Shower or commode wheelchair: which suits your bathroom?
Shower, toilet or both? Compare five aids for your bathroom and learn what matters for castors, push rims, space and safe transfers.
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Image: saneq
Do you need help with showering or using the toilet? What matters is how you plan to use the chair and move it around your bathroom. This guide compares wheeled aids with stationary alternatives and explains which dimensions and handling steps to check before buying.
This guide by the saneq editorial team is based on drive instruction manuals, information from the Swiss Centre for Barrier-Free Architecture and official insurance information. The models and prices are from our range as of October 2026. We have not carried out our own practical testing. This selection does not replace an individual assessment of your ability to sit, your transfers and your bathroom environment.
How do shower wheelchairs and commode wheelchairs differ?
A shower commode wheelchair combines a seat for showering with a toilet function. Aston and DuoMotion have a hygiene opening and a bucket for this purpose. With the bucket removed, they can be wheeled over a suitable toilet. Their manuals permit indoor use and require a shower that the chair can be wheeled into.
A commode wheelchair is used for toileting. TRS 130 also has castors, footrests and a bucket. This does not make it suitable for showering: its manual says to avoid getting it wet. A similar-looking frame or the description “shower chair with castors” does not replace approval for the specific model.
Your everyday wheelchair is not automatically a shower aid either. Use in wet areas must be part of its intended purpose. You can find an overview of other designs in the guide to wheelchair types.
When do you need castors, and when is a stationary chair enough?
Castors may be useful if you need to stay seated on the way to the toilet or into a shower accessible to the chair. Work through the whole routine: where will you transfer, who will move the chair, and where will that person stand during personal care? A wheeled chair can avoid an extra change of seat in the bathroom. Whether this works for you depends on access and the support available.
If you can reach the shower and sit down there with the help you need, a stationary shower chair such as Duro KD may be suitable. Its manual requires sufficient sitting stability and sufficient remaining arm function. Have someone assess whether you meet these requirements and whether the available supports suit you. A backrest alone does not compensate for a lack of sitting stability. The stationary TS 130, by contrast, provides a toilet function with a bucket, for example beside your bed. It does not transport you to the bathroom.
Propel yourself or use assistance?
The small 5-inch wheels on Aston and DuoMotion are intended for an attendant to push the chair. The 24-inch versions have push rims. To propel yourself, you must be able to grip, steer, stop and reach the brakes. Have this assessed with the chair adjusted for you. Even with push rims, you may still need help with transfers and washing.
The 24-inch version is wider and heavier: for Aston, the manual gives an overall width of 69 rather than 56 cm and a weight of 19.4 rather than 13.4 kg. Choose it only if you will actually propel yourself and your bathroom has the extra space. Your occupational therapist or physiotherapist can help assess whether you have enough arm and hand strength.
Which models illustrate the differences?
The technical figures come from the manufacturer’s instruction manuals. Prices are those at saneq in October 2026, including VAT. “Over the toilet” assumes that your toilet fits underneath the chair. The last two rows show stationary alternatives.
Will the chair fit through the door and into the shower?
Measure the clear opening with the door open and the narrowest point along the route to where the chair will be used. Include shower screens, radiators and furniture. Compare these measurements with the overall width including wheels and push rims, not the seat width. For example, Aston is 56 cm wide with small wheels and 69 cm with 24-inch wheels. Allow extra space on both sides for hands and push rims.
Also check turning space and room for the attendant. A chair may fit through the door without being able to reach a useful position in front of the toilet. Draw the door’s swing area, shower, toilet and clear spaces on a simple sketch. Also note thresholds and the space needed to swing the footrests away.
Check the entire route and clear space for the chair, transfers and the attendant. The sketch does not show binding minimum dimensions.
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As a planning guide, the Swiss Centre for Barrier-Free Architecture specifies at least 2.50 × 1.80 m for an adaptable bathroom and a clear door width of at least 0.80 m. These figures come from its housing construction guideline. They do not guarantee a suitable fit for your care needs. During a renovation, a professional must check which requirements of SIA 500 and building law apply.
Will the chair fit over your toilet?
Seat height describes how high you sit. Clearance height over the toilet refers to the space available underneath the chair. The DuoMotion manual gives 41.5 to 49 cm depending on the setting, while the TRS 130 manual gives 43 cm. A higher seat does not necessarily mean your toilet will fit underneath.
Note the toilet height, bowl width and any protruding parts. Also have someone check that the frame, crossbars and bucket holder clear the bowl and that the hygiene opening is correctly aligned above it. Allow space to insert and remove the bucket: according to the manuals, this is done from the rear on Aston, DuoMotion and TRS 130. On TS 130, the bucket can be removed upwards or from the side.
What matters when transferring and using the brakes?
Moving between a bed, wheelchair and toilet aid needs a routine tailored to you. Ask for a demonstration of the transfer steps, the help you need and how to use the brakes on the specific model. The preparation below does not replace this instruction.
Before each use, check that parts are secure and undamaged and that the brakes work. On Aston and DuoMotion, the dual-function brake also locks the direction of the small castor. The 24-inch wheels have their own parking brakes.
Prepare for the agreed transfer with the help you need. Secure the chair so it cannot roll away. After returning movable parts to position, check that they are locked in place.
Do not lean far out to the side. On Duro KD, all four legs must be set to the same height and locked in place. Sit in the centre of the seat or at the back against the backrest.
Clean the seat, bucket and frame according to the model’s manual. The manufacturers specify regular cleaning with a damp cloth. They rule out aggressive products, abrasives and highly concentrated chlorine or vinegar cleaners. Check castors and rubber feet for damage. Approval for shower use does not permit every cleaning method.
Who covers the costs in Switzerland?
The FOPH MiGeL list we checked, valid as of 1 July 2026, has no applicable entry for commode chairs, commode wheelchairs or shower wheelchairs. Their purchase or rental cannot be reimbursed through this route under basic health insurance. A doctor’s prescription alone does not establish entitlement under MiGeL.
The disability insurance (IV) information sheet 4.03 lists aids for personal care, including additions to sanitary facilities. This does not confirm cover for any of these models. The wheelchair rule in the old-age and survivors’ insurance (AHV) information sheet 3.02 cannot automatically be applied to shower and toilet aids either. Before buying, get written confirmation of who is responsible and what costs will be covered. A previous IV entitlement may be relevant when you move to AHV. The guide “Who pays for a wheelchair?” explains other sources of help.
What are the most common questions?
No. Its intended purpose covers toilet use, and the manual says to avoid getting it wet. In this comparison, Aston, DuoMotion or the stationary Duro KD may be suitable for showering.
You may be able to propel yourself with a suitable version with push rims. Aston and DuoMotion are available with 24-inch wheels for this purpose. With the chair properly adjusted, have someone assess whether you can safely grip, steer, stop and operate the brakes. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist can help with this. The versions with small 5-inch castors are pushed by an attendant.
Measure the actual clear opening with the door open. With small castors, DuoMotion is 54.4 cm wide and Aston is 56 cm wide. The TRS 130 commode wheelchair, intended only for toilet use, is also 56 cm wide. Aston and DuoMotion with 24-inch wheels are each 69 cm wide. With a clear opening of 70 cm, that leaves just 1 cm of clearance in total. This does not guarantee a safe fit: also check space for your hands, turning and the attendant.
The Aston and DuoMotion manuals require a shower that the chair can be wheeled into. This does not authorise lifting it into a bath. Other designs are available for baths; our bathing aids guide explains them.
The manuals we checked for Aston and DuoMotion do not give a folded width. Removable parts do not mean the frame can be folded. Have the storage dimensions needed for your version confirmed.
There is no applicable MiGeL entry. Any benefit from supplementary insurance depends on your policy. Before ordering, ask for written confirmation of cover for the specific aid.
Still unsure? saneq can help with product dimensions, versions and availability. Have your bathroom sketch and toilet measurements ready. Consult a professional, such as an occupational therapist, to assess your ability to sit, your transfers and your support needs. The Shower aids and Toilet aids categories take you to the relevant product groups.
