Fitting the Lift Chair to the Person

One of the first steps, before you even beginning looking at potential lift chairs, is to figure out the physical requirements of the person that will be using the chair. The most important requirements will be the persons weight and height.

Occupants Weight

When considering the weight of the chairs occupant, it is very important to take into account expected weight growth. Not only is it important to honestly address additional weight growth, but you always want to give your self a little bit of leeway. Adding an extra 20% to a persons weight is a good way to ensure that you have this extra leeway. Simply take a calculator and multiply the weight of the chairs occupant times 1.2. For instance if the chairs occupant weights 175 pounds, you would multiply it by 1.2 and get 210. This means that you would not want to get a chair that supports less than 210 pounds.

Occupants Height

The height of the person who will be using the chair is one of the other most important concerns. The reason that knowing the height is so important, because the distance that the chair raises off of the ground is directly tied to the height of the chairs occupant. For example, a chair that is designed for someone over six feet tall will raise much higher into the air than a chair that is designed for someone who is five feet tall. If a person who was five feet tall tried to use a chair designed for a taller person, the chair would raise them to an unsafe height.

Use Your Existing Chair as a Comparison

Since most people buy their lift chair online, most people don’t get to actually sit in the chair before they buy it. This is one of the reasons that knowing the height and weight of the occupant is so important, but it is also important to have a way to understand how the chair will fit a persons body. It is strongly advised to measure your existing recliner or sitting chair. This way, you will be able to have a way to compare your existing recliner to a prospected lift chair.

Important Measurements

There are several measurements that are important to know, but perhaps the most important are the seats width and its depth. Using a measuring tape or a ruler, go ahead and measure your existing recliner. Measure the distance from the front of the seat to the backrest, this is the seat depth. Next measure the distance between the armrests, this is the seat width. When taking these measurements, make sure that your measuring tape is making physical contact with the seat cushion.

Once you know the seat depth and seat width, use these measurements to compare prospected lift chairs. If you have always thought your recliner was a little too tight, find a lift chair that has slightly larger dimensions. If your recliner was always a tad too big, now is an excellent time to go ahead and get a lift chair that is a little smaller.

Knowing the requirements of the person who will be using the chair is one of the most important ways to ensure that the lift chair you purchase will safely and comfortably provide many years of service. This should take place before you even begin to shop around for a lift chair.

Find out About Lift Chair Positions

The way that a lift chair reclines is also very important. They are classified as Two Position, Three Position, or Infinite Position Chairs. Click on the link to learn about lift chair positions.