The bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, but smooth tile, wet surfaces, and low fixtures also make it the most common site for household falls. Whether you are recovering from hip or knee surgery, navigating changes in mobility, planning to age in place safely, or setting up your home for a visiting loved one, the right bathroom equipment can restore independence and give your family genuine peace of mind.
With so many styles, sizes, and attachments available, it can be tough to know where to start. Here is a breakdown of essential bathroom safety equipment, what each product does, and how to choose the right fit for your routine.
Raised Toilet Seats
What it is: A durable moulded riser that sits directly on top of or under your existing toilet seat to elevate the seating surface.
Why use it: Standard toilets are often surprisingly low. Bending down to sit and pushing back up puts heavy strain on knees, hips, and lower back muscles. A raised seat reduces the distance you need to travel, making transfers easier and significantly safer.
How to choose your height: Risers typically add 2", 3.5", 4", 5" or 6” of height. To calculate what you need:
1. Measure from the floor to the crease behind your knee.
2.Measure the height of your home toilet from the floor to the porcelain rim.Subtract the toilet height from your knee height.
3.That difference is the rise you need so your feet rest flat on the floor with your knees at a comfortable angle.
- Round vs. Elongated Bowls: Standard toilet bowls are Round or Elongated. Always verify your bowl shape so the riser locks firmly in place without overhang or minimizing space.
- With or Without Arms: Some raised toilet seats have built-in handles (that might be padded!) to provide sturdy leverage to push yourself up without having to push off low counter edges or towel bars.
- Hinged Risers vs. Bowl Elevators:
- Hinged models lift up like a standard toilet lid, making cleaning underneath straightforward—ideal for shared family bathrooms.
- Under-seat risers (bowl elevators) install between the porcelain bowl and your existing decorative seat, keeping your original seat and lid while discreetly adding height.
Toilet Armrests & Safety Frames
What it is: Dedicated handrails that frame the toilet to provide two-sided pushing support.
Why use it: If your toilet is already a comfortable height, but you can’t stand up without pushing off, or you need something sturdy to hold onto while guiding yourself down, safety rails provide the balance, leverage, and steady arm support you need.
- Toilet-Mounted Frames: These bolt directly under the existing toilet seat bolts for rock-solid stability without taking up floor space. Many models offer width- and height-adjustable arms.
- Freestanding Safety Rails: Stand independently on the floor around the toilet bowl with non-slip rubber feet. They require no bolting to the porcelain and can be shifted as needed.
- Multi-Use Walking Frames: Some freestanding toilet safety frames are designed to be picked up and walked with, functioning as a lightweight indoor walker to help you navigate between the toilet, sink, and bathroom door.
Shower Chairs, Stools & Benches
What it is: Water-resistant seating designed specifically to provide a stable, slip-free resting surface inside the wet environment of showers and bathtubs.
Why use it: Standing in the shower can be tough for many reasons. If balance is a concern or you just want extra peace of mind, sitting down reduces the risk of slips and falls.
- Shower Stools: Backless stools with a more compact footprint. Perfect for tight, standalone shower stalls where turning around is limited. Because they don’t have back support, they are best suited for individuals who have better balance.
- Chairs with Backs: They take up a bit more room in the tub, but the backrest gives you extra stability and support if you struggle with balance, back pain, or core strength.
- Chairs with Arms: Built-in armrests give you solid leverage to push off when standing up, as well as sturdy handles to guide yourself safely down onto the seat.
- Height-Adjustable Legs: Push-button telescoping legs allow you to level the seat precisely to your height so your knees stay comfortable and your feet remain flat.
Key Features & Helpful Tips
- Measure the Tub Floor: Bathtubs curve inward at the base, meaning the bottom is narrower than the top. Always measure the flat width of your tub floor so all four legs sit level and won't wobble on the slope.
- Height-Adjustable Legs: Push-button telescoping legs allow you to level the seat precisely to your height so your knees stay comfortable and your feet remain flat.
- Drainage Holes: Ever wonder what all those little holes are for? Perforated seats let water and soap drain right through so it won’t pool under you, keeping the surface clean, dry, and slip-free.
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Padded Options: If hard plastic is uncomfortable or you need pressure relief, look for models with soft foam padding.
Tub Transfer Benches
What it is: An elongated bench where two legs rest inside the tub and two legs rest securely on the bathroom floor outside.
Why use it: Stepping over a tall bathtub rim requires balancing on one foot while lifting the other over a wet threshold - a major fall trigger. A transfer bench allows you to sit down outside the tub and slide over while remaining seated the entire time.
- Sliding & Swiveling Tracks: If scooting your body across a plastic bench requires too much effort, sliding transfer benches feature a smooth glide track – and often a 360-degree swivel seat – to effortlessly slide you from the outside of the tub to the inside.
- Shower Curtain Integration: To prevent water from spilling onto your bathroom floor, look for transfer benches with built-in shower curtain control slots, or pair your bench with a split shower curtain that closes around the seat.
Wall-Mounted Grab Bars
What it is: Heavy-duty support bars permanently anchored to walls near the tub, shower entry, or toilet.
Why use it: Towel racks and shower doors are not designed to support human body weight and might tear away when grabbed. A proper grab bar supports substantial weight, providing a reliable handhold during transitions.
- Lengths & Angles: Available in straight runs from 12" to 42", as well as different angled shapes to fit your bathroom layout – give you a sturdy reliable handhold in just the right spot to keep your balance when sitting, standing, or stepping.
- Safety Finishes: While smooth chrome or white finishes blend with decor, knurled finishes feature a textured, diamond-patterned grip. Knurling prevents your hand from slipping when the bar is wet or soapy.
- Designer Options: Modern grab bars often double as functional accessories, integrating toilet paper holders, corner shelves, or towel bars while maintaining full weight-bearing safety ratings.
Clamp-On Tub Grab Bars (No-Drill)
What it is: A portable support bar that locks firmly over the sidewall of a bathtub using a heavy-duty tension clamp.
Why use it: Ideal if you need a solid handhold to steady yourself when stepping in and out of the tub, placed right where you need it along the tub wall rather than fixed beside a wall where a screw-in bar would go. They're especially handy for renters who can't drill into wall, for travel, or for short-term recovery after surgery.
- Tension Mounting: Heavy-duty rubber-lined pads clamp securely against the interior and exterior tub walls, holding firm without scratching fiberglass, porcelain, or acrylic finishes.
- Have a fibreglass tub? Choose an option that adjusts tension from the top down rather than clamping from the side to help distribute pressure and reduce the risk of cracking the fibreglass.
- Bi-Level Grips & Height Adjustability: Feature multi-height handholds—a lower grip to assist while sitting in the tub, and an upper grip to steady yourself as you step in and out. Some models are also height adjustable; look for options with easy-adjust push pins so you can dial in the perfect height for your reach.
Commodes (Bedside & Over-Toilet)
What it is: A portable toilet chair equipped with a removable bucket and lid that brings safe, accessible toileting right to where you need it.
Why use it: Getting to the bathroom isn't always safe or practical—especially at night, if the bathroom is on a different floor and stairs are an issue, or if walking that distance causes fatigue or fall risks. Having a commode close by brings convenience and safety straight to the bedside.
- Replaces a Raised Toilet Seat & Armrests: A commode can be placed right over your existing toilet by simply removing the bucket. It's a fantastic option if you don't know your toilet's shape (round vs. elongated) or aren't sure what height riser to buy. Because it stands independently on height-adjustable legs and doesn't attach to the porcelain, it works for practically anyone as long as there is floor space.
- Drop-Arm / Flip-Up Arms: Perfect for anyone transferring from a wheelchair or the edge of the bed. The armrests easily swing or drop down out of the way for a smooth, flat slide across without having to lift yourself over the frame.
- Wheeled Mobile Commodes: Designed with wheels so you can move smoothly between rooms or roll directly over the toilet without having to walk.
- Attendant-Propelled: Feature smaller caster wheels with individual locking brakes, pushed by a caregiver.
- Self-Propelled: Built with large, wheelchair-style rear push rims so the user can propel themselves independently.
- Shower & Commode Combos: Constructed from rust-proof aluminum or stainless steel with water-resistant padding, allowing the chair to roll straight over the toilet and directly into a barrier-free shower.
Floor-to-Ceiling Security Poles
What it is: A vertical tension-mounted support pole that installs between the floor and ceiling without permanent screws.
Why use it: Standard grab bars have to be screwed into a wall, but a wall isn't always nearby when you lose your balance. A security pole stands independently in open floor space - like in the middle of a room, outside the bathtub, beside the toilet, or next to your bed.
- Pivoting & Multi-Level Handles: Many models feature rotating grab handles - such as curved, ladder-style handrails or T-shaped bar attachments - that lock securely into place at multiple angles. This gives you steady leverage at different heights as you move from sitting to standing and take your first couple of steps.
- Adaptability: Adjustable for standard ceiling heights (typically 7 to 10 feet), making them easy to install, reposition, or remove without wall damage.
Bath Lifts
What it is: A motorized seat placed inside the bottom of a standard tub that lowers you down for a full bath and raises you back up to tub rim height at the push of a button.
Why use it: Many people miss the soothing therapeutic benefits of a deep, warm bath because getting down to the tub floor - and climbing back up - is impossible. A bath lift restores the joy of a real bath safely.
- Reclining vs. Standard Backrests: Standard models lower you in an upright posture, while reclining models gently tilt backward once at the bottom so you can fully submerge your shoulders and relax.
- Smart Safety Feature (Did You Know?): People often worry, "What if the power cuts out while I'm at the bottom of the tub?" Most modern electric bath lifts are designed with a built-in fail-safe to prevent this. The hand control monitors charge levels and will not lower you into the tub unless there is plenty of battery power left to lift you safely back up.
Navigating Equipment Selection & Coverage: We’re Here to Help
Choosing the right bathroom safety equipment isn't one-size-fits-all. Finding a safe setup means considering accurate measurements (like tub floor widths or toilet heights), your bathroom's layout and clearances, the specific features you need, and how to safely use the equipment. Our experienced team can help you navigate these details so you get exactly what works for your space.
Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) Vendor
Home Health Store is an authorized vendor for the Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) program. If you are eligible for provincial equipment benefits, our team can help you navigate the process, coordinate with your authorizing healthcare professional (such as your Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapist), select the right product you've been approved for, and provide the equipment directly.
Equipment Rentals
Looking for a short-term solution? Whether you are recovering from surgery, injury, or illness, hosting a visiting family member, or simply want to try something before committing to buy, rentals are a convenient, cost-effective option. We offer a wide range of bathroom safety equipment rentals, including raised toilet seats, toilet armrests, bath chairs, commodes, and more.
Call us to check availability, get pricing, or reserve your equipment today!
Delivery & Professional Installation
A safety product is only as safe as its installation. We provide local delivery directly to your door, unbox and assemble your gear, and offer professional installation for wall-mounted grab bars, security poles, and complex setups.
Installation slots fill quickly! Contact our store today to book a delivery or speak with a specialist.
Ready to Make Your Bathroom Safer?
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Take the guesswork out of bathroom safety and regain your comfort and independence at home.
Give us a call at 780-469-8499, browse our selection online, or stop by our Edmonton showroom to test out the equipment in person!