How to choose the best Showerbuddy for your bathroom and needs

How to choose the best Showerbuddy for your bathroom and needs

How to choose the best Showerbuddy for your bathroom and needs

One of the great things about getting into the Showerbuddy ecosystem is that there are products for virtually any type of user or bathroom. We’ve designed products to support as many mobility impaired people with bathroom use across the globe as possible.
In this article we provide some insight into how you might determine which Showerbuddy is right for an end user. Perhaps you are the user, or maybe you’re an occupational therapist. Whatever role you play, this article should help give you a good sense of the different options available.

What’s your bathroom configuration

Before any assistive equipment comes into the bathroom, you’ll want to understand the parameters of the space. Every bathroom has its own unique design and layout to consider. Showerbuddy’s range is developed to suit most bathrooms depending on the model, but even still you should have assessed the room’s size and measurements to know exactly which product is best.

Some of the common considerations include:

  • The type of shower (step in, roll in, shower/bath combo)
  • Bathroom door entry opening
  • Distance between vanity and shower
  • Distance between toilet and shower
  • Whether there is a fixed screen in a bathtub shower
  • Length of the shower
  • Width of the shower/bath

These considerations and others form part of Showerbuddy’s game-changing bathroom measurement app called BathCheck. Check it out on the Apple App Store for iOS devices or Google Play Store for Android.

BathCheck guides you through the entire process, with the results able to form the basis of your Showerbuddy order. This saves significant time for Occupational Therapists and even families who want to assess the potential of a Showerbuddy in their home.

What’s the size of the bathroom?

Showerbuddy is designed to have as compact a footprint as possible whilst still allowing the full functionality of transfers and safe bathing.

For a very small bathroom, it may be more appropriate to use something like the SB7e Eco Traveller, whilst a typical size bathroom should accommodate the Transfer Range and other Roll-In options.

The aforementioned BathCheck app is the best way to establish the model that’s right for the bathroom in question. It takes out the guesswork and manual effort of comparing measurements with spec sheets.

What shower type do you have?

Showerbuddy divides its products into ranges:

The Transfer Range – our chair-bridge-base configuration line, which allows a bathtub or step in shower to be cleared by a mobility impaired user without any risky manual carrying. The transfer range has a bridge that the user can be moved across and onto an in-shower base for bathing. If you’ve got a shower with an edge, this range is the one to look into.

The Travel Range – our SB7e Eco Traveller is designed for open plan wet room showers, but in a highly compact package, allowing for easy pack down and travel – even on planes.

The Roll-In Range – very popular for disabled bathrooms and wet room spaces, the Roll-In range offers different chairs to suit certain sizes and capabilities, including a self-propelled model for users with upper body control.

Understanding the bathroom type you or your client has is one of the first steps of an assessment to determine which solution is right.

What body support does the user require during bathing?

Beyond the configuration of the bathroom, it’s equally important to know what body support is required. Things like neck support, body tilting and other things should weigh into your decision.

Here’s some use cases and their corresponding solutions within the Showerbuddy range.

Need to tilt the user back to relieve pressure and create easier bathing? Consider the tilting options – SB2T (for a bathtub – also clears legs over the edge) and SB3T (for a roll-in shower).

Need the neck supported for safer, more comfortable bathing? This comes standard on the tilt models, but can be added to other models with the Neck Rest Assembly accessory.

Is the user wanting to self-propel themselves into the bathroom and conduct bathing solo in a wet room shower? The SB6w is the choice for them.

The Petite Range – Our P1 and P2 accessories scale down the fit of the Showerbuddy to suit children and smaller users. It allows complete usage of our systems but with the dimensions to be comfortable for those users.

These are just some ways the Showerbuddy range caters to certain user requirements. You can learn more about the whole range here or explore the accessories which modify Showerbuddy even further to suit the individual.

Travelling frequently?

Frequent travellers benefit greatly from bringing a personal, familiar bathroom mobility solution with them. That’s why the SB7e Eco Traveller is a popular choice for these individuals.

The SB7e packs down for easy transport, and families can get the optional carry bag accessory to make the travel experience that much better.

This unit doesn’t compromise on functionality though, with the same high quality frame, seating and back rest found on the more complex home-based models. Some families choose to have a combined Transfer range option at home, but with an SB7e for on the road. Others find the SB7e takes care of both home and travel applications.

Try BathCheck – the complete Showerbuddy measurement solution

BathCheck is the easiest way to determine which Showerbuddy model is right for your family member or client. It’s the choice of many occupational therapists given the excellent user experience and speed at which a solution can be accurately found.

Further reading

Enjoyed this article? You may be interested in these resources online:

The information in this article is intended as general information only and is not a replacement for official health guidance by your local medical providers. Please always consult an occupational therapist and/or local healthcare for more specific guidance.