Healthline Trading Bath Bench Review 2024

Do you live in a smaller home or apartment with a tiny bathroom? Do you suffer from a slight to moderately severe mobility issue that makes bathing a challenge? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you’ve probably started looking at different types and styles of bath chairs to make your life a bit easier, but there’s a problem.

There are scores of different options available, and choosing from among them all to find the perfect solution for you can be a daunting challenge. Too many options can lead to analysis paralysis.

If that’s where you currently are in your search and you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, you’ll be very pleased with what you read in this review. Healthline isn’t one of the biggest names in the industry, but they’ve got a solid reputation and have been making quality medical devices like this for years.

We’ll be quick to point out that the Healthline Trading bath bench won’t be for everyone. It’s quite small as bath stools go. If you have a serious mobility issue, you’ll probably want something bigger and more robust, something that offers a back and hand grips to help you move onto and off of it.

For the right user, though, this handy little stool could be an absolute game-changer. If you’re curious to know more, read on. We’ll tell you all about it, covering both its best features and its shortcomings, so you’ll have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

An Overview of the Healthline Trading Shower Bench

Small and unassuming. 

Those are the words most likely to spring to mind when you see the Healthline Trading bath bench for the first time. The next thing you’ll notice, can’t help but notice, really, is the fact that it’s not much to look at.

Granted, it falls short of being downright ugly, but unfortunately, most medical devices like this don’t win high marks for looks. They’re designed to be sturdy, durable, and functional, so if you’re looking for something that can give you a bit of extra support and that would make a nice accent piece for your bathroom, this isn’t the bath stool you want.

The good news is that if you’re in the market for something like that, there are a number of very attractive teak wood bath stools on the market that might be closer to what you’re looking for.

Honestly, though, most people who suffer from some mobility issue are more interested in function and less interested in aesthetics. If that describes you, then this little guy will work out just fine.

Before we say more, though, let’s take a quick look at the stats for this model. Here’s a quick overview:

These are generally good numbers with a couple of potential gotchas and points of weakness. The overall dimensions are small enough that even if you have a pocket shower, you can probably make this little stool work, and it will fit without difficulty in a standard-sized bathtub as well, which makes it quite versatile.

The seat height adjustment range starts at a tiny 12.5”, which means that the stool could even be used as a platform to shave your legs on if you don’t have a mobility issue. We find it a good fit for a household with multiple people, including folks who don’t suffer from mobility issues. It’s also a good option for small children with mobility problems.

Having said that, the stool shows off more of its versatility, given that you can adjust the height all the way up to 19.5,” which puts it well inside big and tall range.

That, combined with a seat width of 17” makes it a good fit (literally and figuratively!) for a broad swath of the market.

The only real downsides are the seat depth and the modest weight limit.

Fortunately, since you won’t be spending huge amounts of time sitting on the little stool, the seat depth isn’t a deal-breaker, but the 250-pound weight limit might be. If you weigh more than 250 pounds, don’t buy this stool!

Take the manufacturer’s recommended weight limit seriously. The last thing you want is to have the stool collapse beneath you while you’re using it. That could lead to serious injury, which will only worsen your mobility issue.

Adjustability, Comfort, and Extras

We’ll start with comfort since there’s really not much to say on that topic. The Healthline Trading shower bench is made of tubed anodized aluminum and molded plastic, so it doesn’t win high marks for comfort. On the other hand, it does feature holes in the seat and a swayed design that helps it shed water easily, so at least you won’t be sitting in a pool of water while you’re showering.

This model only has one adjustable feature, and we talked about it in the last section. You can adjust the height of each leg, which has the effect of raising or lowering the seat between the range of 12.5” and 19”.

This is a very easy adjustment to make. On the inside of each leg of the stool, you’ll find a button. Press the button to allow the length of the leg to move freely.

Adjust it to taste in one-inch increments. The button will lock into position at each step. Then, just repeat that for each of the other legs and make sure it’s level, and you’re all set!

In terms of extras, there are two things to talk about, one great, and one about average.

The strongest extra feature is the fact that each of the stool’s “feet” is capped with a rubberized piece that provides a sure grip to the bottom of your shower or tub, so you won’t have to worry about the stool sliding out from under you when you’re trying to get onto or off of it.

The stool also features two handles built into the seat, but these aren’t implemented as well as they could be.

In a perfect world, we’d love to see rubberized grips on each of the handles, which would prevent your hand from slipping off easily. Sadly, at the bargain price this little stool is offered at, such an extravagance just isn’t an option. So, be sure your grip is firm when you make use of the handles.

Some Assembly is Required

As is the case with most of the furniture you can buy online today, if you decide you want one of these, it will arrive in a modestly sized box and in a handful of pieces. You’ll have a bit of work to do before you can start using it.

Fortunately, the production quality is quite good, and all of the pieces fit together well, so you won’t have any issues during the assembly process. Expect it to take about ten minutes from start to finish, and then, it’s ready to use.

Healthline Trading Bath Bench Pros and Cons

The biggest pros associated with the Healthline bath bench shower tub bench are:

The biggest disadvantages are that it comes up a bit short on safety features, isn’t a great looking piece of furniture and sports a modest seat depth, and is only useful if you weigh 250 pounds or less.

Healthline Trading Bath Bench Review Conclusion

The Healthline Trading bath bench is an incredibly self-selecting product. If you weigh more than 250 pounds, it’s a non-starter. If you have a serious mobility issue, it’s also a non-starter because you’ll be better served by something with a seat back and sure grip handles for added support.

If you’re short on space or only have a moderate or less severe mobility issue, though, this one definitely belongs on your shortlist of options to consider. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.

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REFERENCES & RESOURCES

• Accessible Bathrooms: Disabled Baths, Passionate People.
• Household Gadgets and Equipment to Make Life Easier, NHS.
• Bathing and Showering, Spinal Cord Essentials.
• Bath Aids and the Subsequent Development of Bathing Disability Among Community-Living Older Persons,, NCBI.
• Tips to Reduce Bathing and Showering Challenges—A Therapist’s Role, Crisis Prevention Institute.