A toilet frame should make one of the hardest moments of the day feel steady again. When it shifts as you push up, sits at the wrong height, or will not fit around the toilet, the frame is rarely the problem. The fitting usually is.
Nearly always it comes down to choosing the right type, measuring the toilet, setting the legs level, and where the frame stands. Here is how to get each one right, with a simple push-up test to do before anyone sits on it.
If you already use a raised toilet seat, choose a toilet surround frame, which is handles only. If not, an over toilet frame gives you its own seat and handles in one. Set every leg to the same number so your feet rest flat and your knees sit level with your hips. Centre it over the bowl, then press down hard on both armrests before the first sit. If it moves, fix it before you use it.
The products in this guide
Today’s prices, with the number that decides the fit.
Need a frame that adjusts to the right height? These two suit most people, and our toilet aids guide compares every one we sell.
Best all-round: Over Toilet Aid with Padded Seat
$199. The seat height adjusts from 49 to 62cm in 6 positions, and it holds up to 130kg. A 40mm padded seat, padded armrests 51cm apart, and a cross-braced frame for side-to-side steadiness. It takes up to 67 x 49cm of floor. No tools to put together. See it here
Best if you need a higher seat: Over Toilet Frame
$120. The seat height adjusts from 54 to 71cm in 8 positions, and it holds up to 110kg. Armrests 48cm apart, non-slip rubber feet, and it takes up to 64 x 55cm of floor. Goes on and off with no tools and no plumber. See it here
Step 1: Over toilet frame or toilet surround?
These two look alike and do a similar job, but they cannot be swapped for each other. Getting this right first saves a return.
A toilet surround frame is handles only. It stands around the toilet with no seat of its own, so you sit on your own toilet seat.
An over toilet frame brings its own seat and stands over the bowl. It gives you height and handles in one, and the height adjusts.
With a raised toilet seat: if you already have a raised seat, or are buying one, only a surround frame works. An over toilet frame has its own seat, so you cannot fit both, and the raised seat ends up doing nothing. If you need height and handles and have not bought anything yet, an over toilet frame covers both. Our guide to a raised toilet seat or a toilet frame goes through it in more detail.
Step 2: How to measure for a toilet frame
Take these with a tape before you order. They answer whether a frame will fit, and at what height.
| What to measure | How | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Pan height | Floor to the top of the toilet seat, with the seat down | How much higher you need to sit, if at all |
| Your seat height | Sit on a kitchen chair in your everyday shoes, knees at a right angle. Floor to the crease behind your knee | The height to set the frame's seat, or to check your toilet against |
| Floor space | The clear width and depth around the toilet, to the wall, vanity or bath on each side | Whether the frame's footprint fits: 67 x 49cm for the padded aid, 64 x 55cm for the frame |
| Hip width | Across the hips while sitting | Whether you sit comfortably between the armrests: 51cm on the padded aid, 48cm on the frame |
If your pan height is already close to your seat height and you only need something to hold, that points to a surround frame. If your seat height is well above the pan, that points to an over toilet frame, or a surround frame with a raised seat.
Step 3: How to adjust a toilet frame and set the legs level
- On each leg, press the button in, slide the leg to the number you want, and let the button click fully out through the hole.
- Set all four legs to the same number. One leg a hole out is what makes a frame rock.
- For an over toilet frame, set the seat a little above the toilet rim, so the bowl sits underneath without touching it.
- Sit on it in your everyday shoes. Your feet should be flat, your knees level with your hips or very slightly lower.
Need more height than one frame gives? The padded aid's seat goes to 62cm and the Over Toilet Frame's goes to 71cm. After a hip replacement, your surgeon or OT may give you a minimum seat height. Use their number.
Step 4: Where the frame stands
An over toilet frame: lift the toilet's own lid and seat up out of the way. Walk the frame in from the front so its back legs sit either side of the bowl, and line the seat opening up over the middle of the bowl. All four rubber feet should sit flat on the floor, clear of the pan's base. The padded aid comes with a pail for use away from the toilet, such as beside the bed. Leave the pail out when it stands over the toilet.
A toilet surround frame: set the width so the arms sit close to your hips on both sides, with the frame centred on the toilet. Set the handle height so you can push straight down with your elbows a little bent. If yours clamps or fixes to the toilet, tighten it fully before anyone leans on it. That is what stops it shifting sideways.
The frame that helps is the one that does not move. Test it with your hands before you trust it with your weight.
Step 5: The push-up test
Do this before the first sit, and again after anyone moves or cleans the frame.
- Stand in front of the frame and put one hand on each armrest.
- Press down hard and evenly, putting real weight through your arms.
- Press down on one side, then the other. Then push gently forward and back.
- Nothing should rock, slide, flex or click. All four feet should stay flat.
If it moves, check the leg numbers, the buttons, and whether a foot is on the edge of the pan's base. If it still moves, do not use it, and ask us.
Signs your toilet frame is set wrong
Too high: your feet barely reach the floor and you slide forward on the seat. Lower all four legs one hole at a time.
Too low: your knees sit above your hips, and standing takes a big push or a rock forward. Raise all four legs one hole at a time.
Shifting: it moves when you push on one armrest. Check the legs match, the feet are flat, and any clamp is tight.
Your first week: five quick checks
- The push-up test passes before the first use, and every time after cleaning.
- All four legs on the same number, each button clicked fully through.
- Feet flat and knees level with hips when seated.
- The seat sits over the bowl without touching the rim.
- Getting up still feels steady after a few days, not just the first time.
NDIS and Support at Home funding for toilet frames
Our toilet frames sit under the $1,500 line the NDIS uses for low-cost assistive technology, so there is no quote to chase for a low-risk item. They are eligible under your Consumables budget. If you are self-managed, order and pay as normal and claim the invoice back. If you are plan-managed, choose that at checkout and add your plan manager's email, and we send the compliant invoice straight to them.
Under Support at Home, toilet aids come from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, which sits apart from your care hours. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing sets its low tier at under $500, and most items need a contribution from you. Our NDIS funding guide explains the steps, and the whole bathroom range is in one place.
Common questions
How do you fit a toilet frame?
Put it together and set all four legs to the same number. For an over toilet frame, lift the toilet lid and seat, walk the frame in so its back legs sit either side of the bowl, and centre the seat over it. Then press down hard on both armrests. If nothing moves, it is ready.
How high should a toilet seat be for an elderly person?
High enough that your feet rest flat and your knees sit level with your hips or very slightly lower. Sit on a kitchen chair in your shoes and measure from the floor to the crease behind your knee. Our over toilet frames adjust from 49 to 62cm on the padded aid and 54 to 71cm on the Over Toilet Frame.
Can you use a raised toilet seat with a toilet frame?
Yes, but only with a toilet surround frame, which is handles only. An over toilet frame has its own seat, so it cannot be used with a raised toilet seat.
How do you measure for a toilet frame?
Measure the floor to the top of the toilet seat, the clear space around the toilet to the wall or vanity on each side, and your hip width while sitting. Compare them with the frame's seat height, footprint and width between the armrests.
How do you use an over toilet frame?
Back up until you feel the seat behind your legs, reach back for both armrests, not one, and lower yourself slowly. To stand, shuffle forward, put your feet flat, and push down on both armrests. Never pull up on a towel rail, toilet roll holder or vanity, as none of them are made to take your weight.
Three questions and you will have a recommendation for your situation.
Bianca worked in disability services before becoming a mother. She now runs SteadWell, an Australian store for mobility and daily living aids, and personally selects every product in the range against SteadWell's checklist, so families can choose with confidence rather than guesswork.
