Which shower chair, and does it fit?
Measure the shower before you look at chairs. Nearly every chair on this page is between 525mm and 570mm wide at the base.
A lot of showers in older Macarthur and Highlands houses are narrower than that at the door. Once you know the width, the choice comes down to three things. Do you need arms to push up on, what weight does the chair have to carry, and will it live in the shower or be lifted out each time?
Arms, backrest or neither
Arms are for standing up. If you push on your knees to get out of a chair, get arms. The Aspire Shower Chair ($149.99), the Care Quip aluminium chair ($199) and the Smik chair ($169.95) all have them.
A backrest is for sitting through a long wash without tiring. Every chair here has one. If you only need a perch to wash your feet, a shower stool is cheaper and takes less room.
Side access matters when someone helps with the wash. The Care Quip Shower Chair Special ($149.95) has no arms, so a carer can reach in from either side. The Max Mobility Delta C24 ($198.95) has grip handles and a backrest that lifts off when you'd rather use it as a stool.
Weight and width
Max user weight is the number to check first. It runs from 100kg to 310kg across this range, and a chair at its limit flexes and feels unsafe long before it fails.
| Chair | Max user weight | Seat height | Seat width | Arms | Price |
| Aspire Homecare | 100kg | 440 to 570mm | 410mm | Yes | $129 |
| Smik aluminium | 114kg | 400 to 500mm | 460mm | Yes, padded | $169.95 |
| Max Mobility Delta C44-T | 120kg | 400 to 500mm | 470mm | No | $186.95 |
| Care Quip Special | 125kg | 400 to 550mm | 410mm between arms | No | $149.95 |
| Max Mobility Delta C45-T HD | 150kg | 470 to 570mm | 470mm | No | $273.95 |
| Aspire Shower Chair | 200kg | 375 to 550mm | 440mm | Yes | $149.99 |
| Care Quip aluminium | 200kg | 410 to 560mm | 460mm between arms | Yes | $199 |
| Aspire Shower Chair Wide | 200kg | 375 to 550mm | 525mm between arms | Yes | $219 |
| Aspire MAXI | 310kg | 455 to 575mm | 575 to 775mm, adjustable | Yes, padded | $999 |
The Max Mobility Delta C24 ($198.95) is in the range too. Its maker says it fits standard showers and bath tubs but doesn't publish a seat height or weight limit. Ask us before ordering it for anyone over 100kg.
Seat height should let your feet sit flat with knees level with your hips, or a touch lower. Most people land between 450mm and 500mm. If the shower floor slopes to the drain, the Aspire chairs have extra height stops on one leg to level the seat.
Rust, drainage and feet
Aluminium doesn't rust. Treated steel is cheaper and heavier, and the coating is what stands between it and rust, so look after it. The Aspire chairs come in both, and Aspire backs the frame against corrosion for 5 years. Every seat on this page has drainage holes so water doesn't pool under you.
The feet do more for safety than the frame. All of these have rubber non-slip tips. Check them every few months. Once the rubber goes shiny the chair will creep on wet tiles.
Aluminium chairs weigh 3 to 5kg, which is light enough to lift out when someone else needs the shower. The Aspire MAXI is 12.3kg and stays where it's put.
Sitting down and standing up
Back up to the chair until you feel it against your legs, reach back for the arms, then sit. Getting up, shuffle forward, feet under you, push on the arms, not the towel rail. Set the chair so the taps are in reach from a sitting position. Keep the floor mat outside the shower where it can't fold under a foot.
If someone is helping, they stand on the side the person transfers from. A chair with no arms on that side is easier for both of you.
NDIS and shower chairs
A shower chair under $1,500 is low cost assistive technology. NDIS participants can buy it from the core budget without a quote or an OT report, as long as it relates to the disability in the plan. The NDIA explains the bands on its assistive technology page.
We're NDIS registered (4050144759). Plan managed and agency managed participants can order through us, and self managed participants pay and claim. Our bathroom safety guide covers the rest of the bathroom.
Common questions
Shower chair or bath transfer bench?
A chair is for a walk-in shower. A bench is for a bath, because it straddles the edge so you sit and slide in without stepping over. We explain it in shower chair or bath transfer bench.
Will it fit in a bath?
The Max Mobility Delta C24 is made to fit standard tubs. Most others are too wide at the base. Measure the flat part of the bath floor and compare it with the base width before ordering.
Can it be used over the toilet?
No. These are shower chairs with solid seats. An over toilet aid is the product for that, and some shower commodes do both jobs.
What if the shower is too narrow?
A shower stool has a smaller footprint. Failing that, a chair just outside the recess with a hand-held shower hose works for a lot of people.
How do I clean it?
Rinse soap off after each shower and wipe the frame dry once a week. Soap scum left on aluminium legs goes slippery, and left on steel it finds the scratches.
Can I return it if it doesn't fit?
Yes, within 14 days. Our refund policy has the conditions.
Still not sure? Measure the shower door and the floor, note the weight, and call 1300 216 888. Nadim will tell you which one in a minute, including when a $129 chair is the right answer.
