Who can recommend a good chair?

HSL comfort chairs I meant

I have bought one recently from Next. I wanted just what you're asking about as I have secondary breast cancer in my spine. I've looked everywhere and passing a Next window there was the very chair I was looking for. I would call it a fireside chair with quite a straight back and has small legs. Not the old type of twirly legs either. You can choose from a variety of fabrics too. Perfect. It cost around £400.

This is my personal opinion but I think that the chairs maufactured as "mobility" chairs cost twice as much as a chair bought in an ordinary furniture shop. I also think that they are very old fashioned.

I got in touch with such a company once (cannot remember its name) and they stuck like leeches, sending brochures almost weekly whereas I was just making an enquiry.

I think if you shop around you will find something for your DH which he finds comfortable and also at an acceptable price.

Good points - they certainly seem rather more expensive than their "non-mobility" equivalents, but so many (soft, squishy) chairs and sofas are made for younger people who don't have to struggle to get out of them!!!

Look at the Gplan site , we always like their sofas, and although we don't have any chairs they seem to do some good ones that may suit you.

Soutra apart from the chairs/sofas being soft and squishy, I find that they are so close to the ground that I cannot get out of the chair /sofa very easily.

Be careful with the size of the chair. I bought 2 armchairs about 4 years ago from a store that has its goods permanently on sale and they are huge, rather too large for my living room. They did not look oversized in the store.

A friend of mine bought 2 sofas and an armchair from the same store and none has worn well. They are comfortable but one should not have to cover each item of furniture with a throw to stop wear and tear.

Try www.betterlifehealthcare.com it`s the Lloyds pharmacy site, and they sell all kinds of medical aids. We are considering buying some rise and recline chairs from them, at a much lower price than my daughter paid at a local furniture store.

this is my reading chair But I bought mine years ago and it was less than half the price it is now!

Very good support when sitting up, but I prefer a normal, lower, armchair, for slobbing out relaxing in the evening.

It has lasted very well.

soutra This might help. I am on my third in 30yrs. I cannot manage without it outside of home. www.medesign.co.uk/shop/backfriend.php?gclid=CN_sx_TNrrwCFSTmwgodhiMAJg

I have had back problems for over 30 yrs and I have to be incredibly fussy about what sort of seat I have. If the angle is only just wrong my back will complain and twinge and I need to get up and move about to relieve it.
I cannot sit up in bed with my legs out straight in front of me so reading in bed is difficult. I cannot sit in any chairs where the seat slopes down to the back of the chair.
I can get out of low chairs, it's sitting in them that causes me pain.

I can now just look at a chair and tell if its right or not.

I am not tall so I need a short seat. My hips need to be higher than my knees and it has to have good lumber support.

I have a "Backfriend" which is fairly portable preformed fibreglass seat and back support. I need this in any car, it does help get my back aligned properly, but it still would not do on one of those very soft wide armchairs.

I have a 1970s Parker Knoll recliner and a three piece suite which is very firm and upright.
However most hotels and guest houses have low soft chairs or those "conservatory chairs" which I cannot use. It makes going away on holiday
awkward as I cannot really sit down and relax.
The only gain about having had this bad back for so long is that I can still squat down on my haunches and get up again without too much trouble. 30+years of not bending my back has left me with strong thigh muscles.

Nellie, I have one of those in my car. Not for me, it was my husband's but I cannot bring myself to take it out, but everybody says how comfortable it is.

Bumped for soutra see below.

Nellie, You mentioned the Backfriend once before and I'd forgotten about it. I've decided to order one today. I've been dithering so long about having our Parker Knoll suite recovered and the main reason is that I couldn't face being without it for long. I even had to have 'my' two seater sofa moved up to our winter quarters and the armchair from there put in the spare bedroom until we move back again.
I can tell if a chair will suit me or not just by looking at it too.

Soutra, in my search for the perfect chair I went back to the shop that we bought the original suite from 30 odd years ago. It has now expanded and become more glamorous but still has knowledgeable, experienced and helpful staff. I found that the modern Parker Knolls weren't as good for me as the old one. A lovely one called the Stressless made by Ekthornes was really comfortable and very attractive to look at as well but the cheapest (they do different styles and sizes) one was about £700.
The chap in the store showed me more that they recommended for people with back/hip/knee problems, similar to the HSL ones but I can't remember the name of them. If you want I will phone the store.

Yes please dustyangel I too lust after a Sttesslrss ( actually 2- 1 for me ) but at £700 -800 each really can't indulge!"

Soutra that is the sale price. The normal price is eye watering, for me anyway. I googled the chair and it does look good but for me it will staying in the show room.

Stressless is wonderful. We invested in a couple and I can vouch for them. Well made too. Look out for the sales, though.

My daughter has two stress less chairs and i find them lovely and comfy..the downside for me is that i find them too low and have difficulty getting up...

I did make the mistake of buying a manual recliner...yes lovely to sit in and very supportive but i cant push the foot rest back in place!! Wish i had of bought an electric one now...

It is reassuring that it is not just us! DH was feeling very old when he saw the various websites, but as I said, if the chair is comfortable, who cares about the name? We just want something comfortable and supportive that he can get out of easily as I would rather see him reading his iPad/newspaper/book downstairs in the bay window than spend the day hunched over the desk/computer (playing solitaire!!) If good enough maybe we cold have 2 so I could have one too! Thank you for all the useful suggestions - I have ordered various catalogues, enquired about local-ish suppliers and registered an interest on their websites. Let's see what this week brings.

Our 'shabby chic' suite had become very shabby and we lolled rather than sat on it! When he developed a bad back we replaced it with G plan sofas and a chair all with lumbar support. So comfy and supporting and should last till we both expire I think.

We bought our www.allemeble.com furniture on the Internet.

We bought our suite from SCS , it was in the sale and I think the whole thing came to about £1700 for 2 2 seaters and an armchair . We invested in electric recliners because I don't just want my legs supported I wanted to choose the angle at which they were raised. I can honestly say best sofa we ever had and when we're away its one of the few things I miss.

G plan works for us. Well made and across the ranges there are a variety of seat heights, depths and firmness. We have two sofas. Different styles, one firmer than the other, one seat higher than the other. They are covered in identical fabric and most people don't realise they are different. Having the choice gives me alternative seating positions, also caters for the vertically challenged guests. . Although the chains sells them we got better service from a local independent store. The catalogue gives full sizing details and was invaluable in planning - they always look smaller in those furniture barns.

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Blatant advertising.

Stressless are ridiculously expensive but sooo worth it.