A Buying Guide for Rise and Recline Electric Armchairs

If you spend a lot of time in an armchair or you find you are struggling to get in and out of your chair or suffering from health problems such as arthritis, Oedema, back pain or swollen legs, feet and ankles. Then a Rise and Recline Electric Armchair would be perfect, it will offer you good posture and help provide you the additional support that you need to alleviate health issues giving you comfort and relief.

There are many makes of Rise and Recline Electric Armchairs on the market so it is important to get the right chair that fits you perfectly as an ill-fitting can cause health problems. Our friendly experienced team will assess and advise you the most appropriate chair for you including Petite, Standard, Bariatric, heat and massage functions. Some models of Rise and Recline chairs come with matching settees. The Rise and Recline Armchairs have a wide range of colours and fabrics to match your home furnishings. This guide will help you to understand the different types of Rise and Recline Electric Armchair that are available.

An ill-fitting Rise and Recline Armchair may cause serious health issues such as:

1) When a chair seat is too high off the floor your feet won't be able to touch the floor, and this will put pressure on your back and may cause circulation problems.
2) When a chair is too short in length your legs are not fully supported. This may cause circulation problems.
3) When a seat is too wide you may lean sideways twisting your back as it will not be properly supported. This may cause back ache and breathing problems.
4) When a seat is too tight you will be uncomfortable with restrictive movement. This may cause circulation problems.
5) When a seat is too deep you will not be able to sit with your back fully supported this will put pressure on the back of your legs. Placing a cushion behind you, will not provide even support to your back or alleviate the pressure on the back of your legs. This may cause circulation problems.

The correct Rise and Recline Electric Armchair should be comfortable with excellent support in the right places such as extra padding at the bottom to support your lower back, and at the top behind your neck and head. The legrest must raise your lower leg to the same height as your seat.

All our chairs are equipped with a simple to use remote control, which links to the motor by an electric cable. The remote enables you to adjust and control the chair to your needs and by letting go of the button the chair will stop. There will be at least 2 buttons on the Single Motor and at least 5 buttons on the Dual Motor controller, allowing you to recline or be raised up to a near standing position avoiding any unnecessary load on your back or knees, reducing the risk of any further pain or discomfort as your rise to a standing position and walk away from your chair. The electric motor is not battery powered. The electric motor plugs in to a normal mains wall socket via a transformer. This transformer reduces the voltage to a safer level so that it is not possible to get an electric shock from the chair. The chairs are very reliable and come with a battery back-up feature so that user is not stuck in the event of a power cut. The battery will power the chair for two or three lifts only, ensuring that the user is not stranded. Safety is also very important, so particular attention needs to be paid so that children and others do not play with the rise and recline chair.

Space in your room is a large factor when buying the Rise and Recline Armchair. A standard chair needs to be positioned near a power socket and at least 2’ away from the wall to allow the chair to recline and a good amount of space at the front for your lower legs to rise. If the chair touches the wall the frame of the chair could bed. If you only have limited space then you may need to consider a ‘Wall Hugger’ Rise and Recline Armchair.

Motors:-
There are two types of motors available Single or Dual.

The Single Motor
The Single Motor a conventional Rise and Recline Armchair where the angle between back and seat increases as the chair reclines. This is a simple programme which reclines and raises the footrest to a comfortable position simultaneously then gently lowers the footrest and raising you to a near standing position in an all-in-one operation.

The Dual Motor:
The Dual Motor is slightly more expensive than the Single Motor but it offers a wider range of positions to relax in as you have complete independent control of the footrest and back of the chair and an increased level of comfort. The use of 2 motors allows for an infinite number of recline and comfort positions because the back and seat are operated separately. This enables an almost horizontal day bed recline position at one extreme to a very upright seating position if necessary. The Dual Motor Armchair is ideal for those who suffer from issues with their joints, limbs, cramp, aching, circulation issues, water retention, Oedema and swelling. For those users who need to operate the legrest, back, tilt and vertical rise separately there is a 4 Motor available on certain models.

‘Tilt in Space’:-
The ‘Tilt in Space’ (TIS) is available in a Single and Dual Motor Armchair offering a quiet smooth recline action with a zero gravity no shear motion. The motor lifts with a ’tilt in space’ motion with no change to the seat/back angle during the recline movement. Many standard height ‘tilt in space’ actions can be supplied with variable angle lift (VAL). The ‘tilt in space’ can help to relieve pressure and soreness. The whole reclines whilst the backrest supports your lower back and your weight is spread evenly through your whole seat and back and lifts your legs avoiding uncomfortable ‘shearing’ of the skin.

Hall Hugger:-
The wall hugger action reclines smoothly with its single motor moving the chair seat forward as the back reclines. This enables the chair to be placed within 3"/75 mm of a wall and recline perfectly.

Backrests:
There are several different types of backrest available for you to choose from:

1) The Waterfall feature sections overlap each other, resembling a waterfall. This backrest is the most supportive. This style allows you to adjust the amount of padding inside each section to tailor it to your needs.

2) The Rollback is constructed from three or four padded sections supporting the individual parts of your back, head, shoulders, spine, hips and lumbar region.

3) The Pillowback backrest resembles the pillow design of a sofa, ensuring your recliner will compliment your current furniture suite.

4) The Buttonback backrest has been inspired by traditional sofa and chairs, ideal for those looking for a simple, classic design to match their home furnishings.

5) Wingback supports are fitted to either side of the chair, designed to support your shoulders, similar to wingback chairs.

The nature of your disability is likely to play a part in deciding which Rise and Recline Armchair to choose. Capitol Mobility has worked with many local Occupational Therapists over the years that bring their patients to us to supply a Rise and Recline Electric Armchair. Stay independent for a longer with a comfortable Rise and Recline Armchair, contact us or come in and see own range.

We offer Free friendly demonstrations and assessments in one of our showrooms with no obligation or sales pressure. Covered by a full guarantee. FREE local delivery on all powered products. You know you’ll be in safe hands; we are proud to be a member of the British Healthcare Trade Association (BHTA), who have a code of practice recognised and accredited by Trading Standards (TSI) and we are Motability Accredited.