Med Lift 5555 Full Sleeper Lift Chair Review 2024

Do you suffer from mobility issues? Did you recently have surgery of some kind? Do you have sleep apnea or some other medical condition that makes sleeping in a bed challenging, if not outright impossible? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you’re going to like what you see in our Med Lift 5555 review.

It’s an interesting, versatile, comfortable product and it just might be the solution you’re looking for. Having said that, we’ll be quick to note that it’s not a perfect chair. It does have its share of limitations, and we’ll cover both the good and the bad in the sections that follow so you’ll have all the information you need to decide if this is the chair you’ve been looking for. If that sounds good to you, let’s dive in and see what this model is all about!

An Overview of the Med Lift Chair 5555

Conventional and inviting. Those are the two words most likely to spring to mind the first time you see the Med Lift 5555. The designers didn’t try to do anything fancy here. This chair looks like what it is: A sizeable, comfortable recliner. Before we get into its specific features, we’ll begin by providing a quick overview of the core stats that define this model. Here are the basics:

As you can see, this is a fairly sizeable piece of furniture, and we should point out right off the bat here in our Med Lift 5555 review that it does not incorporate “wall hugger” technology into its design, so you’ll need about two feet of clearance between the seatback and whatever wall you place this chair near if you want to recline fully. 

That’s going to be a problem for people who live in smaller homes and apartments. If space is at a premium, it’s going to be a real challenge to find a home for this chair.

Also, note that this model comes up a bit short in terms of the amount of weight it can support. It’s not at all uncommon to find chairs like this that are capable of supporting 400, 450, or even 500 pounds, so bear the weight limit in mind right along with the seat measurements when making a decision on this one. If at all possible, we recommend going to a furniture showroom where one of these is available and giving it a firsthand try before you buy.

Assuming you have the space, the weight limit isn’t an issue and the overall dimensions seem like a good fit for you; you’ll find a lot to like here. The Med Lift has the basics very well covered, although as you’ll see a bit later on, the chair doesn’t try to do too much. There aren’t many of what we’d call “advanced features” on offer.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. On more than one occasion, we’ve seen perfectly good chairs ruined by trying to do too much and implementing advanced features poorly. On the whole, we like the approach the design team took here.

In any case, if you decide to order one of these, know that the earth tone fabric you see in the picture at the other end of the link is but one option. You can order the Med Lift Chair 5555 in a variety of fabrics and colors, and if you like, you can even get one in leather.

We would advise against going with the leather-clad variant though, for two reasons. First, the company uses bonded leather. That’s real leather, to be sure, but it is created by fusing scraps together, which means that the finished product isn’t as flexible, durable or supple as genuine grain leather.

After about a year of heavy daily use, or two years of moderate daily use, you can expect the leather to begin peeling and cracking. Given the price of the chair, that’s not good.

The second issue is this: If you’re looking for a chair for napping or sleeping, leather is just a poor upholstery choice because it’s not breathable. There’s a reason you don’t have leather sheets on your bed, after all!

It’s very pretty, but if you need something you can spend several hours a day in and possibly sleep in, durable, breathable fabrics are a much better option.

Adjustability & Comfort

There are two motors on the Med Lift 5555 Chair. One to control the recline function, and the other to provide the chair’s lift. Both are exceptionally quiet and the recline action in smooth.

On the remote, you’ll find three preset recline positions: Upright, TV, and Full Recline, which lays the chair down almost completely flat. In addition to that, you can precisely adjust your recline angle and simply ignore the presets if you prefer, which gives you unlimited flexibility on that front. Best of all, the footrest moves independently from the seatback, which really opens up the field of possibilities.

As much as we like the convenience of the preset seating options, the ability to precisely control the recline angle is where the magic is. Depending on what kind of condition you’ve got that’s preventing you from sleeping in a bed, you may find that lying flat isn’t the best option.

If you have sleep apnea, for instance, laying perfectly flat in the chair isn’t going to be functionally different from laying in the bed. You’ll want (and need) to sit yourself up slightly to get a decent night’s sleep, and the Med Lift allows you to do that.

The chair is well-padded with conventional block foam. It’s delightfully comfortable, even after you’ve been sitting in it for several hours, but it’s not the most comfortable chair we’ve ever seen. 

It’s good, but it falls short of true greatness in this regard, lacking memory foam, double padding, or other “extras” that would enhance its comfort further, though it should be noted that the company sells a version of this chair that’s augmented with memory foam. That will cost you extra, of course, but if you place a premium on comfort, it’s something well worth considering. 

Given that this chair is slightly less expensive than the models offered by the bigger, better-established brands, you can get the enhanced padding and still only be spending about as much as you would for a top-end Catnapper Burns or Windermere Burton Lift chair.

Here though, is where we start running into the aforementioned limitations of the chair. This model doesn’t offer any sort of lumbar or ergonomic support, and there are no Zero-G or Trendelenburg seating positions available. The design team made the conscious decision to keep it simple and stick to the basics. If you feel you need any of the above, this model isn’t going to be a good fit for you.

Storage & Extras

Where storage is concerned, the Med Lift 5555 Full Sleeper Lift Chair is limited to a single, generously sized pocket on the side of the chair. It’s big enough to hold the remote, your favorite books and magazines, and a few other supplies you might have need of if you’re spending a lot of time in the chair, but you won’t find any hidden compartments in the armrests, cup holders or other extras like that. Again, the designers opted to keep things simple on that front.

We’re not sure if this qualifies as an “extra” per se, but the chair also comes with covers for the armrests and headrests, which is good because it will extend the life of the fabric in those areas. It’s a small thing, but worth mentioning.

The only real “extra” the chair offers is a good battery backup system. That’s important for people with serious mobility issues who may struggle to get in and out of the chair because if the power goes out, the last thing you want is to be stranded in your chair until someone finds you.

Honestly, we feel that a good battery backup should be a standard feature on all lift chairs, but there are a few models that don’t have one, and some are so poorly implemented they may not exist at all. Med Lift offers a good battery backup that will serve you well, giving you a greater sense of independence and peace of mind, even if you suffer from serious mobility issues, and that’s a very good thing.

One thing you will discover though is that Med Lift offers a variety of optional extras and add-ons on their brand page that are compatible with this lift chair. You’ll find things like extra remotes in case yours goes out for some reason, side tables that provide a convenient work or eating space, and the like.

Our recommendation is that you skip the extras initially and use the chair in its stock configuration to get a sense for exactly how you’ll be using it. Then, once you’ve got a better understanding of that, browse the accessories to see if there’s something that would enhance the chair’s value based on how you’re actually using it.

Minimal Assembly Required

The chair comes mostly assembled, but if you’ve recently had surgery or have some type of mobility issue, getting it into the room you want it and getting it ready for first use could be challenging. That’s why the company offers White Glove service for a nominal additional fee. If you’d rather not be bothered with the process of setting it up, it’s something that’s well worth considering.

Pros & Cons of the Med Lift 5555 Chair

So, where does that leave us? As we said at the start, this is a solid performing, comfortable chair and we like it very much, but it won’t be for everyone.

In particular, pay close attention to the rather modest weight limit, which is destined to make it a non-starter for some folks. Also note the absence of fun extra features like Zero-G seating, Trendelenburg position, a USB charging port, and the like. If you want or need any of those features, this model will leave you feeling underwhelmed.

Med Lift 5555 Review Conclusion

Mostly, it comes down to exactly what you’re looking for in a sleeper recliner with lift functionality. If all you need is a good, comfortable basic chair that will allow you to get a decent night’s sleep, this is an awesome option, and a little less expensive than the chairs offered by the top brands in the industry.

If you want or need any “extras” like Zero-G seating positions, Trendelenburg position, or a USB port to keep your favorite devices charged, this one will leave you feeling underwhelmed.

Our view here in our Med Lift 5555 review is that it’s very good at what it does, and provided that you’re mindful of and comfortable with its limitations upfront, we recommend it.

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Official Manufacturer Support

References & Resources

• MED-LIFT, Official Brand Website.
• The Most Relaxing Recliner Chairs, Fenetic Wellbeing.
• What You Should Know About Recliners, Mor Furniture for Less.
• Reasons You Should Buy a Recliner Chair, Toronto Film Festivals.