Showers are easier to get into and out of than bath tubs, however the drawback is that, unlike a bath, you cannot sit down or lie down in a shower cubicle.
The solution to this limitation is to have a seat or stool in the shower. This enables the person taking the shower to sit down and relax without the worry of getting tired, slipping, or having to wash themselves whilst standing. Many young, fit and able bodied people also use shower seats as they make the experience of taking a shower a more relaxing one. Indeed some shower cubicles now incorporate a small projecting seat within the body of the shower enclosure.
There is a massive array of shower seats and stools, but they all fall into one of two categories, those that are fixed and those that are free standing.
A free standing seat is one that is not permanently fixed to the floor or wall of the shower. This kind of seat can be moved to different positions within the shower cubicle (or room) and, more importantly, it can be removed from the shower completely if required.
Seats or stools of this kind are normally made of waterproof plastic and metal and they should have none slip bases to their legs which will usually be made from rubber or plastic. These seats can be stool like with a simple seat base (without a backrest or arms), or they may have a backrest and arms that function as lifting and lowering supports.
Seats like this normally have splayed out legs for extra stability and the arms rest supports may fold vertically or be removable.
Some shower seats also take the form of a corner seat, meaning that they may have a slightly triangular shape in order to fit into the corner of the shower. This enables them to rest against two walls which offers extra stability.
Fixed shower seats are those which are mechanically fixed to a shower enclosure at the floor, wall or both. This means that they are the most secure and stable form of shower seating and they may even utilise a shower wall as a backrest (although many have a separate backrest).
This kind of shower seating usually has a wall bracket fixing to the rear of the chair and two supporting legs to the front. (Some fixed shower seats only have the wall fixing and require no front leg supports.) Many seats of this kind will have waterproof padded seats (and backrests) making them comfortable and relaxing to sit upon.
Although seating of this kind cannot be removed when not in use, many fixed shower seats have hinged mechanisms that allow the seat and legs to fold flat against a wall when not in use. This is ideal if someone who does not require a seat wishes to take a shower and it also facilitates cleaning the shower cubicle.
Once a shower seat has been placed in a shower cubicle, many people are surprised that it is frequently used by both healthy and able bodied people as well as those whose use it was intended for.
For more general information about bathroom seating and level increasers see this Bath steps and seats page.
Back to Bathroom Aids main page
Back to the Home Page