Shopping for Lift Chairs?

When shopping for lift chairs in the Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon areas there is a lot to consider. We would like to help you with a few tips and suggestions for making an informed decision on your lift chair purchase.

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Types of Lift Chairs

There are 3 broad categories of lift chairs on the market: 2 position, 3 position and infinite position.

 

2 Position Lift Chairs

2 position chairs are the very basic type lift chair that lifts and reclines to the "TV watching position" the recline is very limited in the 2 position. The 2 position is not a very popular or common these days. 2 position chairs typically have 2 buttons or a toggle switch (up and down) on the hand control. The chair has one actuator (motor) and works on a scissor/hinge mechanism. 

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3 Position Lift Chairs 

The 3 position lift chair is the most common type of lift chair. 3 position chairs will lift and recline to about a 45 degree position. 3 position chairs typically have 2 buttons or a toggle switch (up and down) on the hand control. The chair has one actuator (motor) and works on a scissor/hinge mechanism. This chair will recline further then a 2 position chair. 

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Infinite Position/Zero Gravity Lift Chairs

Infinite position chairs allow you more control over your seating positions. These chairs typically have 2 or more motors that allow you to control the head and the foot portion of the chair independently. This allows you to have your feet up and still have the back straight for watching TV. It also allows you to fully recline the chair so your feet are above your heart which is recommended for certain conditions. Infinite position lift chairs often have 6 or more buttons on the hand control for full control of the chair. This can also be confusing for some people. Pride offers some infinite position lift chairs with the zero gravity position and trendelenburg position. The trendelenburg position refers to having the feet slightly above the head. This is a great option for people with swelling in the legs.  

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Golden's New Twilight Lift Chair

Twilight positioning is like no other seating system in the world. Its many health benefits include achieving a back angle that is similar to standing, putting less pressure on the spine and reducing spinal muscle fatigue. The 30 degree angle takes the usual TV watching and zero gravity positions to a whole new level. 

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New Viva Lift Chairs by Pride

The newest lift chair models on the market are the Viva Lift Chairs by Pride Mobility. The Viva lift chairs feature several unique features not seen before in the lift chair world. The Viva lift chairs have 4 motors. The functions work similar to an infinite position lift chair where you can operate the head and the feet independently but also have a power head rest and power lumbar feature. This chair is truly a game changer. you can really customize the position of the chair to suit your comfort. The Viva lift chairs feature a USB port in the hand control and a lithium battery back up. Say goodbye to replacing the 9 volt batteries in the transformer in case of a power outage. You would think with the added features that these chairs would be crazy expensive, think again, the pricing on these chairs is a lot less then you would think. All Viva Lift Chairs carry a 7 year (pro-rated) warranty. 

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Brands

There are several lift chair brands on the market today. The 2 largest on the medical lift chair manufactures in the market are Pride Mobility and Golden Technologies. Pride and Golden have now started to manufacture most of their lift chairs in the USA. You may see more and more lift chairs at regular furniture stores with very attractive pricing but beware there is a big difference. Medical lift chairs are regulated by the FDA for quality and safety practices and typically have strict safety standards to protect the user, this is not the case with "furniture type" lift chairs. When it comes time for warranty and replacement parts there is very few parts often available for "furniture type" lift chairs and repair services are often difficult to find. Medical lift chairs typically will have a good warranty up to 7 years and parts are very easy to get in most cases. Our relationship with Pride and Golden is very strong and we have had wonderful experiences with them taking care of our clients if customers need repairs and parts. We often have difficulty with parts from other lift chair manufacturers. Prices between the manufacturer's is generally comparable. 

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Features

There are differences in features of lift chairs: size, back style, material/fabric, USB ports, arm styles and padding to name a few.

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Sizing

This is the most important factor when determining the right chair for you. We carry a large selection of lift chairs in stock to help you find just the right one. The measurements we feel are the most important (in order) is the seat to floor measurement, the seat depth and seat width. The user should be able to sit in the chair with their feet flat on the floor with no strain on the thigh. The seat depth should allow the user to sit all the way back in the chair comfortably without any gaps between the back of the user and the back of the chair. Seat width should be just right, many people will look at chairs that are a little too wide. We feel it is important to get a chair that doesn't allow for big gaps on the sides which can cause the user to lean or favor one side of the chair. It is always best if the user can come try out the chair for proper fitting. People often try and just tell us a height and weight but everyone's dimensions are a little different. If the user is not able to come in we ask that they measure their favorite chair that fits them well and then we do our best to match up the size. The end to end brochure above is a good reference and shows specifications and measurements of all the lift chairs. Again, important measurements are the seat to floor measurement, seat depth and width of the chair. Most medical lift chairs have a standard weight capacity of 375 pounds although larger and higher weight capacity chairs are available. 

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Back Style

There are 2 main styles of back. Button back and pillow back are the most common. Button back lift chairs tend to be more firm and not as soft or squishy on the back. Pillow backs are more soft and plush at the back area. The pillow back and button backs can be customized to suit the users preference. Most lift chair backs come over stuffed from the manufactures and stuffing can be removed or re-adjusted to meet the users needs using the zippers in the back of the chair.

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Materials/Fabric

The lift chair manufacturers put a lot of effort into the fabrics used in the lift chairs. Fabric options will vary by model of chair and manufacture. Most stock chairs are cloth like material in a variety of colors but typically have vinyl and ultra leather available as an upgrade. We can show you a variety of fabric options that are available for your chair and give you approximate lead times for fabric upgrades. 

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USB Ports

Many of the Pride lift chairs now come with USB ports built into the hand control. We think its a handy feature to charge your phone or tablet. 

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Padding

Most lift chairs use a fiber fill material in the backs of the chairs and foam in the seats. Some of the higher end chairs will have individual coils (similar to a mattress) in the seats. We feel this adds longevity to the comfort of the seat.

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Warranty

Warranty varies by model of chair and manufacture. A majority of the lift chairs that we sell have a 7 year pro-rated warranty. What that means is years 1-4 most parts are covered (except the upholstery) and years 4-7 are pro-rated (discounted). Labor is not included in most lift chair warranties. Our Pride lift chairs will all come with 1 year labor included. We carry the most common lift chair parts in stock for quick service and our repair technicians are factory trained in lift chair repairs. 

 

We hope you have found this lift chair information helpful and hope you can visit our Vancouver, Washington showroom with the areas largest selection of medical lift chairs for you to try. We would love to earn your business. Directions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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