Understanding The Pros and Cons
When buying lift chairs, the number of motors is often one of the first questions we get asked and for good reason.
The motor serves as the control hub that powers the lift and recline features of the chair.
But what exactly do these motor options mean, and how do they affect your experience?
Single Motor Lift Chair Facts
Most single-motor lift chairs offer basic functionality, and when you push the recline button on the remote control, the chair elevates your legs and reclines the backrest.
Both parts of the chair will move simultaneously, and this is an issue with some lift chairs as you are forced to sit or recline, but you can't put your feet up with your back straight.
This makes eating dinner in your lift chair with your feet elevated almost impossible.
Unlike most brands, La-Z-Boy has solved this issue with single-motor lift chairs, they are grouped into what La-Z-Boy calls their Bronze Lift Chair Range.
In the case of La-Z-Boy single motor lift chairs, the backrest will not move until your feet are up.
That way, you can watch TV or eat dinner with your feet elevated but your back straight.
To get back up, the backrest moves back to an upright position, followed by the footrest retracting and again with a La-Z-Boy. The back would move first, and the footrest would go back down.
This solves the issues with single-motor lift chairs that other brands are plagued with.
Finally, if you continue to hold the control button, the chair will assist you in standing up.
This type of chair is straightforward and offers just the right amount of customisation regarding seating or reclining positioning.
What are the Benefits of Single Motor lift chairs vs Multiple Motors?
The Price: Single-motor lift chair models are less expensive than dual or more motor options.Simplicity of use: Single-motor lift chairs are straightforward as they generally only have two buttons. Perfect for older people or anyone with memory or cognisance issues. If somebody has learning impairment or age-related cognitive issues, giving them two buttons rather than eight is far better!
Compact Sizes: Single motor lift chairs are generally much more compact, some only 68cm wide!
This is perfect and is often specified by nursing homes with smaller rooms.
Recommended single-motor lift chair brands include the La-Z-Boy or, often referred to, Lazy Boy.
These are popular single-motor lift chairs that we recommend.
Lazy Boy Harbortown Lift Chair Very compact (under 70 cm wide) with solid timber arms for ease of getting in and out
La-Z-Boy Ascot Lift Chair Perfect for shorter people. It is the only lift chair on the market that would suit someone under 5 feet 5 inches (165cm) tall.
Both of these models are available in Fabric or leather.
(FAQ) Frequently asked questions.
Is the remote control wired, or are the buttons on the side of the chair?
The remote on any good lift chair is permanently wired. Getting to the buttons on the side of a chair from the recline position is challenging.
Also, when standing to sit from a walking frame, it is much safer to have the remote in your hand before you sit. The remotes are wired into the chair so they cannot be lost.
Will I get stuck if I have a power failure? This depends on the brand, but all La-Z-Boy models have battery backup, so if your power goes out, you can still get out of the chair. :)
Do they need to be plugged in? All lift chairs require power, but we can supply an optional rechargeable battery pack if you don't have access to a power point.