under it. The pans and bowls are moulded plastic and can be autoclaved.
NDIS and OT reports
Only the Delta SC1, the Juvo Hybrid and the Delta SC2 sit under $1,500, the low cost assistive technology band. Everything else is mid or high cost, so the NDIA wants a written OT report that names the commode and its cost. The Lopital Reflex is over $15,000, so it also needs an assessor's report and a quote. The bands are on the NDIA's assistive technology page.
Send us the OT report and we'll have the quote back the same day. We're NDIS registered (4050144759), invoice plan managers and the agency direct, and self managed participants pay and claim. Our bathroom safety guide covers what else the plan can fund.
Common questions
Can I just use it beside the bed?
Yes, with a pan underneath. The Delta SC1 and the Smik include one, and the Aspire pan carrier is $149. If the shower isn't needed, a bedside commode is far cheaper.
Shower commode or over toilet aid?
If you can walk to the toilet, an over toilet aid. If you're wheeled there, a commode. Our over toilet aid or raised seat guide covers the walking options.
Will it fit through my bathroom door?
Pushed chairs are 535 to 660mm wide overall. Self propelled chairs are 610 to 710mm. Measure the clear opening with the door open.
Does it fold for travel?
The Juvo folding self propelled does. The Delta SC2's rear wheels pull off for the boot. The rest are rigid.
Can I try one first?
Yes, free, in Sydney, Macarthur and the Southern Highlands. Our equipment trial page explains how it works. Call before you drive out and we'll tell you what's set up in the showroom.
Can I return it?
Within 14 days. The conditions are in our refund policy.
Measure the bowl height, the door and the hips, then call Nadim on 1300 216 888. Send the OT report if you have one.
