Do you have a medical condition that prevents you from enjoying baths? Has old age made it extremely difficult to get in and out of your favorite bathtub? Do not fret! You can still enjoy your regular baths using bath lifts such as the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift. Modern bath lifts are designed to offer comfort and stability during your bath time. They come with easy-to-use hand controllers that allow you to adjust your position inside the bathtub. Before you randomly pick a bath lift, you must look at its features and reviews to determine if it is a worthwhile purchase.
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift has been in the market for some time now. It has its perks and limitations as well. We have used this product before, so we are honored to share what we liked and what we disliked about it. Although our views are subjective and your experience may be different, this information will go a long way in helping you decide whether you should invest your money in this brand and model.
Overview
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift is designed to assist people with limited mobility to enter, exit, and enjoy a bath independently. It comes in two pieces that are easy to assemble without requiring any household or professional tools. Once assembled, you can easily fold it for easy storage and transportation. It has suction cups that secure it firmly to the floor of your favorite bathtub, and you can lower, raise, and even recline the backrest as you please during your bath time. With this product, you will not have to worry about losing control as it comes with an easy-to-use and watertight remote control.
Pros
- Easy to assemble and install
- Easy to lower, recline, and rise
- Anti-slip security
- Watertight hand control floats
Cons
- Can be wobbly and unsteady
- Weak wings
- Controls prone to failure
What is the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift Made of?
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift is primarily made of strong and long-lasting plastic. It has some metallic parts as well. The lift has a plastic seat whose dimensions are 16.54 x 13.7x 2.3 18.8inches for depth, width, and height, respectively. The back of the lift has a height of 25.1 inches, while the base width is 22 inches. This bath lift has a slim profile that makes it easy to use in standard and large bathtubs. The plastic seat can raise and lower people whose weight does not go beyond 300 pounds. The lift comes with quality and long-lasting batteries that power the relatively silent but powerful motor.
Our Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift review
We understand that regular baths can relax sore muscles, relieve stress, and even help improve blood circulation. These are some of the reasons why we bought the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift for our ailing mother. While she is not too old, she has several medical complications that have rendered her unable to walk or be as active as before. She now spends most of her days in bed relaxing, and she expressed her desire to enjoy taking long baths again.
My brother and I searched online for the best-rated bath lifts that did not cost an arm and a leg because our mom’s medical expenses have affected our financial status. We reviewed a few but settled for the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift because my colleague had used it after his hip replacement surgery and claimed that it was a wise purchase. After buying it, we now have our hands-on experience with this product, so we will be evaluating its suction power, ease of assembly, sturdiness, and stability.
Suction Power(7.5/10)
One of the features we like least about the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift is the suction power. We read that it came with four quick-release suction cups that guaranteed the user anti-slip security on the bathtub floor from the product label. When the lift was delivered after ordering one online, it came with four suction cups, and after assembling it, we were confident that they would work perfectly.
This was not to be. We realized that the suction cups did not attach firmly to the bathtub floor. We removed all four suction cups and cleaned each of them because we thought they might have accumulated a bit of dust that reduced their effectiveness. We also cleaned mom’s standard bathtub and dried it well before trying to use it again.
Unfortunately, the cups still would not stick firmly to the bathtub. There was always one that completely failed to attach when the other three seemed to work just fine. After a couple of tries, we gave up trying to make sure that all four were well secured at the same time. We also realized that these cups were extremely easy to release, and we felt that they were designed to be a little weak to allow the quick release. We could be wrong.
Since nothing we tried seemed to offer a solution, we resorted to using support bars whenever our mother took her regular baths. The support bars were not part of this seat, but we got them from a friend’s house. They were hectic to use and made it more tiring to use the lift, so we sought another alternative.
A neighbor’s dad, who recently passed away, had left a bath lift that he did not use for sometime before his demise. The neighbor was giving out and discarding the things he no longer needed, so we requested the suction cups from his dad’s bath lift. He gladly gave them to us, and they fit perfectly. The replacement suction cups had excellent suction power, which relieved us from worrying about any accidental falls and slips as our mother took her baths.
Sturdiness and Stability(8.6/10)
Although the suction cups gave us a considerable amount of stress before we found a lasting solution, the overall sturdiness and stability of this seat were very impressive. The lift is mainly made of plastic, so we would not be surprised if it broke or cracked sooner than expected. However, it proves us wrong. The plastic used in the construction of this product was solid. My overweight brother tried sitting on it and reported that he felt comfortable and well-supported. The seat’s sturdiness gave us confidence that it would last a long time because mom now has a petite body size after losing a considerable amount of weight due to her medical complications.
The overall stability of this is also worth praising. When we assembled this bath lift, we noticed that it did not wobble one bit. The only time it showed signs of being shaky was when one of the four suction cups refused to attach to the bathtub floor. When we replaced the suction cups, this little challenge was sorted.
Our mom loves her Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift because it makes her feel safe and very secure. She also praises the very silent motor because one of her friends told her that her motor is very loud and tends to shake the entire seat as she uses it.
Easy to Assemble (9.0/10)
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift has to be the easiest product to assemble that we have come across so far. Some small kitchen appliances are much harder to assemble than this bath lift is! When the bath lift was delivered, we built it in less than five minutes. It came in two pieces, and all we had to do was join the two. This did not require the use of any special tools.
Although my brother assembled it without reading through the user manual, reading the assembly instructions is necessary. He almost snapped off one of the plastic parts, and that would have been disastrous.
We loved that after assembling and using it, the lift was pretty easy to fold and store. It is also effortless to transport when folded, and we have traveled with it in the trunk of the car at least three times. It is pretty compact when folded and fits well in standard and deep bathtubs.
Final Verdict 8.4
It is apparent that the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift has some impressive features and not so impressive ones. We totally loved how easy it is to set up the lift. We also loved that despite being primarily made of plastic, the parts are very strong and durable. Besides, the seat is very stable as you use it. It does not wobble or shake, giving the user confidence that they are safe and secure as they enjoy their bath.
The main misgiving is its poor suction power. All four suction cups do not seem to attach firmly to the bathtub floor at the same time. You may need to look for cups with more suction power, as we did.
Overall, the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift is a good buy, and it has allowed mom to enjoy her regular baths again. She is happier, more relaxed, and in less pain now. Based on the above reasons, we feel that this bath lift deserves an average score of 8.4/10, and we recommend it to our friends and family.
[FAQ’s] Consumer Questions & Answers
Does the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift have a warranty, and how long does it last?
This bath lift has a warranty of one year.
Does the back of this bath lift lower automatically? What happens if I do not want to recline to the lowest position?
This back lift goes up and down with the back in a vertical position. Once it is lowered, you can choose to recline it or not using the hand-held control device, meaning that you do not have to stay in a reclined position if you do not want to.
What is the weight limit for the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift? I do not seem to find this information anywhere.
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift can accommodate people whose weight does not exceed 300 pounds.
Can I use Epsom salts in my bath when using my Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift?
Yes, you can. The Epsom salts should not have any effect on your bath lift. However, you need to rinse the bath lift well after using fresh water to remove any salt and soap that may be stuck on the lift.
Are the battery and charger included in the package, or must I buy these separately?
The Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift comes with a battery and charger. You do not have to buy them separately.
How do I attach the suction cups? I am struggling with this?
To install the suction cups, you should first insert the small plug through the hole and make sure that the larger section cup is facing downwards. Next, slide the large suction cup over and lock it into place. Afterward, take the small plug and firmly press into the exact location where the top of the suction cup was before you pulled it through.
Are the wings of the Drive Medical Whisper Ultra Quiet Bath Lift removable?
Yes, you can remove them by removing the long pin.