Carex Shower Chair and Bath Bench Review: What You Need To Know

Carex Health Brands

Carex Health Brands is a subsidiary of Compass Health Brands and has been providing in-home health safety aids for over 35 years. Their product lines include a variety of home medical equipment:

• Bright light therapy
• Medication organizers
• Self-care and personal care
• checkMobility help and bathroom safety

• In-home care and room equipment
• Patented product care including Enablers ® and ThermaTherapy ™

The company’s goal is to help provide dignity to those that need extra assistance with day-to-day personal needs and to offer easy-to-use, high quality products to caregivers and customers. Other brands in the Carex Health Brand include AccuRelief, The Original Bed Buddy, TheraMed, and Apex.

Overall Rating of Carex Shower Chairs

The company has over a thousand reviews distributed through the various product lines.

Many appreciate the ease of use and assembly along with the sturdiness of the products, especially in a slippery place like the tub or shower. In addition, many of their products are recommended by physical therapists.

They are easy to assemble and have many features that allow for convenient usage.

Benefits of Carex Shower Chairs

Carex offers a variety of safety chairs and benches to meet the specific needs of clients who would like more independence while in the tub or shower. These activities can be dangerous to those with mobility issues, and these products add a measure of safety combined with ease of use.

Whether the mobility issue is temporary, such as a broken bone, or permanent, such as loss of a limb or age-related mobility problem, a Carex shower chair or bench would be a good addition to in-home safety equipment.

Four out of the five products reviewed here are all-plastic, which allows for easy cleaning. The chairs have spaces to allow the water to drain rather than pool, keeping them more hygienic.

Most of the products weigh between 6–11 pounds which makes them portable for use while traveling or in multiple bathrooms in a house. The universal designs mean that they should work in most bathroom tubs and showers.

Carex also offers other products to use in conjunction with these shower chairs for added safety.

Why Should the Elderly Use Carex Shower Chairs?

The one place that many people would prefer some privacy is the bathroom, yet this can be the most dangerous room in the house for elderly relatives or clients with mobility issues. Tub surfaces can be slippery, and there often are few handholds for extra balance.

Due to the buildup of moisture in a tub, a fall is all too easy and can result in head or back injury. Plus, if someone with mobility issues cannot get out of the tub, the collected water could even cause drowning.

Carex offers a line of bathroom safety equipment that allows some independence. The universal design of the chairs can be used in the tub or bath. The transfer chairs are positioned both inside and outside of the tub or bath to allow for easy access to avoid much lifting.

Each of the products can hold at least 300 pounds, while some can go up to 400 pounds. With the many different products offered, there is probably a good one for your specific needs.

All About Carex Shower Chairs

Carex Universal Bath Seat, with Support for up to 400 Pounds, Features Notch for Holding Hand-Held Shower Spray

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Key Features:

• This seat will fit in almost any bath or tub because it is designed to sit fully in the tub or shower.
• The holes in the seat allow for water to drain instead of pooling around the person trying to bathe.
• An open notch on the side holds the hand-held shower spray nozzle, which prevents the person from having to get up and down to grab the shower sprayer.

Dimensions: 18 x 21 x 17.8 inches Weight: 8.51 pounds

PROS

• checkStable
• checkWashable
• checkHeight-adjustable
• checkEasy to assemble
• checkAffordable

CONS

• May not fit in all tubs or showers
• May not be returnable

Carex Universal Bath Bench with Back

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Key Features:

• Since many bath tubs and showers have sloped or uneven sides, the feet are adjustable to ensure the seat is level. They are also made of rubber to prevent slipping
• This wider and sturdier seat can support up to 400 pounds.
• It is lightweight and portable so you can easily transport it to other bathrooms throughout the house or if visiting someone else’s house or going on vacation.

Dimensions: 18 x 21 x 29.9 inches Weight: 59 pounds

PROS

• checkRemovable back
• checkComfortable Seat
• checkDoes not move in the shower
• checkEasy to assemble

CONS

• Large seat that takes up space in small tubs
• closeMost parts are plastic

Carex Universal Transfer Bench, Bath Transfer Bench with Exact Level Adjustable Legs, Convertible to Right or Left-Hand Entry

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Key Features:

• The assembly and disassembly do not require any tools. The legs snap in and out of the base of the seat.
• Comfortably fits weights up to 400 pounds. Heavier people can feel more secure or a caregiver can assist and not worry about balance.
• The easy-to-clean plastic construction means no mold buildup or metal corrosion due to water and humidity.

Dimensions: 19 x 29.8 x 33 inches Weight: 14.51 pounds

PROS

• checkTransfer is easy
• checkSturdy feel
• checkTherapist-recommended

CONS

• Sits both inside and outside the shower, which allows the water to get on the floor
• closeWas not comfortable for some people

Carex Portable Shower Bench

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Key Features:

• This is a single piece that sits across a tub. The rubber feet slide into place to secure the seat on top of the tub.
• The seat is adjustable and fits most standard-sized tubs from 19 inches to 28 inches across. You will want to measure from the tub’s edge to attached wall edge to ensure a proper fit. The seat, properly placed, balances over the tub.
• There are rubber stoppers to prevent movement and scratches to the tub.

Dimensions: 14.2 x 31 x 1.6 inches Weight: 4.6 pounds

PROS

• checkPortable
• checkAdjustable width
• checkLight weight
• checkStores easily

CONS

• Shower curtain must be adjust to fit around the bench
• closeMay not fill tubs correctly

Carex Bathtub Transfer Bench, 12.4 Pounds, Bath Transfer Bench with Adjustable Legs, Convertible to Right or Left-Hand Entry

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Key Features:

• The back is reversible. This means it can be assembled so that it can be used on the left or right side.
• The seat has adjustable height to fit over high-walled tubs, a feature that many other chairs do not have.
• There is an extra bar for support on the side. This allows for an extra hand-grip for balance.

Dimensions: 8 x 17 x 18 inches Weight: 4 pounds

PROS

• checkWorks with high sided tubs
• checkSturdy feel
• checkReversible back

CONS

• Metal parts may rust or corrode over time

Carex vs. Nova Medical

Nova Medical creates many of the same types of bathroom safety equipment as Carex. One of the big differences is that most of the Nova Medical chairs are made with metal legs. Over time, metal can corrode when exposed to a warm and humid environment like a bath or shower.

Eventually, these chairs need to be replaced just from normal use. Carex predominantly uses plastic for the legs and seat to prevent this from happening and keep you from having to buy another chair after a few years of use.

Nova Medical does receive some good reviews on some of its bath chair products. Certain other products do not have as many reviews and could be new items in the market and untested.

Products related to Carex Shower Chairs

Carex Ultra Grip Shower Wall Grab

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These bars have powerful suction cups and come in a variety of lengths. They can be attached to the shower or bath for additional safety. Since they can be removed easily, they are also useful for travel.

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Carex Health Brand Bathroom Safety Rail

These rails can be permanently screwed into the wall of a bath or shower for additional balance and security. Other types of rails fit securely over a tub for an added hand-grip and balance.

These rails can be permanently screwed into the wall of a bath or shower for additional balance and security. Other types of rails fit securely over a tub for an added hand-grip and balance.

Carex Bath Mat

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This bath mat has small suction cups on the bottom to adhere to the tub or shower floor and prevent slipping.

Carex Hand-Held Shower Spray

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This shower sprayer has an extra-long 80-inch hose for extra reach in the shower when using a shower bench or chair.

​Final Review on the Best Carex Shower Chairs

Carex makes reliable and safe in-home equipment for mobility impaired people. They have a range of products that many people need and seem to create new and innovative products for safety.

Many customers leaving reviews feel comfortable recommending these products to others. With such a strong safety record and reliable recommendations, the Carex product line of bath chairs and benches would be a good addition to any home medical equipment.

The Carex line also compares well to our top shower chair and bench picks. Do you have any comments or questions about the Carex shower chair or bench? Please feel free to leave any feedback in the section below.