Drive Medical Shower Chair with Back and Suction Feet, Gray

Why it's worth it

This is the plain aluminum chair you've probably seen in a relative's shower, and it earns that ubiquity. It holds 300 pounds, adjusts by push-button in one-inch steps, and weighs about seven pounds, so a caregiver can lift it in and out with one hand.

For most seniors, this is the chair to start with. It does the three things that matter and skips the rest. The back is removable, so you can run it as a full chair or a backless stool depending on how much support you need that month. The seat is contoured and has drainage holes, so you're not sitting in a puddle. And at seven pounds, you can move it out of the way when someone else needs the shower.

Height adjustment is push-button, which matters more than it sounds. Arthritic hands don't do well with screw pins, and this releases with thumb pressure. Owners recovering from broken legs and femur fractures consistently mention getting the height right on the first try. If you're tall, set it high; if you're five-two and your feet dangle, drop it. Just make sure all four legs land on the same notch — an uneven set is how a chair wobbles.

From our review of 8 shower chairs for seniors, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +For most seniors, this is the chair to start with
• +Height adjustment is push-button, which matters more than it sounds
• +The 19.5-inch seat is wide for a chair this light, and that's the trade-off Drive Medical got right
• +Drive Medical is the default in this category for a reason — it's the volume seller, which means replacement parts and…

What to know

• –The suction feet are the weak point
• –Assembly hardware isn't always packaged cleanly
• –There are no armrests