Wheelchair or riser recliner for older people: this is not always a choice between alternatives. A properly customised wheelchair can provide mobility and postural support throughout the day; a riser recliner can add a different way to rest and to take part in home life. Before changing seating, you need to understand what is missing today: comfort, support, adjustments or a manageable transfer. Not all wheelchairs are the same, and a padded armchair does not automatically replace specialist seating.
In brief
A wheelchair and a riser recliner can have different roles in the same day: moving around, joining in activities, talking or resting. A transit wheelchair is not the same as one customised for posture and daily use, so no single comparison holds for all of them. Sollevita can offer a second seat with adjustments, provided that transfers and supports are assessed; its wheels and battery do not make it an electric wheelchair.
First distinction: which wheelchair is in use today?
A family may say “they spend all day in the wheelchair” and be describing very different situations. It may be a seat used mainly for short moves, a personal model adjusted to the person’s measurements, or a complex postural system. The generic word alone does not tell you anything about its quality or suitability.
The Swiss Paraplegic Centre provides an interdisciplinary service to assess and adapt wheelchair seats, cushions and backrests, including custom-made ones. That alone makes one point clear: a wheelchair is not necessarily a simple means of transport. It can have a specialist role that a riser recliner at home should not replace on the basis of an assumption. [1]
Before comparing, note down the model in use, the adjustments it has and any supports. If you do not know the reason for a particular cushion or backrest, ask the professionals who look after the person. Do not remove them to check whether a softer surface “seems better”.
What does “not comfortable” really mean?
This observation is important, but it needs to be made more precise. Does the person want to lie back? Would they like better support for their arms? Do they find it hard to sit close to the table? Or do they report pain, sliding down or a position that constantly has to be corrected?
Describe the moment when the discomfort appears and what is normally done to deal with it. Wanting a favourite resting spot in the living room is a different request from a posture problem in the wheelchair. In some cases the first check concerns the aid already in use, not the purchase of a second product.
A riser recliner can offer padded seating, adjustments and a different setting for rest. It is not right, however, to promise that greater softness will solve every difficulty. When it comes to the needs of older people who are losing independence, the central issue remains the relationship between the person, the seating and care, not a universal ranking of products.
Give each seat a role in the day
Instead of deciding which aid should be used more, start from a concrete activity. The wheelchair can remain the place for moving around independently and doing activities; the riser recliner can be considered for a reclined break or for conversation in the living room. How time is divided depends on the person, not on a schedule that is the same for everyone.
| Desired activity | What to check on the wheelchair | What to check on the riser recliner |
|---|---|---|
| Moving around and taking part | Ability to propel or drive it independently, route and intended use | Who moves the wheeled base, and along which indoor routes |
| Talking or reading | Supports in place and access to objects | Back, head and arm support; handset within reach |
| Taking a break | Adjustments and guidance already available | Desired position and return to sitting |
| Sitting at the table | Footprint and support during the activity | Clearance under the table, armrests, legs and usable height |
| Receiving care | Planned access points and aids used | Side space and height of the whole chair |
| Changing seat | Usual transfer method | Whether the transfer works in both directions |
This table is a comparison grid, not a prescription. It does not assign movement alone to the wheelchair and all the hours spent sitting to the riser recliner. Its purpose is to prevent a new product from taking away an option that is already useful without offering one that is genuinely workable.
A second seat is useful only if the transfer is manageable
When the person does not transfer independently, the link between the two seats is part of the choice. You need to consider the method already used, who helps, the aids in place and the space available. The return from the chair matters too: getting into it smoothly is not enough on its own.
Bed, wheelchair and riser recliner can have different heights, bases and footprints. A removable side panel can open up access, but on its own it does not prove compatibility with a transfer board or a patient hoist. The check must cover the complete configuration, not just a photograph taken from the side.
Sollevita combines the 180° lie-flat position, vertical height adjustment and a fully removable side panel to create a surface that can be placed alongside the bed. The lie-flat transfer configuration can make some transfers easier, while the planned aids and staff remain necessary. The care features of the Sollevita chair describe these possibilities without making any one transfer technique universal. [2]
Do not carry out extra transfers just to fill in an information sheet or record a demonstration video. The first information can be gathered by observing the routine already in place and photographing the spaces when they are empty.
Riser recliner comfort: what Sollevita adds
Sollevita uses a three-layer seat construction: a sprung seat base, a cushion with individually pocketed springs and a comfort top layer. It is designed to encourage balanced weight distribution and to support the pelvis; the high backrest and the Push Head powered headrest offer adjustable support for the back, head and neck in the different positions. [2]
The available seat widths are 52 or 63 cm, with three depths to choose from according to body proportions and use. A wider seat is not automatically more suitable: depth, supports and access to the controls must also match.
The motor configuration includes 5 to 8 independent motors, according to the weight capacity. The relax function, tilt-in-space, Zero Gravity and the 180° lie-flat position allow different configurations, but their value should be linked to the positions the person actually wants and tolerates. There is no need to reach every position during the first demonstration.
Both the outer and the underlying covers are removable, and the modular design makes the parts easier to manage. Cleaning, changes of position and any specific supports should be organised according to daily use and the person’s own needs and instructions.
Wheels and battery: the differences that prevent misunderstandings
Sollevita’s manually moved wheeled base allows short indoor moves with the person seated in the chair, on suitable routes and according to the instructions. The lithium battery powers the adjustment motors: it does not drive the wheels. So do not picture a joystick or independent electric driving, which the product does not provide. [2]
This matters for people who use a wheelchair independently. If the person can choose where to go with their own aid, switching to a chair that has to be moved by someone else changes that. The extra comfort you are looking for has to be weighed against the freedom of movement you want to keep.
Wide corridors and easy doorways help, but they are not enough to confirm every route. The floor, thresholds, turns, lift and the way the chair is moved must also be suitable. Before sitting down, standing up or transferring, the chair must be in the intended stable configuration, not simply stopped somewhere in the room.
The information sheet to prepare before adding a riser recliner
Prepare a short description in four parts. First, state the activity the new seat should make possible, for example a reclined break in the living room. Then describe the current wheelchair and what still works well. Third, explain the usual transfer. Finally, describe the space the two aids will share.
Add the person’s preferences: where they want to be, which objects they want to reach, who operates the controls. A family member may welcome a new care option, while the user considers keeping independent mobility the priority. Both aspects must be part of the decision.
If there are prescribed supports or complex postural difficulties, the new seat should be checked together with the professional who knows the situation. Do not assume that the same cushion can be moved from a wheelchair to a riser recliner: the surface it works on changes, and the supports may change too.
When to keep or review the wheelchair first
It makes sense to put the choice on hold if it is not yet clear why the person is uncomfortable, if the transfer is not organised or if there is a risk of losing a necessary support. In these cases improving the existing configuration may be the first step, even while you continue to consider a riser recliner.
Pain, skin problems or postural difficulties call for a discussion with healthcare professionals; they should not be tackled simply by adding padding or choosing more recline. The chair must not become a way of putting off a seating assessment.
When, on the other hand, activities, transfers and supports are clear, a second seat can widen the possibilities of the day. The useful conclusion is not “wrong wheelchair, right riser recliner”, but “which roles do we give each one, and how do we organise them?”.
FAQ
Common questions
Is a wheelchair or a riser recliner better for older people who sit for many hours?
It depends on the type of wheelchair, the supports needed and the activities. A customised wheelchair can be appropriate everyday seating. A riser recliner can add rest and adjustments, but the transfer and the supports must be assessed.
Are all wheelchairs designed only for transport?
No. Customised seating and specialist postural systems also exist. Before judging comfort, you need to know the configuration in use and the reason for its components, rather than relying only on the fact that it has wheels.
Is Sollevita an electric wheelchair?
No. The battery powers the chair’s adjustments, not the wheels. The wheeled base is intended for assisted indoor moves in line with the manual and does not replace a wheelchair for outdoor use or for driving independently.
Can I use the wheelchair cushion on the riser recliner?
Not automatically. A prescribed cushion has to be assessed together with the surface, supports and measurements it will be used with. Ask the professional in charge before moving or replacing it.
Does the removable side panel make any transfer possible?
No. It opens up side access, but heights, space, method and aids must be checked. The staff and procedure already planned do not become unnecessary just because the side of the chair is open.
What is the first piece of information to bring to the consultation?
The activity you would like to make more comfortable without losing what already works. Add the wheelchair model, the supports in place, measurements and how transfers are done: these help assess whether the two are genuinely complementary.
Reference sources
[1] Swiss Paraplegic Centre — Wheelchair Seating Centre
[2] Sollevita / La Castellana — Riser recliner chair with integrated care features: functions, construction and technical data
Assess what the new seat should add
Tell the Sollevita Team about the activity you have in mind, and the wheelchair and transfer method already in use. Start from what the Sollevita product can offer and discuss postural questions with the professional in charge, without giving up the supports that are already needed.
