The questions to ask before buying a riser recliner chair help clarify the situation before you compare models and functions. Who will use it, for which activities, with what support and in which setting? This checklist gathers fifteen questions to go through with the person, whenever possible. It does not assign a product based on age or diagnosis: it helps you prepare for a consultation, distinguishing between answers you already know, preferences and checks that require further information.
In brief
The fifteen questions prepare a person-centred choice, from usual activities to the help needed, from the handset to the space at home. They then link functions, measurements and maintenance to the product trial and to the service after delivery. You can gather the answers even without already knowing a model: missing data become questions to clarify, not estimates to turn into an order.
The person: who will use the chair and with what needs
1. Who will use it and which preferences do they want to keep?
Name the main user and the activities they consider important. If the chair will be shared, differences in build and use need to be assessed, without assuming that a set-up prepared for one individual will be equally comfortable for everyone. Ask the person what they want; the family’s observations complete the answer, they do not replace it.
2. How do standing up and transfers happen today?
Describe the usual method and the help already in place: managing on their own, support from another person or assistive aids. You do not need to organise a trial to answer. The ability to stand up is important, but it does not automatically divide everyone into three product categories. A complex transfer requires an appropriate assessment, not just an additional function.
3. Are there differences between activities or times of day?
Note what can already be observed: help needed only in the evening, a preferred rest after a certain activity or a change to report to those involved in the person’s care. Do not turn the question into a prediction of decline. The aim is to describe the real situation, not to justify the purchase through fear of the future.
The day: activities, length of use and controls
4. How much time is spent sitting or lying, and where?
Distinguish the usual periods in an armchair, in bed and in a wheelchair, without imposing an ideal duration. Spending long periods in one position makes supports, the possibility of changing position and individual recommendations important. The number of hours does not automatically determine how many motors are needed or which surface is appropriate. Mention any supports that have already been prescribed.
5. Which activities should the new chair make possible?
Choose the priority activities: talking, reading, resting, sitting at the table or receiving care. “More comfort” becomes a concrete request when you explain which moment of the day you want to improve. Lying back for a rest is not automatically the same as overnight use, and the lie-flat transfer configuration is about positioning the chair alongside a bed for certain transfers, not simply about resting.
6. Who will operate the handset in the different positions?
Indicate whether it will be used by the person, a family member or a caregiver. You need to understand whether it can be reached, recognised and used according to the instructions. Do not assume that a handset with few buttons is always enough or that many buttons are necessarily an obstacle: what matters is the actual configuration and the explanation of the relevant functions.
The home: placement, power supply and moving the chair
7. Where will it be placed and which access routes must stay clear?
Measure the intended area and consider the space needed during movements, not only when the chair is closed. Side tables, doors and the passage of other assistive aids must not get in the way. Also ask whether the position allows the person to take part in the activities they want. A large but little-used room is not automatically the best place.
8. How will power supply and charging be organised?
Identify the socket and the route of the cables, without planning hidden or makeshift connections. The battery can power the adjustments, but it has to be managed in line with the installed system. Do not regard it as a universal guarantee in the event of a power cut: you need to know the instructions and the intended procedures.
9. Will the chair need to be moved, and who will move it?
Distinguish the delivery route from the route of the assembled product during use. For any moves indoors, consider doors, corners, thresholds, flooring and the building’s lift. Do not assume that one person can always move the chair with someone seated in it. The Sollevita wheeled base is moved manually, not by an electric drive, and does not replace a wheelchair for every route. [1]
The product: movements, measurements and everyday care
10. Which movements are truly independent?
Ask what moves and how it is controlled. Sollevita integrates from 5 to 8 independent motors, according to the weight capacity. The number of motors does not correspond to the number of end positions, nor is it an automatic mark of quality. The rise function, vertical height adjustment and tilt-in-space must be recognisable as different functions. [1]
11. Which positions are needed and how do you return to sitting?
Link the functions to the activities from question 5. Seeing the product fully opened out is not enough: clarify the controls, the supports and how to return to sitting. Vertical height adjustment changes the height of the whole structure while the person stays seated or lying down; the rise function helps the person up onto their feet. When other assistive aids are needed, the combination must be checked, not deduced from the name of a position.
12. Which relevant measurements have been considered?
Seat width, depth and height must be kept distinct from the overall external dimensions. Sollevita is available in seat widths of 52 or 63 cm and three seat depths. Proportions are assessed together with supports and use; do not choose a wider or deeper seat just because it looks more inviting. [1]
13. How are covers and components managed in real use?
Ask which parts can be removed, which care instructions come with the material and who will carry out the tasks. On Sollevita, both the outer cover and the underlying cover are removable; this does not mean that everything is washable. The modular design makes targeted interventions easier, but it does not mean you can repair motors or control units yourself. [1]
Trial and service: how to reach an informed choice
14. What demonstration or trial can be arranged?
The demonstration explains the product; the trial looks at how the person, supports and activities fit together. It may be necessary to look into things further at different times, and complex transfers should not be simulated just to see every function. Clarify what can be checked remotely and what requires an on-site check, without assuming that loans or home trials are available.
15. Who remains the point of contact after delivery?
Ask about the initial explanation, the warranty, how spare parts are identified and the contacts for support. Sollevita comes with a 5-year commercial warranty on every component according to the conditions provided, availability of original spare parts, tutorials and support by video call. A first reply within 24 hours does not mean that every intervention is completed within the same timeframe. [2]
An answer sheet for the fifteen questions
You can fill in this sheet without already knowing a model. Write “to be checked” when a piece of information is missing, without replacing it with an estimate. The answers prepare the consultation and your questions for professionals, but they do not constitute a prescription.
| Question | Answer to note down | Check still needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. User and preferences | Person and desired activities | Any shared use |
| 2. Standing up and transfers | Usual method and help | Aspects to assess with those involved in the person’s care |
| 3. Variability | Differences already observed | Information to clarify |
| 4. Time spent | Usual places and durations | Existing supports or recommendations |
| 5. Activities | Concrete priorities | Positions required |
| 6. Handset | Who uses it | Accessibility and explanation |
| 7. Placement | Room and space | Movements and access |
| 8. Power supply | Socket and charging | Instructions for the configuration |
| 9. Moving the chair | Route and helper | Dimensions and manoeuvring |
| 10. Movements | Declared functions | Demonstration of the differences |
| 11. Positions | Activities and return | Compatibility with other aids |
| 12. Measurements | Useful data already available | Measurements still to be taken |
| 13. Care | Material and tasks | Instructions and contact person |
| 14. Trial | Agreed arrangement | Limits of remote checks |
| 15. Service | Documents and contacts | Order conditions |
There is no need to print everything on a single page in small type. Legibility matters more than compactness, especially if the sheet will be shared with family members or carers. Also note the date and version when you update the answers.
How to turn the answers into a useful consultation
Read answers 2, 5 and 11 again together: the current transfer, the desired activity and the functions must be consistent. Then compare measurements and the setting. If an essential requirement is missing, clarify it before turning to the details of the upholstery.
A riser recliner chair with integrated care features like Sollevita can bring several possibilities together, but the sheet should not be filled in to prove that all of them are needed. A negative answer or a check still to be completed is also a useful result.
The public portal Mon Parcours Handicap stresses the importance of considering real activities and conditions when choosing an assistive aid. The checklist proposed here applies this approach to the questions about the chair, without replacing the work of a trained professional. [3]
For a complex situation, you can start from the guides on specific needs and use the sheet to describe the relevant everyday movements. There is no need to send medical documents indiscriminately: share what is necessary and agreed, with respect for the person.
When an open question needs another point of reference
If the issue concerns pain, prescribed postural supports or a transfer technique, clarifying it is not solely up to whoever sells the chair. The Sollevita Team can explain dimensions and functions; the professional supporting the person assesses the aspects within their own area of expertise.
If, on the other hand, a measurement of the building’s lift or the confirmation of a service is missing, the technical and organisational information needs to be completed. Keeping these levels separate prevents an apparently thorough conversation from leaving the decisive step unresolved.
The checklist does not impose a quick decision. Its purpose is to make the choice easier to understand and to avoid basing it on a single detail, keeping the person involved even when the enquiry is handled by a family member.
FAQ
Common questions
What questions should you ask before buying a riser recliner chair?
Start with the user, activities, help needed, measurements and setting. Then cover movements, trial and service. The fifteen questions organise this information, but they do not automatically assign a model.
Do I need to have all the measurements before the first contact?
No. You can start with the information available and indicate what is missing. The first conversation also helps establish which measurements are needed and how to take them without improvised estimates.
Can the family answer without involving the person?
The family can help gather information, but the user’s preferences should be included whenever possible. Observing from the outside does not replace what the person wants, tolerates or finds comfortable.
Does a single answer about mobility immediately determine the right category?
No. Standing up, resting, transfers and handset use may require different kinds of help. No single answer can replace an assessment of the whole day and of the supports involved.
Do you have to try every function at its maximum extension?
No. The demonstration clarifies the equipment, while the person’s trial focuses on appropriate activities and safe conditions. There is no need to reach every position or to improvise complex transfers.
Which answers should become written information in the order?
Configuration, agreed measurements, equipment, delivery and service conditions. Also keep the references you received for correct use. Health observations remain separate from the commercial description of the product.
Reference sources
[1] Sollevita / La Castellana — Care riser recliner: functions, construction and technical data
[2] Sollevita / La Castellana — Warranty & Service
[3] Mon Parcours Handicap — French public portal — What questions should you ask yourself before choosing an assistive device? (in French)
Bring your answers and remaining questions to the consultation
Keep the checklist and note what still needs to be checked. Before ordering, also clarify the warranty and service conditions with the Sollevita Team: an informed choice covers both the product and the service that accompanies it over time.
