Do you suffer from a mild to moderate mobility issue? Does that fact make bathing a bit of a challenge?
If so, you may have considered investing in a shower stool to help make your life a bit easier on that front, but there’s a problem. There are literally scores of options on the market today, and finding the ‘right’ one for you can be a daunting challenge.
That’s exactly why this roundup review was written! We’ve scoured the internet on a quest to find the very best shower stools available for sale today. As we dove deep into the market, we quickly discovered that it made the most sense to break this part of the market into two distinct categories: Teak wood shower stools and medical shower stools.
Teak wood stools make gorgeous accent pieces and are an excellent decorative addition to most bathrooms, but they tend to have fewer safety features, making them a good fit for people who are shopping for convenience, or those who have minor mobility issues that don’t impact them much.
Medical devices aren’t very attractive and place much more emphasis on function over form. They tend to be sturdier and have more safety features built-in, which makes them a better fit for those with more severe mobility issues. However, we’ll be quick to note that the more serious your mobility issue is, the better you’ll be served by investing in a bath or shower chair than a simple stool.
Nonetheless, shower stools have an important place in the market. After breaking the results of our exhaustive search into the two segments we just described, we found and declared a clear winner in each category.
We’ll tell you more about our winning entries in just a moment, but before we do that, let’s start by taking a high-level view of the top three shower stools in each category to give you a preview of what’s to come. Here are the results of our research:
Best Teak Shower Stool Comparison Table
|
Our Pick
|
|
|
|
4.3
|
4.1
|
4.0
|
|
18” (H) x 20” (W) x 14” (D)
|
18” (H) x 18” (W) x 12” (D)
|
18” (H) x 14” (W) x 18” (D)
|
|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highly recommended.
|
Recommended.
|
Provisionally recommended.
|
- Great looking, well priced, larger than average dimensions, leveling mechanism, rubberized feet, generously sized storage shelf.
- Modest weight limit.
- Gorgeous. Handcrafted. Generously sized storage shelf. Rubberized feet. Leveling mechanism.
- Modest weight limit.
- Gorgeous. Handcrafted. Leveling mechanism.
- Modest weight limit. No storage shelf.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Our Selection Criteria
We approached this roundup review of the best shower stools from the perspective that the overwhelming majority of prospective buyers will want one because they suffer from some type of mobility issue. For that reason, safety features were given the most weight, even where the more attractive teak wood models were concerned (though for the teak stools, aesthetics were also weighted heavily).
There’s no such thing as too many safety features, so in general, a stool that packed more such features into the design will score better overall than a stool with fewer safety features, no matter what else the design might get right.
Beyond that, we looked at the value proposition, the quality of the workmanship each product brought to the table, and comfort. Although, in fairness, very few stools of this sort pay any real attention to matters of comfort. Still, when and where a product did give it a nod, we certainly gave them credit for it!
Final note: It should go without saying, but we’ll drop this here just for the sake of completion. All of these are waterproof stools, regardless of what they’re made of; that’s the point!
Our Pick: Rose Home Fashion Teak Shower Stool Bench
Recommended For: Anyone who weighs up to 250 pounds, including people with mild mobility issues.
Our top pick is offered by Rose Home Fashion, a well-respected brand, and maker of a wide range of home décor items. Their sizeable shower stool is a sharp-looking accent piece with clear Asian design influences.
The Asian design influences can either be a good thing or bad, depending on your existing home décor scheme. It will fit right into many homes, but for example, if your home is decorated in a more rustic or casual style, this piece will clash with everything else you’ve already got in place. It’s certainly not the end of the world, but definitely, something to keep in mind.
Specifications
Before we say more than that, let’s take a moment to do a quick review of the basic stats that define this model. Here they are:
Most of these numbers are quite good. The seat height is just inside of the big and tall range, which starts at 18″ and goes up to 22″ or higher. Given that, it’s high enough to be useful to taller folks, but not so high that an average-sized person couldn’t use it comfortably too. The only people who might struggle are shorter folk (say, anyone less than 5′ tall).
There are only two numbers in the above that we’d consider marginal or problematic. The seat depth is a bit wanting, but that’s probably not a deal breaker for most people since you’ll only be sitting in it for the duration of a bath or shower.
The other weak number is the weight limit. Most of the furniture on the market today is support in the neighborhood of 300-pounds.
Unfortunately, very few teak wood shower stools sold today manage to hit that mark, and this one is no exception.
A 250-pound weight limit makes it a good fit for some 85-90% of the market, but we advise taking the manufacturer’s recommendations seriously. If you weigh more than 250 pounds, don’t get this product! The last thing you want is to have the stool collapse under you while you’re using it, which is almost certain to make whatever mobility issue you have, even worse.
Not a happy situation.
Although this corner shower stool is not height adjustable, it does have leveling feet that work the same way the feet on your stove, washer, and dryer do. Just screw or unscrew the feet to properly balance the stool to give it more stability—necessary because most showers and tubs have sloping bottoms.
In terms of safety features, the only one you’ll find here is the fact that the feet of the stool are rubberized, providing a sure grip to the bottom of your tub or shower, even when it’s wet. Since the stool is a bit bigger than average, it also tends to be slightly more stable and less likely to rock as you’re getting into and out of it.
Another nice feature offered by this best rated shower stool is the fact that it’s got a generously sized storage shelf located beneath the seat. Again, since the stool is a bit bigger than average, the shelf is also correspondingly larger and is roomy enough to store a wide range of bathroom supplies, making it a handy addition indeed. More storage space is always welcome, especially where home bathrooms are concerned!
As is the case with most of the furniture you can buy online these days, if you decide you want one of these, it will arrive at your door in a medium-sized box and in several pieces.
You’ll have some work to do before it’s ready for first use.
Fortunately, the production quality is quite high, and the assembly instructions are clear, so the process of putting it together is simple and straightforward. With the only real limitation of the design being the modest weight limit, it’s a well-rounded, versatile piece of furniture that would make a great addition to most homes. Provided, of course, the Asian styling is a good fit for you. We highly recommend it and regard it as the best teak wood shower stool on the market today.
Runner-Up: EcoDecors Serenity Shower Stool
Recommended For: Anyone who weighs up to 250 pounds who doesn’t have a mobility issue and is looking for a fantastic accent piece for their bathroom.
The EcoDecors Serenity Shower Stool has a number of things in common with our top pick, including its Asian-inspired styling, but there are some striking differences to be aware of too.
Specifications
Before we get into the particulars, let’s start by doing a quick stats review, so we can see exactly what we’re working with:
Structurally, it’s quite similar to our top pick, though the seat is neither as wide nor as deep. The width is still sufficient to make this design broadly accessible, but with an underwhelming 12″ depth, it may be a bit on the uncomfortable side depending on your body shape. For most people, and given the short periods you’ll be sitting on it, it should be fine, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
As with most of our finalists in this section, the weight limit could be problematic, and if there’s a number in the stats above that may be a dealbreaker, the 250-pound weight limit would be it.
Unlike our top pick, though, all of EcoDecors furniture is handcrafted, so although there is a high degree of standardization, each piece will have subtle differences that make it unique, and that’s pretty cool. If you have an eye for aesthetics and want something special, this one could easily surpass the Rose Home Fashion offering as your top pick.
While this stool is not height adjustable, it does come with levelers on the feet, which allows you to tweak it slightly to account for the curved bottom of your tub or shower, keeping it level and increasing its stability.
It also has the most basic safety feature found on all shower stools, rubberized feet, which helps ensure that it won’t slide out from under you when you’re getting into or out of it.
Yet another feature this model has with our top pick is the fact that it’s got a storage shelf below the seat, although here, given the slightly smaller overall size of the stool, the shelf isn’t quite as big, which does limit its usefulness a bit.
It’s still big enough to hold the basics, but given the smaller overall dimensions and the slant of the legs, you’ll be somewhat limited in terms of what you can store on the shelf.
On the other hand, unlike our top pick of best bath chair, if you decide to order one of these, it will arrive at your door fully assembled and ready to use. It’s a small thing, but a nice touch and highly convenient.
Overall, it’s a good product, and we love the fact that each piece is handcrafted. Assuming that the modest weight limit isn’t an issue for you and the Asian-inspired styling meshes well with your existing décor scheme, this one is definitely recommended. An exceptional teak shower stool, no matter how you slice it.
Value Pick: EcoDecors Eleganto Teak Shower Bench
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 250 pounds who loves the rustic aesthetic offered by this model.
EcoDecors dominates this part of our chart with a second entry, in the form of the Eleganto teak shower bench. This model represents a significant departure from the others, because most of the products in this section are strongly influenced by Asian design, and this one has a decidedly reluctant aesthetic.
If you’re not a fan of the Asian look that so many of the other models are sporting, this one could easily become your top pick simply because it has such a different look and feel to it.
Specifications
Before we say more than that, though, let’s continue as we have been and take a moment to look at the core stats that define the model. Here are the basics:
There’s a lot to like in these numbers. The height, being right on the edge of big and tall territory, makes it a versatile stool, even if it’s not height adjustable. The rest of the seat dimensions are respectable, though the width is a bit underwhelming. It’s certainly adequate given the amount of time you’re likely to spend on it, but it could be a minor issue for some.
Again, the limiting factor here is the maximum supported weight limit, which doesn’t quite reach the 300-pound informal standard that most home furnishings are built around.
Although there are no adjustable features on offer, this model, like most of the others offered in this section of our best shower chair review, features levelers on the feet, allowing you to make minor adjustments to keep the stool level on the curved bottoms that most showers and tubs come with. These function the same way that the leveling feet on your stove, washer and dryer do.
As with the other furniture designed by EcoDecors, each of these stools is handcrafted, so the one you get will have subtle differences in the manifestation of the design that make it totally unique, giving you a one-of-a-kind accent piece for your bathroom.
That, combined with the delightfully rustic look and feel, is a powerful combination. It is made even better by the presence of the levelers built into the feet and the fact that they are rubberized, which makes it very unlikely that the stool will slide out from under you while you’re getting into or out of it or are in the middle of using it.
If this bench has one shortcoming (other than the modest weight limit) that causes it to rank somewhat lower, it is the fact that unlike our top two picks, this one doesn’t offer a storage shelf below the seat. It may not seem like a huge deal, but given that most bathrooms are short on storage space, that’s something you can never have too much of.
Overall though, it’s a rock-solid design, and if you’re a fan of the rustic aesthetic, this wood shower stool brings to the table, and again, provided that the weight limit isn’t a dealbreaker for you, it’s an excellent choice. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
Also Great
AquaTeak 18″ Asia Teak Shower Bench
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 250 pounds who doesn’t have a mobility issue.
In fourth place is the Original 18″ Asia Teak bench, offered by AquaTeak. Although this isn’t actually the first commercially available teak wood shower bench, it is the first model offered by this company and is a time-tested design.
As with most of the finalists in this section, this one sports unmistakable Asian design influences. Although unlike our top picks, you won’t find a storage shelf beneath the seat. That’s unfortunate because it would be very easy to add one.
In any case, before we say more than that, let’s continue with our tradition of taking a quick look at the core stats that define the model:
For the most part, these are good numbers, but as is the case with most of our finalists, the two weak spots are the seat depth (just 12″ here), and the modest maximum supported weight limit.
As we’ve mentioned with other products, given the relatively short periods you’ll be spending on the stool, the depth isn’t likely to be a dealbreaker. But, the more time you spend on it, the more uncomfortable it’s apt to get. The weight limit is standard for most teak wood shower stools, but it still falls well short of the informal 300-pound weight limit offered by most of the other furniture on the market today.
Even given the limitations described above, though, this is a very good, versatile stool. If our top picks aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, this is an excellent alternative to consider. The assembly process is simple. Like most of the other products on this part of our list, it does come with rubberized feet and levelers for added stability. Given all of that, we provisionally recommend it.
Bare Décor Mosaic Folding Stool
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 200 pounds who doesn’t suffer from any sort of mobility issue and doesn’t need one for that reason.
We didn’t feel that this section of our roundup review would be complete without giving a brief shout out to Bare Décor’s Mosaic Folding Stool.
As the name suggests, this model has the distinction of being the only one on our list of finalists that folds, which makes storing the stool when you’re not using it even easier.
Specifications
Before we go further, here are the core stats that define this model:
A couple of things jump out at us here. First, we love the delightfully small footprint, and especially its folded dimensions and scant weight, which combine to make storage a snap.
The seat width is a bit underwhelming, but surprisingly, it’s not the worst in class in this dimension and is still adequate given what the product is designed to be used for. The weight limit, though, is even more disappointing. While all of the other stools in this section boast a 250-pound weight limit (which is still below average), this one can’t quite muster that, supporting just 200-pounds. Unfortunately, that limitation does make this model less useful to significant segments of the market. If you weigh more than 200 pounds, it’s simply a non-starter, no matter how much you might like it.
Assuming the weight limit isn’t a dealbreaker for you, though, it’s a great little product, especially if you’re short on space. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it. It’s a superb folding shower stool.
You May Also Want to Consider…
If none of the options above are exactly what you’re looking for, we do have a couple of other alternatives you may want to consider. As you’ll see, these are markedly different from the products we’ve talked about thus far and don’t really belong in quite the same category, but we didn’t feel this roundup would be complete if we didn’t at least give them a mention.
Rose Home Fashion 13.5″ Teak Shower Foot Stool
Recommended For: This is a niche product for those who shave legs. You’ll either love it or not be at all interested.
If you don’t want or need a full-sized shower stool, but you’re still interested in adding an attractive accent piece to your bathroom décor that gives you a convenient platform to help shave your legs, then you may want to consider something like this handy little stool.
Offered by Rose Home Fashion, it’s got some similarities with its larger cousin that we mentioned earlier, but this one is a corner stool and doesn’t sport Asian design influences.
Specifications
Here are the basic stats that define this model:
As you can see, this one is markedly smaller than the stools we just told you about, and it’s not sturdy enough to sit on, but it does provide a handy platform, well-sized and well suited for shaving your legs.
There’s no built-in storage shelf on offer here, but that’s not much of a loss because even if one were present, it would be too small to hold much of anything. Even so, it’s a stylish little piece of furniture that fills an important niche. Granted, it’s a fairly small niche, but if you’re in the market for something like this, this model is about the best and most attractive option you’ll find.
As with most of the other stools we’ve mentioned, this one won’t arrive at your door assembled. You’ll have a bit of work to do before you can start enjoying it, but Rose Home Fashion has a reputation for quality, and the pieces all fit together exactly as they should.
That, combined with the fact that there aren’t many pieces to contend with, makes the assembly process a snap.
It’s too much of a niche product for us to give it a strong recommendation, but we do provisionally recommend it. It’s a good product that will look great in almost any home. In our view, this is the best small shower stool for shaving legs on the market today.
Rose Home Fashion 18″ Teak Corner Shower Bench
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 250 pounds, but especially those who don’t have a lot of room to work with.
This handsome corner bench is the larger cousin of the little footstool we just described. Where the footstool is only large enough to serve as a platform to help with shaving your legs, this great looking accent piece is big and robust enough to sit on, and it sports a generously sized storage shelf under the seat. Even better, as a corner stool, it makes a fabulous addition to just about any bathroom, even if you’re short on space.
As attractive as the options in our main list above are, most of them feature Asian influences in their design.
That’s fine if you like the style and it won’t clash with your existing décor but let’s face it, not everyone is a fan and if you don’t already have an Asian-themed décor in your bathroom, adding one piece is going to make it stick out like a sore thumb.
If that describes your situation, this is a superb alternative.
Specifications
As we’ve done with the other models we’ve talked about, here are the core stats for this model:
The only real point of weakness here is the modest weight limit, which is a common theme with all of the teak wood benches we found on the market today.
Provided that’s not a dealbreaker for you, though, this would make a fantastic addition to your home.
It’s got rubberized feet which, combined with the widely spaced legs, adds stability to the structure. Like most of the others we’ve talked about to this point, it also has a leveling mechanism that increases its stability on uneven surfaces like the curved bottoms of showers and bathtubs.
If you decide you want one of these, it will arrive at your door in a large box and unassembled. Just like the other Rose Home Fashion offerings we’ve talked about, the production quality is very high, and the instructions are clear. You won’t have any trouble at all getting it ready for first use.
Given its gorgeous finish and impressive versatility, we highly recommend it.
Best Medical Shower Stool Comparison Table
|
Our Pick
|
|
|
|
4.5
|
4.2
|
4.2
|
|
16” – 19” (H) x 17.5” (W) x 10.6” (D)
|
17.5 – 18.5” (H) x 20” (W) x 20.5” (D)
|
23” - 28” (H) x 21” (W) x 18.25” (D)
|
|
550 pounds!
|
300 pounds
|
300 pounds
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highly recommended.
|
Highly recommended.
|
Recommended.
|
- An expertly designed product with well-implemented extras and even a nod to comfort! Highest supported weight on the list.
- Seat depth is slightly underwhelming.
- A fantastic folding design, perfect for those who are short on space because it's so easy to store. Offered by one of the most respected names in the business.
- None, though it doesn't support as much weight as our top pick.
- Simple, functional design that packs a lot of good features in a modestly priced package.
- None (again, though, it doesn't support as much weight as our top pick and its features are quite as well implemented as our #2 pick).
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Our Pick: Health Line Heavy Duty Shower Stool
Recommended For: Anyone. This is an exceptional product.
We were fully expecting to find one of the big names in the industry-leading the pack in this part of the roundup review, so the fact that Health Line came away with the top spot was a bit of a surprise to us.
While they’re not one of the Industry’s Titans, they’ve been in the business for a long time, and they make quality products. This heavy-duty shower stool, redesigned for 2020, is an excellent example of their work and one of the best values you’ll find anywhere.
Specifications
Let’s start by taking a quick look at the core stats that define the model:
With one underwhelming exception, these are superb numbers. The stool is highly adjustable in a band that starts 2″ below the traditional big and tall range and extends well into big and tall territory, making it as useful to shorter folk as it is for big and tall people.
The seat width is sufficient to allow almost anyone to sit in it comfortably, and the stool is light enough that it can easily be moved when it’s not in use. Best of all, though, is the fact that this model supports an impressive 550 pounds of user weight, which makes it best in class and suitable for some 98% of the potential market for it.
The only stat we weren’t thrilled with was the seat depth, which at 10.6″ is disappointingly modest.
Even so, given that you won’t be spending a lot of time sitting on this stool, it’s adequate, though we regard this figure as being the one weak point in the numbers above.
Our top pick here suffers from a problem that’s common to almost all medical shower stools. Namely, they’re not much to look at. If you want something that’s more stylish, then you’ll definitely want to take a look at the teak wood stools we talked about above.
The trade-off is that those stools don’t have nearly as many safety features on offer, so it becomes a matter of which is more important to you: form or function.
Where safety features are concerned, given this stool’s wide stance, the rubberized feet provide a sure, stable grip to your shower or tub, so you won’t have to worry about it trying to slide away from you as you’re getting onto or off of it. This stool also comes with handles built into both ends of the seat, giving you a convenient handhold as you’re moving onto and off of it.
While we love the fact that the handholds are present, they’re not as strongly implemented as we’d like to see. Ideally, they should have rubberized handgrips for added safety, but that’s an extra not present here.
In terms of adjustability, it couldn’t be easier. On the inside of each of the stool’s legs, you’ll find a silver button. Press the button to release the leg, allowing it to telescope in or out. The leg will lock into position each time it encounters one of the pre-drilled holes, so if you need to move it more than an inch, you just have to press the button again and keep going.
Then, when you get one leg where you want it, just adjust the others to match, and you’re all set!
This little stool even offers a nod to comfort, which is a rarity in these types of products. The stool itself is made of tubed aluminum and molded plastic, but it comes with a thin waterproof foam pad for the seat with holes drilled in the padding to match the holes that are bored into the seat, allowing the water to drain away from you freely.
Granted, the padding is thin, but the fact that there’s padding present at all is a big improvement to sitting on molded plastic, so kudos to Healthline for its inclusion.
If you decide you want one of these, you will have to do some work before it’s ready for first use, though, as this model will arrive at your door unassembled.
Fortunately, Health Line’s production quality is quite good, and the assembly process can be completed without tools, so the process only takes minutes to complete. It’s fair to say it will probably take you longer to get all the pieces out of the box the stool comes in than it will to put it together.
The only real drawback here is the fact that it’s not going to win any beauty contests. If you’re okay with that, this stool packs a tremendous amount of value into a very sturdy, modestly priced package, and we highly recommend it!
Runner-Up: Drive Medical Deluxe Folding Bath Bench
Recommended For: Anyone with a slight to moderate mobility issue weighing up to 300 pounds, especially those who don’t have much space to work with.
Our second-place winner is offered by one of the biggest and best names in the industry. Drive Medical is a legend, and they make consistently great products, with this one being an excellent example of their work.
Specifications
Let’s continue our tradition of starting by reviewing the core stats that define the model:
Most of these numbers are good. The seat height adjustment range isn’t quite as versatile as that offered by our overall winner in this category, but since it starts below the traditional big and tall range and extends into it, it’s still a versatile stool.
The folded dimensions are a delight, and when combined with its scant weight, make this one super easy to store when it’s not in use. In a similar vein, the seat width is exceptional and a good fit for the vast majority of the potential market.
As with many stools, the seat depth leaves a bit to be desired, but again, since you won’t be spending extended periods sitting on it, it’s not an outright dealbreaker.
Unfortunately, this model only supports an average amount of user weight. Three hundred pounds isn’t bad, but it’s far below the weight supported by our top pick.
The seat height adjustment works the same way as it does with our top pick, but unfortunately, this model doesn’t pay any special attention to comfort. You’ll be sitting on molded plastic. It’s comfortable enough for the short durations you’ll be using it, but it’s definitely not something you’d want to spend an afternoon sitting on.
Like our top pick, this one comes with handles built into the seat, which is also swayed and features strategically drilled holes that allow water to drain freely from it. It also comes equipped with rubberized feet that provide a sure grip to the bottom of the tub or shower.
Finally, and this is an admittedly small detail, if you buy one of these, it will arrive at your door fully assembled. There’s nothing for you to do except take it to the bathroom, unfold it, and start using it. If you hate putting your own furniture together, that’s definitely a touch you’ll appreciate.
If you’re short on space and specifically looking for a folding design, and the teak wood folding stool we mentioned in the previous section doesn’t support enough weight for you, this model could easily be your top pick, despite not ranking quite as high as our overall top pick in this category. We highly recommend this one.
Value Pick: Nova Shower and Bath Chair
Recommended For: Anyone with any type of mobility issue, weighing up to 300 pounds.
Nova is another big name in the medical device industry. Though not quite as well known or well respected as Drive, they’ve certainly been in the game for a long time, and they’ve got a great reputation, both for the quality of their products and for post-sales service and support.
While this model didn’t rank as highly as our top picks, it’s a very good shower stool and gets a lot of things right.
Specifications
Let’s begin by taking a second to do a quick stats review. Here are the basics:
This is a big stool.
It’s almost certainly too big for use in a tub unless you keep two legs on the outside. You’ll have to do the same thing if you have a pocket shower, but if you’ve got a large, walk-in shower, it’s perfect. That makes this model a bit more narrowly targeted than many of the other products we’ve mentioned, but it’s such a great option that it’s totally deserving of our third-place spot.
The seat height range is incredibly useful. A low setting of 16″ makes it a good fit for shorter people and even many children who may need a stool like this, while it’s at the high end, it extends well into big and tall territory, making it ideal for taller users.
The seat height adjustment is performed in the same way as we described for our top pick, and like our second-place winner, this stool doesn’t pay any particular attention to comfort. There’s no padding on offer, so you’ll be sitting on molded plastic with holes bored into the seat that allow water from the shower to flow freely away from you.
It’s lightweight, which makes it easy to move out of the way when you’re not using it, and it supports 300 pounds of user weight, which is about average in the world of furniture.
As with most stools, the seat depth is a bit lacking, but since most people don’t spend endless hours each day sitting on their shower stools, that’s certainly not a dealbreaker.
Where this model really shines is in the implementation of its safety features. Since it’s a larger stool, the legs are more widely spaced, which adds to the overall stability of the stool. When combined with the rubberized feet, you can use this stool with confidence, even if you have a more severe mobility issue that really restricts you.
This conclusion is further strengthened by the way the handgrips are implemented. They stick up significantly from the seat, where many models feature hand grips that are simply built into it, and the handgrips are rubberized, giving you a non-slip surface to hold onto while you’re maneuvering onto and off of the stool. That’s superb and, in our view, should be the standard for this type of device.
Unfortunately, the prominence of the handgrips works against the design in one way that may or may not be of significance to you. It makes the stool decidedly unattractive. Clearly, this model is all about function, and the design team didn’t really put any effort into form. While it might be a bit of a stretch to call the stool ugly, it wouldn’t be MUCH of a stretch. If you’re looking for an attractive accent piece, this one’s a non-starter.
As with most of the stools in this roundup review, if you decide you want one of these, it will arrive at your door in several pieces housed in a medium-sized box, so you’ll have to do a bit of work before you can start using it.
Nova’s production quality, however, is very high, and the assembly instructions are simple and clear.
Expect to spend no more than ten minutes on the process from start to finish.
Overall, it’s a very good stool that could be a great product for the right user. It’s an especially good choice for anyone who suffers from a more serious mobility issue, but doesn’t want, or can’t afford a more robust shower chair or transfer bench. We recommend it.
Also Great
Carex Universal Bath Seat
Recommended For: Anyone with a light to moderate mobility issue who weighs up to 400 pounds.
Carex was awarded our fourth-place spot on this portion of the roundup review. While not as big a name as some of the other brands we’ve talked about to this point, they’re a well-respected American company that makes consistently good products.
Specifications
Here are the basics that define this particular model:
This stool is broadly similar to our higher-ranked models, sporting a seat height adjustment range that begins well below big and tall territory and extends well inside it.
That’s great, because it makes the stool useful for both shorter and taller folk, making it that much more versatile.
Another thing we love about this model is the fact that both the seat width and the seat depth are excellent. So many shower stools are quite narrow, which can make sitting on them for longer periods increasingly uncomfortable.
The good news is that being a shower stool, most folks don’t spend tons of time sitting on them. If, however, you love long, luxurious showers and you find the idea of sitting on a narrow seat to be off-putting (to say nothing of uncomfortable), then this one will be of particular interest to you.
Since it’s made from molded plastic, the weight is also quite low, which makes moving it out of the way when you’re not using it a snap. In addition to that, the Carex Universal supports an impressive 400 pounds of user weight, which is well above the industry average.
In our view, more supported weight is always better, just like a wider seat height adjustment range is always better. It just makes the shower chair useful to a broader range of people, and in this case, the Carex is big and sturdy enough to appeal to just about everyone.
Also, although medical bath seats aren’t known for their stunning good looks, some are better than others. Due to the Carex Universal’s simple design and uniform color, it’s not half bad looking. It still won’t win any beauty contests, of course, and it’s not the stool you want if you’re looking for a stylish accent piece, but it’s not hideous. Unobtrusive would probably be the better term.
As with most stools of this type, the design team paid no particular attention to comfort. If you decide you want one, you’ll find yourself sitting on heavy-duty molded plastic with holes drilled into the seat to allow for easy water drainage.
In terms of safety features, the Carex Universal sports two handles, one built into each side of the seat, and rubberized feet with levelers to keep it level on the almost universally curved bottoms of showers and tubs.
Almost all of the teak wood bath stools we talked about in the last section come with these levelers, which work just like the ones on your stove or washing machine, but surprisingly, few of the medical device stools do, with this one being a happy exception. We love it.
It’s a small, but a very good feature that plays well with the stool’s widely spaced legs and sure-grip, rubberized feet.
The only point of weakness where the stool’s safety features are concerned is the fact that the handgrips aren’t rubberized too. That’s a common flaw in many stools of this type, but we’d absolutely love to see rubberized grips on some future model update!
As with most of the stools on this list, if you decide you want one of these, you’ll need to spend some time putting this one together before you can start using it, but the production quality is high, and the design is so simple that the process is quick and painless.
It will probably take you longer to get the pieces out of the box than it will to get the stool ready for its first use.
Overall, we like it very much. It’s a good, simple, rugged, versatile product. If you’re not especially brand conscious, this is an excellent choice. We recommend it.
Nova Bath Bench with Red Safety Handle
Recommended For: Anyone with any type of mobility issue, weighing up to 300 pounds.
Rounding out the top picks in this section is the Bathroom 365 Shower Chair, offered by Nova Medical, giving that company two spots on our list here. While this model isn’t quite as robust as the Shower and Bath Chair, it’s still a very good shower stool and well worth your consideration.
Specifications
Here are the basic stats that define the model:
We love most of these numbers. The seat height adjustment range is superb and extends lower than any other stool on our list, which makes it great for shorter people and even kids. Even better, the seat is both wide and deep enough to be comfortable and provide a good fit for most body types. This is one of the few shower stools that doesn’t suffer from a nominal seat depth, which is outstanding.
In addition to that, the stool is lightweight enough to make moving it out of the way when you’re not using it. Unfortunately, it only supports an average amount of weight.
Three hundred pounds is sufficient to accommodate some 90-95% of the market, but if you weigh more than that, this model simply isn’t going to work for you. The good news on that front is that it’s not at all difficult to find shower stools that support more weight. We’ve got two of them right here on this list!
Comfort-wise, this model is nothing to write home about. The seat is simple molded plastic with holes bored into it to allow for good drainage.
On the safety front, though, the stool has everything you’d expect from a top-quality medical shower stool.
Widely spaced rubberized feet provide stability and a sure grip on wet surfaces, and two handles to help you maneuver onto and off of the stool with ease.
One of these is built into the back of the seat, but the other is brightly colored (red) and sticks up, making it easy to see, even in a steam-laden bathroom. Unfortunately, neither of the handles are rubberized, which makes the implementation a bit on the weak side. We can’t fault the company for that too much, though, since most of the shower stools on the market today don’t offer rubberized grips. Still, in a perfect world, that would be the standard.
As with most of the furniture of this type on the market today, this stool will require a bit of work to get it ready for first use. It won’t arrive at your door assembled. Fortunately, the production quality is excellent, and the design is simple, so the process is about as painless as you could ask for.
Overall, we’d regard this as a very good stool that falls a bit short of excellence. If none of the other options on our list of finalists in this category will work for you (whatever the reason), this is an excellent option to consider, and we recommend it.
Final Thoughts: Best Rated Shower Stools Roundup Review
So, what is the best shower stool on the market today? Ultimately, the answer is ‘it depends.’ Are you looking for something that is, first and foremost, a decorative piece but also has a few basic safety features, or are you more interested in something that is primarily a safety device?
Your answer to that question will mostly be determined by how serious your mobility issue is and how badly you need one.
We stand by our rankings and our two top picks, but we also understand that everyone’s tastes and preferences are different. With that in mind, here are a few reasons your top pick might differ from ours:
Where Medical Devices are concerned,
The simple truth is that any of these devices will serve you well.
Recommended Reading
Best Massage Chair Cushion
Explore top-rated massage chair cushions, providing soothing massage therapy and comfort for various seating arrangements.
High Weight Capacity Outdoor Bench
Reviewing outdoor benches with high weight capacities, ensuring durability and comfort for all users in outdoor settings.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- Carex, Official Brand Website.
- AquaTeak, Official Brand Website.
- DecoTeak, Official Brand Website.
- BareDecor, Official Brand Website.
- Drive Medical, Official Brand Website.