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Stuart Mobility Est 2015

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Stuart Mobility Est 2015

01283 704071

Lines open 9am – 5pm

Healthcare vs Domestic – Which Rise Recliner Should I Choose?

by | Jan 8, 2025

When it comes to choosing a rise recliner chair, there’s a lot to think about. But one of the first decisions you should carefully consider is whether you need a domestic or a healthcare chair. Determining this will really help you to focus your search and find the right chair for you.
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So, what are the main differences between a domestic rise recliner and a healthcare one? Why would you choose one over the other?

Both types will recline, and both will help you back up to a standing position … but, beyond that, there are numerous differences.

Domestic Rise Recliners

A domestic rise recliner, as the name suggests, is solely designed for use in a domestic environment. There’s a focus on the aesthetic appearance as well as the comfort, with a range of upholstery fabrics, colours and designs available to coordinate with the look and feel of your home.
Domestic rise recliners have a fixed seat which can’t be removed. Sometimes, the back cushions can be removeable to alter the level of filling, but quite often they’re fixed too.

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Domestic chairs are generally intended to be used by one individual, so you can be measured for the perfect chair for your size and shape, ensuring it offers the right level of support and comfort, but beyond that a domestic chair isn’t usually adaptable for different users or to accommodate changes over time. With a domestic rise and recline chair, what you see is what you get … and for some customers, especially those with generally stable health or specific individual needs, that can be a positive thing! When you’re matched with the ideal chair you won’t have to worry about altering things. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the comfort of your perfect chair.

Healthcare Rise Recliners

While a domestic chair is designed solely for use in a home environment, a healthcare chair isn’t limited to a healthcare setting! This type of chair is also suitable for domestic use, especially for users whose health needs will change more rapidly over time. These chairs are easily and quickly adaptable so a user with a progressive or degenerative health condition, for example, will benefit greatly from this adaptability as the chair can be changed to meet their evolving requirements. We frequently match customers with these types of chairs for use at home, as they can offer excellent value for money by meeting both short and longer-term needs.
A healthcare rise recliner has a number of different features to a domestic chair. Everything, from the back to the seat cushions, to the overlay, is removeable and changeable. Usually stuck on with Velcro, these cushions can be removed and the filling accessed via a zip, allowing fibres to be added or removed to soften or stiffen as required. As well as the level of filling, the format and layout of the cushions can be altered, too. Back cushions can be swapped – from a waterfall back to lumbar support, for example – to provide support where it’s most needed. Seat cushions can also be changed for memory foam, gel cushions or air cushions to provide different levels of pressure management and adaptability over time.

While the upholstery fabrics used on a domestic rise recliner are not suitable for use in a healthcare environment, as they do not meet the stringent infection control requirements that these settings demand, healthcare rise and recline ranges are covered with breathable, wipeable fabric which adheres to infection control policies in NHS Trusts and healthcare settings but, equally, can be very useful in a domestic setting too. The four-way stretch fabric also helps to prevent pressure sores, which is a very important consideration for someone who’s likely to spend extended periods of time sitting in their chair.

Specialist Advisers

We offer a variety of choice in both healthcare and domestic chairs, and our specialist advisers are always on hand to help you decide which range is best suited to your needs.

You can browse our extensive ranges of healthcare and domestic rise recliners online, or give us a call on 01283 688002 for advice or to arrange a personalised fitting.

We can also bring chairs to your home to try before you buy … we’ll always do our best to ensure that you’re investing in the right chair for you, meeting your needs now and in the future.

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