If you're a young fit person you probably don't know what a lift chair is unless a member of your family has unfortunately had to use one. These valuable chairs are essentially an advanced form of recliner, offering the user hand-held control of the angle of the seat so as to reduce back strain and improve comfort. Some chairs go even further and can be raised and lowered to make it easier to get in and out of the chair, which is especially important for people suffering with certain diseases such as arthritis.

Some life chair can also be used to increase lung capacity by allowing the feet to be elevated the chest whilst laying flat so that the back fully stretches out. This makes breathing a lot easier and also removes stress on the back! Chairs that can do this are called infinite position chairs due to their impressive range of motion, all controlled by the easy to use hand-held controller.

Similar to the infinite position chair is the three position chair which has an additional motor in the foot-rest. Lift chairs like this can go almost horizontal, providing quite a comfortable sleeping chair as well as a very accessible chair. This particular type of chair is especially good for those suffering with muscular dystrophy as it will raise and lower as the user wishes to stand or sit respectively. This means that suffers of muscular dystrophy can more easily be independent and stand up and sit down without aid and with less pain.

The more basic chair is the two position chair. It can only recline to 45 degrees with only a single motor. However, for a lot of people this is all they need, especially if they only require minor back relief due to an ongoing strain or wish to rest an injured leg. Moreover, because the two position chair is less complex it is obviously cheaper which means it is more accessible to people generally and is therefore much more of a mass market product.

One thing to note is that lift chairs have come a long way aesthetically in the last few years. Instead of being ugly beige affairs, the manufacturers have realised that the people who use the chairs also want something that looks nice in their home. As a result the chairs have become increasingly well upholstered with a range of fabrics and colours adding to the quality. Another little bonus has been the addition of heat and massage options to some chairs, offering additional comfort and treatment options!

So there you have it, a low down on the different types of lift chairs, the benefits of each kind, as well as their target audience.