Best Handicap Toilet in 2024: What to Select
Healthy people are all alike; every handicapped person is handicapped in their own way. It especially shows in everyday necessities, like visiting the toilet. There are many ways this routine procedure can be changed by some physical disability. It’s hard to understand for a healthy person unless they’ve been through a special course.
Table could not be displayed.The industry, though, reacts to this demand through its own studies, and trials, and finally produces special toilets for the handicapped. These toilets comply with the special guidelines and provide an easier experience for wheelchair users or those with dysfunctional joints or prosthetic limbs.
So, here I wrote a guide on choosing the best toilet for a disabled person with a brief FAQ and reviews of the most prominent models.
Top 7 Best Handicap Toilets
- Vive Toilet Seat Riser with Handles – Best Toilet Seat for Handicapped
- Vive Raised Toilet Seat 5″ – Best ADA-Compliant Toilet
- Carex 3.5 Inch Raised Toilet Seat with Arms
- TOTO CST744SL#01 Drake
- American Standard 2467016.020 Cadet Right Height
- Convenient Height 20-inch Extra Tall Toilet
- NOVA Folding Commode
The handicapped toilet reviews below cover both risers that enhance regular toilets and those initially ADA-compliant, so handicapped people can use them without extras (except for maybe wall handles).
1. Vive Toilet Seat Riser with Handles: The Top Pick Due to Versatility
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- Dimensions: 19.53 x 15.28 x 9.13 inches
- Toilet style: Elongated
- Bowl shape: Oval, Round
- Material: Plastic
Vive Health, one of the best-known American health and medical brands, operates from Naples, Florida. When it comes to medical equipment (including toilets), American vendors are sure to comply with all the requirements, unlike imported ones; they may be cheaper but counterfeit ones may cost you way more.
While installing a brand new toilet can cost more, there are special extenders for regular toilets that make using them way easier for handicapped persons. The seat riser by Vive elevates the seat by 3.5 inches and adds optional handles if necessary. Special niches for them are there by design. The handles are easy to grip and quite endurable, though they may be too narrow for an adult.
The model comes in two sizes: regular and elongated. Select one depending on your current toilet model. There is a special knob for mounting it on your basic toilet, so it requires no special tools to mount. The lid is mounted the regular way upon the riser.
This one may lack the endurance of stationary models. For example, its weight capacity is 300 pounds (given that its own weight is under 6 pounds). It’s more than the average human body weight but too little for extraordinary cases. Of course, the base will support the riser itself, but not the handles.
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2. Vive Raised Toilet Seat 5″: The Best Portable Handicap Toilet Riser
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- Dimensions: 20.5 x 18.2 x 7.9 inches
- Material: composite material
Here comes another one by Vive Health, generally similar to the previous seat riser. The main difference between the two is that this one is designed as portable. That means that a traveling person can take it with them and use it, it if necessary. Depending on the user’s condition, it may require (or not) some assistance to install or uninstall the unit.
This portable handicap toilet riser is designed for the easiest installation and compatibility with most existing toilet models around. It’s positioned upon the base and locked with an easily accessible knob. It’s just as easy to disassemble the construction. If the handles are necessary, you simply install them in a regular way.
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3. Carex 3.5 Inch Raised Toilet Seat with Arms: Extra Handicap Toilet Height
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- Dimensions: 13.5 x 18.9 x 3.5 inches
- Material: Plastic
Carex is another famous American brand, operating from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and producing a wide array of medical and health care products. What we’re interested in, though, is its raised toilet seat, similar to the first one I reviewed. Its appearance is way stricter and somehow simpler, hinting that it will be easy to handle, mount and remove. And yes, in fact, it is.
It’s a matter of aesthetics because functionally these two mirror each other in critical ways. Both raise the seat by 3.5 inches, both allow for mounting regular lids above them, and both have optional handles padded with foam. If you want, you can leave just one handle and remove another. It’s important that this one requires no tool for installation or removal as well.
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4. TOTO CST744SL#01 Drake: The Best ADA Compliant Toilet for Disabled Person
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- Dimensions: 28 x 19.5 x 30.5 inches
- Toilet style: No Seat
- Flush type: Gravity Flush Toilets
- Water consumption: 1.6 Gallons per Flush
- Bowl shape: Elongated
- Rough-in: 12 Inches
- Material: Vitreous China
- Certification: ADA
- Warranty: Manufacturer One Year Limited
When you hear of Japanese toilets, you may imagine little hi-tech labs that analyze everything, from your movements while sitting on it to the chemical composition of your excrement. No, TOTO Drake 2 is not this sort. Though developed by a Japanese company, it’s quite a regular toilet, unless ADA-compliant and fit for handicapped people.
Unlike the risers I reviewed earlier, this is a stationary handicapped toilet of two pieces, 30.5 inches in height (quite enough to use without seat risers). Among the virtues of this toilet, I would highlight its elaborate flush system.
It features a 3-inch flush valve and a 2 1/8-inch trap way, both wider than in regular toilets. At the same time, it features an advanced low-consumption siphon jet. If you wish, you can upgrade it by installing an electronic bidet from the same vendor.
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5. American Standard 2467016.020 Cadet Right Height: As High As Toilets Get
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- Dimensions: 30.25 x 20.5 x 30.75 inches
- Flush type: Pressure-Assisted Toilet
- Water consumption: 1.6 Gallons per Flush
- Bowl shape: Elongated
- Material: Vitreous China
- Certification: ADA
- Warranty: Limited One Year
In 2020, American Standard seems quite basic a name. But it has a solid 140-year history behind it, producing kitchen and bathroom equipment throughout decades and establishing itself in the industry. Its Cadet series features several two-piece toilets and this one I consider the best of them.
It’s a two-piece ADA-compliant elongated toilet, suitable for handicapped people by both its length and height. By the way, American Standard even uses Right Height as a mark, meaning that these can work as high toilets for the disabled, and at the same time, be quite comfortable for the rest. The toilet is made of vitreous china and is available in various colors, from plain white to the bone.
The developer emphasizes its advanced flush system (as you see, all of them do). Its 1.6GPF economy system reduces water consumption. Yet it remains powerful enough to do the work in one flush, due to the wide glazed 2 1/8-inch trap way and onboard Pressure Assist system with a closed inner tank.
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6. Convenient Height 20-inch Extra Tall Toilet: A Handicapped Toilet Higher than ADA
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- Dimensions: 27 x 15 x 36 inches
- Toilet style: Convenient Height
- Flush type: Dual. Lift up for full flush, push down for light
- Water consumption: 1.28 Gallons per Flush
- Bowl shape: Elongated
- Rough-in: 12 Inches
- Material: Ceramic
- Certification: WaterSense, Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters; California Energy Commission (CEC)
When a brand takes such a name, this means that height is the feature it emphasizes. As for this particular toilet, its height is 20” – that is more than ADA suggests, about the height of a bar stool. It’s quite individual whether this satisfies your needs, but if the higher, the better, then this is the one to choose. It is also elongated, to provide maximum comfort for those feeling uneasy with regular ones.
The flush system is dual: you can opt for a 1.28-gal or a 0.9-gal flush, depending on the work to do. If you need a full flush, lift it up. For partial one, push it down. It’s way less than most flush toilets consume.
The seat is included, and it’s as easy to mount as can be. Installing handles may be harder: they will need to be put on the wall. It also may require longer pipes and be stiff for initial installation. Anyway, this sort of handicapped toilet is quite a special thing, even for its special class.
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7. NOVA Folding Commode: The Most Accessible Toilet When You Need One
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- Dimensions: 37.7 x 20.9 x 9.1 inches
NOVA Medicals is another well-known American medical products vendor, based in Carson, California. And California knows how to party. One shouldn’t let any handicap keep them in (as if we haven’t had enough of that). A portable toilet like this is an irreplaceable thing on your vacation from civilization.
Despite its fragile look, this portable stool can boast a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds. Its own weight is neglectable next to this: about 14.3 pounds. In fact, it’s a walker with a toilet bucket on it. Everything is easy to assemble and disassemble, with no tools required.
The legs of the device are easily adjustable, so its height is from 16” to 21.75”. The width between the arms is 17.75”, great for most people. Bringing it is quite easy, as well as cleaning after use. It comes with a bucket and a splash guard, as well as lids for both.
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Buyer’s Guide on Choosing a Handicapped Toilet
When buying a toilet for a handicapped person, you better think over the practical aspects of using it. ADA compliance is good, but, as I’ve said, handicaps differ. So think about the following aspects:
- Is it easy for the potential user to use the flush system? Anyway, a pressure-assisted toilet is better. The question is whether it’s necessary.
- Will, the handicapped user feel at ease with side handles? Will one be enough if with two they feel restricted?
- What’s the weight of the user? You should consider this when buying a riser or, again, planning the handles.
As for the brands you should trust, all of those above (American Standard, TOTO, Nova, Vive Health, Carex) are quite trustworthy. But, again, there is a difference between a good toilet and a toilet that suits someone’s particular needs.
When it comes to special models of toilets made for disabled people, these models are designed to face the following issues:
- Wheelchair case. When one needs to get onto the toilet from a wheelchair, there should be handles to hold on to while getting one’s body in the right position. These handicap toilet handles are necessary later to rise from the toilet and transfer back into the wheelchair.
- Increased height. A handicap toilet height should be higher than that of a regular one. Not only does it show with wheelchair transfer, but it also doesn’t make one bend their knees completely. These are easier to sit on, and thus easier to rise from.
- Increased length. The reason is basically the same. In addition, an elongated handicap toilet means there is more space around to position every auxiliary device where it’s required.
- More durable materials. A handicapped person can weigh more than the regular toilets can endure. They can also act awkwardly enough to damage the toilet without due protection and maybe even hurt themselves.
There may also be individual enhancements, but these provide comfort for most disabled persons that are nevertheless able to visit toilet rooms without assistance. In addition, the enhancements listed above make no obstacle for non-handicapped persons to use the same toilet if necessary.
Given that these enhancements can only be applied in a dedicated place that a handicapped person uses permanently, most toilets still are regular.
FAQ on High Toilets for Disabled Persons
What is the difference between a handicapped toilet and a regular toilet?
A toilet for handicapped people should be easy to get onto from a wheelchair. In addition, it should be high and long enough for the user not to press themselves into the niche (like that regular toilets are often positioned in). Handles are optional: they can be attached to a toilet itself or to the wall.
To provide comfort for movements, the restroom with such a toilet should have a spot of at least 1.5*1.5 m before the toilet itself, for the wheelchair, and probably for an assisting person.
Related Post: Best Compact Toilets For Small Bathrooms
What is an ADA-compliant toilet?
ADA is short for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Among all, it lists requirements for bathroom equipment that make it suitable for handicapped persons to use it at an acceptable level of comfort.
How tall is a handicapped toilet?
ADA-compliant toilets are usually 17-19 inches from the floor to the seat. However, there may be taller ones, like the last two of those I reviewed. The one by Convenient Height is 20 inches tall, and the one by NOVA can be up to 21 inches tall. The minimum height required, nevertheless, is 17 inches, while a regular one is 15 inches.
The World Facing Humans Through a Handicapped Toilet
When speaking of making this world a better place, I don’t usually think of rockets or plants, computers, or entertainment. I think of these minor things meant for handicapped people to achieve better living.
Anyway, some centuries ago, I would feel handicapped for not having noble ancestors, and even now society handicaps people by their nation and religion. But it’s these seemingly minor things that make life livable for the most vulnerable of us. And as they help people feel whole and fit, there is hope. Take care.
Gerald Carpenter
My name is Gerald Carpenter and I am a professional plumber in the third generation. My father was a plumber, my grandfather was a plumber. I wish I had records on my other ancestors.
I bought this device for my father after I checked all the reviews on higher toilets for disabled people. It is called Vive Toilet Seat Riser, which you have mentioned in the first place. The best part is that you don’t need to buy the whole new toilet when you barely have money to take care of a disabled family member.