This Vive raised toilet seat review will give you the ultimate guide about the product, and after reading it, you’ll immediately know whether to buy or not. If you’ve been searching to find a great riser, you’ll be interested in everything we have to say about this one. Keep on reading to get all the details.
Overview
First, check out the biggest, most significant pros and cons we felt are worth mentioning:
Pros
- Lifetime guarantee
- Great quality
- Easy to install and clean
Cons
- Costly
- The hole is too small
- It’s not wide enough
What is the Vive Raised Toilet Seat Made of?
The Vive raised toilet seat is made of a durable firm plastic material and features removable arm handles. The handles are padded so that they are comfortable for the people using them. Aside from comfort, the non-slip nature of the handles assures security. It’s a product meant for everyone with limited mobility, including seniors, people recovering from surgery, and more.
The manufacturer mentions in the description that this riser can fit both standard (16.5”) and elongated (18.5) toilets. When it comes to size, the dimensions are 18”x16.5”x5”. The space between the handrails is 17”, and the opening of the riser is 9.5”x8.5.
This toilet seat riser adds 5” in height for both standard and elongated seats. The handrails’ height is 6”. Its weight is around 5 lb and can handle up to 250 lb in weight.
This is a product that is very easy to install without the use of any tools. First, you need to lift the toilet seat and lid, then place the rise. For most toilets, you won’t have to remove the seat and lid completely, but you won’t be able to close it. As we mentioned, the arm handles are removable, so you can also keep them on or take them out in a matter of seconds. All you need to do is pin the pins in, then slide the handles out.
This manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty for its customers. If you notice that something is not right with your raised toilet seat, you should contact them and let them know. Their customer service is excellent and fast to respond.
Our Vive Raised Toilet Seat Review
After getting to know the Vive raised toilet seat specifications, it’s time to learn more about its performance in terms of comfort, ease of use, maintenance, stability, and more.
Comfort (8.4/10)
Although the riser is not padded, it’s comfortable to sit on it. Most risers feel comfortable enough, and this is usually not a problem you might encounter. After all, you won’t be spending hours sitting on the toilet.
One of the things that bothered us is the fact that the space between the arm holders is a bit tight. It might not be a problem for slim people, but everyone on the bigger side can feel uncomfortable and squeezed when sitting. This can also turn out to be a big downside if you’ve recently had an injury or surgery located near the hip area. The squeezing can cause further pain, so that’s why you need to think twice before buying any toilet seat riser to determine which one is best in your case.
The height that it adds to toilet seats is around 5”. That is enough for most people. Everyone tall might find it a little low, and everyone short might find it a little high. In general, the height that it adds is excellent for the majority of users. If you think that this is not enough for you, we’ve previously reviewed other risers that add 3.5” in height, so you might want to look at those as well.
The opening is a little small. That’s why men can feel a bit uncomfortable sitting on the riser. On the other hand, women won’t experience any discomfort because their private parts won’t be touching the plastic.
Remember to also measure your toilet before ordering to ensure that the height you’ll get after placing the riser is exactly what you need.
Thanks to these features, it gets an 8.4 out of 10 for comfort.
Sturdiness & Stability (8.6/10)
This is a sturdy design, made of durable and firm plastic. It’s also made to last a very long time, without being discolored or damaged.
The installation is simple. All you need to do is place it on the toilet and lock it in the front part using the knob. Twist it to lock and unlock it. There is a lip in the back part that you should make sure goes under the bowl.
Like most other risers, this one is stable, but you should be careful when using it. Make sure to use equal force on both handles when getting up to prevent the riser from being unstable. If you rely on one side too much, it will be wobbly, and you can end up being on the bathroom floor.
Something that can disturb the stability is you have to get up to wipe yourself because there is simply not enough space for your hand while you’re seated. That happens with so many other risers, so it’s a problem most manufacturers should address. It also makes the entire experience much more complicated for people who have trouble getting up because they need to put in the extra effort.
Since the material is hard and durable, you will not see any changes in its shape or how the locking mechanism performs in time.
Taking all these points into consideration, our score for sturdiness and stability is 8.6 out of 10.
Easy to Clean (9.0/10)
This is an easy product to clean, without a doubt. You should wipe it after every use to make sure that you’re sticking to high hygiene standards, especially if more people are using it. You can use sanitizing wipes or disinfectants.
When it comes to long-term maintenance, it’s simple and effortless. It takes only minutes to install and remove the Vive raised toilet seat. All you need to do is unlock it and lock it in the front. Once you take it off the toilet seat, you can wash it with water and your household cleaners.
We didn’t notice any staining or smell on the riser. However, we can recommend that you sit more in the back part of the riser. And the reason for that is if you sit in the front part, it can lead to retained urine in the front that can also run out of the toilet to the bathroom floor.
If this happens often, it will probably lead to staining or a bad odor. We learned to focus our weight more on the back part of the riser, and that’s how we avoided this unpleasant moment.
Also, make sure to remove it often from the toilet to clean the bottom part. Everyday maintenance is a must, but if you don’t want it to turn yellow, you also need to completely remove it from the toilet and clean the bottom part thoroughly. This applies to every single riser that you’ll have.
Since it’s easy to maintain without any major cons, we decided to give the Vive raised toilet seat a 9.0 out of 10 for maintenance.
Value for Money (7.8/10)
Is this an expensive product? Yes, you can say it is. However, you can immediately tell that it’s a high-quality one.
Most people will stay away from it, mostly because other risers are much more affordable. That’s fine, but only if you need them for a short time. If you’re planning on using it for a while, it’s worth every dollar that you’ll pay for it.
The fact that it comes with removable arm handles is a plus. Also, the installation takes minutes, so you’ll be saving time. These two features don’t often come together with risers that are cheaper than this one. Let’s not forget that the handles are simple to take out whenever you need to, making the process even more effortless.
If you want to move it from one bathroom to another, that’s a piece of cake. It’s important to know this if you have a person with limited mobility and two bathrooms on different floors in your home. Since you don’t want them going up and down the stairs, you can take the riser and mount it on different toilet bowls.
Another reason why we think that this product is worth the money is the easy maintenance. Since the materials are high-quality, they don’t retain foul odor or color from urine.
However, we expected better stability and a little bit more comfort. The riser feels too tight between the handrails, and the hole is a bit too small.
The value for money is 7.8 out of 10 because there are a few similar products to this one that have almost the same features and are at a lower price point.
Final Verdict 8.5
The Vive raised toilet seat will make your life better if you have been struggling with limited mobility or you’re recovering from surgery. This is a product made of high-quality materials and comes with removable arm handles that provide extra support.
It is stable, but if you put more pressure on one side when standing up, it loses stability and moves from side to side. That can be a massive problem since the people who use this already have trouble getting up and sitting down. That’s why we always recommend using equal force on both sides when getting up.
Although the comfort is decent, we still wish that the riser was wider in the area between the handrails. It was effortless to clean, install, and take off. Just make sure that you do it regularly, and pay close attention to the bottom part to prevent discoloration. Because of the ease of use, it gets bonus points from us.
Considering the price of this riser, it’s a long-term investment. If you need a toilet seat riser that you’ll use for quite a while, we suggest buying it. For everyone who needs it for a short time, they should consider getting some of the cheaper options that we previously suggested. This is definitely a high-quality product worth your money, and it’s one of the best risers on the market. To wrap it up, the final verdict is 8.5 out of 10.
[FAQ’s] Consumer Questions & Answers
Does the Vive raised toilet seat come in only one size?
Yes, this toilet raised toilet seat comes in one size that fits most standard and elongated toilet bowls. The dimensions that you should look at for standard toilets are up to 16.5” and elongated ones up to 18.5”.
Do I need tools to install this toilet seat riser?
No, this is a riser that features a tool-free installation. All you need to do is follow the instructions, and you’ll be done within minutes. It’s also very simple to unmount it whenever you need to.
Do I need to completely remove my toilet seat lid and seat to install the riser?
No, for most toilet seats, you won’t have to remove the lid or the seat completely.
Is this product easy to clean?
Yes, it is. You can use your regular household cleaners for everyday maintenance, and remove the riser completely from time to time, to clean it thoroughly.