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The hinged design of the Vive Toilet Seat Riser makes for easy removal and is the biggest reason why this product tops our list. Read More
The Carex Toilet Seat Elevator is comparatively affordable, but you can't remove it easily when not in use. Read More
The addition of handles on this Carex Toilet Seat may make it more stable for some, but it also has a higher price. Read More
The Drive Medical Toilet Seat installs quickly, but it's not as luxurious as models that attach to your own seat. Read More
The HealthSmart Toilet Seat Riser is super portable, but it doesn't feel stable at all times. Read More
Bathroom trips can create significant challenges for those struggling with mobility issues. Much like shower chairs, a toilet seat riser can be a valuable addition to your bathroom—particularly if you or a loved one have difficulty getting into or out of a low toilet seat. Risers come with a variety of features and installation methods, each with their own pros and cons, depending on your individual needs.
My doctor recently recommended a toilet riser to use while recovering from hip replacement surgery, so we took this opportunity to evaluate six different risers to help you find the one that works best across most situations. In our testing, we found the Vive Toilet Seat Riser (available at Amazon) to be the best for most people, but everyone’s accessibility needs are different.
In that spirit, here are six of the best toilet seat risers on the market today.
The Vive Toilet Seat Riser may be a little difficult to install, but its versatility and hinged design make it worth the effort.
The Vive Toilet Seat Riser provides an additional 3.5 inches to the height of your seat. This style of riser is installed between the bowl and your existing toilet seat. By integrating with your existing seat and lid, this riser allows you to continue using the same seat you're used to and offers the ability to close the lid when not in use for extra sanitation.
While this design results in a nicer aesthetic, it also requires a more involved installation process that may prove difficult for those with mobility challenges. This may be less of a concern if you are planning ahead of a surgery (as I was), or if you have a family member or friend who can assist with installation.
It is worth noting that, while this riser and others I tested claim to be installable without tools, I found a screwdriver was necessary to remove and tighten the bolts attaching the riser and seat to the bowl.
The hinged design of this riser was its biggest standout. Unlike many of the other risers I evaluated, this one allows the raised seat to fold up and out of the way when not needed or for easier cleaning. Overall, this riser ranked highest of all the risers I tested during my recovery from surgery.
Integrates with existing lid and seat
Hinged design allows for temporary removal
More difficult to install and fully remove
If the Vive Toilet Seat Riser sounds like a good fit for you aside from its higher price point, the Carex Toilet Seat Riser is a good alternative option for less than half the cost. The Carex Toilet Seat Riser strongly mirrors the Vive.
Both risers provide equal seat height, and their installations are identical. The only piece this Carex model lacks is the hinged design that allows you to fold the riser and seat up when they are not needed or to clean the toilet more thoroughly.
Integrates with your existing seat and lid
Missing handles for those who may need them
As I planned this review ahead of my surgery, I expected this Carex Riser with Arms to be the top contender. The Carex 3.5-Inch Raised Toilet Seat with Arms is identical to the previously mentioned Carex Toilet Seat Riser, with the addition of toilet safety rails to hold onto. I expected the rails to be a helpful addition to the riser—especially in the first few days after hip replacement surgery.
What I did not anticipate was the level of swelling in my leg and the inability to bend my knee more than 15 degrees for the first week. This caused me to need to rest my leg out to the side when sitting down in the bathroom.
Unfortunately, this was all but impossible with the rails in the way. While many would probably consider the rails a helpful feature, they were a hindrance to me. They are removable but, once removed, this riser is effectively the previous Carex model for nearly double the price.
Integrates with your existing toilet seat and lid
No hinge for easy removal
If you are looking for a toilet riser that is an easier and quicker install than the previous options, the Drive Medical RTL12027RA may be for you. This riser installs in mere seconds. Simply lift the seat up, place the riser on the bowl, and tighten the dial on the front until it’s secure.
If you have mobility concerns and are looking for a riser you can install on your own, you will likely appreciate the simplicity. Additionally, this style of riser may be a good option if you have others in the home who would like to be able to remove the riser to use the toilet.
The ease of installation does come at a cost: namely, a lack of integration with the lid and seat. You will sit directly on this riser and will have no cover when not in use. I personally prefer being able to close the toilet when not in use or while flushing, so this limitation was a big negative for me.
Similar to the Carex with Arms, this riser also has removable arms if you need additional support when sitting down or standing up. As mentioned above, while conceptually the arms seemed like a great feature, they caused me discomfort due to the specific circumstances after my surgery.
Grab bars can be removed
Not as comfortable as a riser that uses your existing seat
The HealthSmart Raised Toilet Seat Riser is another option worth considering if you are looking for a simple-to-install riser. This one installs even easier than the Drive riser, perhaps to a fault. The HealthSmart simply sits on top of the bowl with the seat lifted up.
It has some slip-resistant pads on the bottom to hold it in place. While it seems to work, I preferred the peace of mind that came with the locking mechanism the Drive riser uses to secure itself to the bowl.
Like the Drive riser, the way this riser installs prevents you from closing the lid while flushing or when not in use. However, the minimalistic design of this riser does make it the most portable option of the ones I tested if you need to travel with a riser for any reason.
We thought this product could also be a good portable raised toilet seat given its small size and washable material. The DMI Raised Toilet Seat turned out to be less of a riser and more of a seat pad. While listed as a 4-inch riser, its foam material compresses to 1 inch or less once body weight is applied.
To a large extent, this defeats the purpose of the riser. If you are someone who needs a riser to increase the height of your toilet, you most likely have significant difficulty standing up. If your riser has compressed down to just an inch, you are not getting much of a benefit from it.
Decent padding despite minimal height
Easy to remove and small enough to store
Does not provide any real height increase after sitting
Not as hygienic as previous models
The selection of toilet risers featured in this article is based on thorough testing by our experts. Through extensive hands-on time with each of the six featured risers, we carefully assessed and ranked each product based on factors such as ease of installation, comfort, grab bar security, build quality, aesthetics, and cleanability.
In the future we plan to test more toilet risers and assess them based on these standards.
Toilet Risers come in many different shapes and sizes, so you need to select the one that's best suited to your personal situation.
A few important aspects to consider before buying a toilet seat riser include identifying whether you have a round or elongated toilet bowl, determining what your capabilities are to install your riser, and figuring out if you need arms or rails for added assistance when sitting down or standing up.
At the most basic level, here are some essential features worth paying attention to.
As for other metrics, we determined that choosing a raised toilet seat that meets your needs may require some tradeoffs. For example, many of the risers that are the most difficult to install might also be easy to clean or more adaptable. On the other hand, a riser that’s easy to install might feel less secure or be more difficult to clean when the time comes.
With this give and take in mind, making the best riser selection may necessitate a careful analysis of your personal situation. If there’s always going to be someone available to assist with installation, or the riser doesn’t need to be uninstalled any time soon, one of the more versatile options toward the top of our list may be more feasible.
If you share a bathroom with someone else who’s also limited in their mobility, an easy-install option may be best. Especially if an able-bodied person can clean the riser, at least some of the cleanability drawbacks are mitigated.
Speaking to toilet riser height specifically, an estimated size can be selected using this three-step process.
Measure the height from the floor to the back of the knee.
Measure the height of the toilet seat from the floor.
Subtract those two numbers. The difference reflects the toilet riser height you may need.
As stated above, toilet risers are sold in 2-inch, 4-inch, or 6-inch varieties. It may also be helpful to talk to a doctor about riser height if there are any unique surgical requirements at play.
Even though many folks who use raised seats may also benefit from a bidet, there’s no denying it’s especially tough to install a bidet on top of a toilet seat riser.
As the video above describes in detail, the riser in question must be flat along the top, and it must attach via two bolt holes in the back so the bidet can be placed on top. This wouldn’t work well for our featured Drive Medical model, because that seat is curved and attaches to the toilet from the front. The Carex models, on the other hand, attach flush from the back.
It should be noted, however, that even then you’ll likely need specialized bolts from a hardware store that are long enough to reach through the riser to the bidet’s mounting plate. These probably won’t be the ones included with your bidet.
To circumvent that mess altogether, you could consider buying a floor-based Toiletvator riser instead. These raise standard toilet seat heights substantially, but they require fully removing the toilet to install. Though, now you’d be able to install any bidet on top of the seat without hassle.
Toilet risers and elevated toilet seats are classified as personal convenience items and are, thus, not covered by basic Medicare. A Medicare Advantage plan might cover a portion of the cost, however.
As for Medicaid, coverage for a toilet seat riser may vary based on your state’s individual plan. In this case your best course of action is to call a local medical supply company, as they may be able to tell you how any potential coverage options could work. In some states, Medicaid coverage may require a prescription from a licensed medical professional.
Generally speaking, many people across the U.S. have reported success in getting Medicaid coverage for toilet seat risers. Other similar bathroom equipment, like a shower chair, seems to be more miss than hit.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
James Rekowski is a freelance writer and IT professional from Bridgewater, MA. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State University. Following a state-of-the-art hip replacement operation in 2022, James joined Reviewed to lend his personal experience with surgical recovery and mobility devices.
When not publishing new articles, he loves traveling and especially enjoys exploring castles in Europe.
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