This is an important question because the difference between ‘made to measure’ and ‘built to fit’ is huge. And – perhaps just as important – ‘built to fit’ is a closer to ‘set size’ than you might think.

The best way to describe this is with an analogy with buying clothes – say trousers.

Set size would be like buying a pair of small, medium or large trousers. The larger sizes will be both wider and longer, this is the same for set size chairs.

With built to fit you have a little bit more control, so back to the trousers analogy, you’d have a waist measurement and a leg measurement – so you don’t have to suffer with trousers that are too long because you need a bigger size. But the waist and leg measurements come in fixed sizes – the trousers are still ‘off the peg’. And so it is with built to fit chairs, you can choose a lower seat height, for example, but you can only choose between a few different dimensions that are fixed within a set ratio between the two.

Essentially, if your ‘built to fit’ chair has a size name attached to it, you’re being sold an off the peg chair dressed up a bit.

Made to measure is more like having a pair of trousers made for you by a Savile Row tailor – they will fit you perfectly because they will have been made to exactly your measurements: waist, inner leg, high hip, low hip, waist to low hip… you get the idea.

A made to measure chair is constructed to five specific measurements:

• Seat height
• Seat depth
• Set width
• Back height
• Arm height

These are the five crucial measurements to build you a chair that fits you properly and they can be any combination of sizes. This results in the most comfortable chair possible and reduces the possibility of pressure sores and ulcers.

Of course, you’ll pay more for a tailored pair of trousers than an off the peg pair, and this is why made to measure chairs are more costly that those than are set size. What might surprise you is that you probably won’t pay much more for a made to measure chair than a built to fit one.

We sell four different types of recline mechanisms for our chairs (the rise function is the same for each one, so it’s the recline mechanism that you need to focus on when deciding which one to go for). Each type of chair is great in its own right and we don’t ‘push’ a given chair over another. Below is my personal opinion on the benefits and drawbacks of each one, based on my years of experience in talking to those who use these chairs:

Dual Motor

This is the most traditional type of chair. It has two motors that enables the leg rise and back recline movements to work independently of each other, allowing you to achieve a lot of different reclining positions. You can also go fully reclined for sleeping in this chair.
This is a great chair for many people, but there are a few things that might be drawbacks for you:

The control unit has six buttons. This is great for maximum control, but could be confusing for some.

The leg lift is lower than some of the other models. If you suffer from poor circulation and / or swollen feet then a higher leg lift is more effective.

As I’ve explained above, the back movement of this chair is completely independent – this can be great and help you get really comfortable. But if your back is tender when you move in relation to your hips, this can be painful and you might be better with a single motor tilt-in-space.

Single Motor Tilt in Space

We call this the high leg lift chair because that is its main strength. When fully reclined, this chair will get your ankles level with your heart and higher than your hips. This helps to stimulate circulation in the lower legs – I have seen this myself with dark blood visible in the lower legs turning pink after time in the fully reclined position.

The chair is very easy to use with only two buttons to control the entire range of movement, this is a real advantage for dementia sufferers.

The one minus of this chair is that the back and leg lift work together and the angle between the two can’t be changed. This is a real benefit for some people though and I have sold 1000s of these chairs and they are loved, especially for oedema sufferers as the chairs are so effective at reducing swelling when used regularly.

Extra High Leg Lift

This is a newer chair that lifts your legs even higher to improve circulation and swelling quickly. It has more motors than the high leg lift chair, giving you more control over your comfort. This is truly a remarkable chair to sit in for comfort. I don’t have any drawbacks to list for this chair, apart from the fact that it does cost more because of all the extra motors.

Quad Motor Dual Tilt-in-space

In my opinion this is the Rolls Royce of chairs. You get a high leg lift with an extra motor in the back recline movement, which effectively gives you the dual motor mechanism plus the high leg lift . You also have two extra motors in the neck and lumbar regions to enable you to adjust the back to the perfect angle for you.

You might never want to use the rise facility to stand, as you will be so comfortable!

You can’t have all the different back designs with this chair as some are unsuitable and the costs are increased again due to all the motors and movements available – but what a chair!

A good question – especially as it’s so hard to pin companies down on pricing, especially those who don’t put prices on their websites or in their brochures and tell you ‘we cannot give you prices because there are so many variables’. Turns out there’s a reason for that. Let me explain:

I have worked in the mobility industry for many years. In that time I’ve visited countless homes to demonstrate the benefits of using mobility chairs and beds. When I first started out, I was filled with enthusiasm for this new career but I quickly became disillusioned with the industry as a whole – so much that today I describe the mobility industry as 1980s double-glazing companies selling to older vulnerable people.

But let’s get back to price. (We’ll focus on high-end chairs that are made in the UK – I’ve spoken about very cheap imports here)

When I first started I was told that the reason for price differences in high-end chairs was the style. So if a client couldn’t afford a £5000 chair, I could offer a different style at a much reduced price. But here’s the thing – I now know the style of the chair does not affect the price. It’s the the mechanism that affects the price (we’ll get on to this later). Fundamentally I was offering the same chair with a different style as an excuse to offer a lower price. Why? Because the sales approach was to get as much as you can for the chair! This is why you won’t find prices on many other high-end websites. And this is why I started RiseUp – because I think people deserve better.

So how much do RiseUp chairs cost then?

The short answer is that over the past 12 months, the cheapest chair we have sold was £1,325 and the most expensive was £5,250, with the average selling for £3,325. All our chairs are made to measure here in the UK with quality materials, so you’re getting a quality chair whether you pay £1500 or £5000.

As I mentioned the cost is affected by the mechanism. A single motor high leg lift is the least expensive. The dual motor costs more, then you get to 3 or 4 motors, and some bariatric chairs go up to 7 motors. These obviously cost more money.

This is why we sell our chairs on mechanism – you can then make a choice based on what you physically need and your budget. The style of chair back and arm rest does not change the price. Yes, you can choose extras like heaters and extra cushions and this will add to the cost.

But I hope you can see where the costs of your chair actually come from – and if you look at the chair pages you will see a price range for that mechanism type to give you an idea on what you’ll be looking at financially. So when we do visit, you know we’re not there to persuade you to buy something you can’t afford, or what we think we can get away with.

You might see other companies offer very long warranties – we don’t do that. In my experience, if you were to claim on these you wouldn’t get far.

At RiseUp we give you a 5 year insurance company backed guarantee which covers you for anything that might happen to your chair, including spillages and damage due to pets (especially useful if your cat or dog likes to scratch!).

As this guarantee is covered by a third party, you are covered for five years (even if something happens to our business). You also get a selection of cleaning products from them to deal with minor stains, so all in all, you’re totally covered at no extra cost. The five year guarantee is included for free with every purchase of a chair.

Every product we sell at RiseUp – chairs, beds or bath lifts – are all hand built in the Midlands here in the UK. We’ve made the decision to specialise in made to measure top quality furniture that is built to your exact requirements and specifications, so we’ve chosen to work with suppliers we know personally.

The great thing about working with the best suppliers is that you end up with an amazing piece of furniture but also choice of coverings for your chair, from people like Ross Fabrics, Edinburgh Weavers. You can choose medical grade waterproof cloths and the very best quality Crest leathers. You get a vast array of colours and shades to help you match your existing furniture and style (or go for something completely different). You can have chairs built in two-tone cloths if you like, and even a colour themed patchwork which looks amazing. One thing I will add is that you will need to like your choice as the high quality means you are going to have to put up with it for many years!

Our consultants are trained to give good advice if you’re not sure what you want. Our job is to make sure you get the comfiest furniture you’ve ever experienced, but we also want to make sure you have a style you’re happy with. Because we’re a small company that is run by the people who own it, it really makes a difference to us when you’re truly happy with your product. It’s genuinely the reason we all Rise Up ! in the mornings

If you are unlucky enough to experience a problem with the mechanism your chair, we can help. One advantage of British built furniture is that the parts are usually readily available to make a repair, and we’ll happily organise an engineer to come out and see you and get your chair working again.

Yes, you can. I have seen chairs from £299 online.

But if you take a step back and think about this – when a weekly shopping trolley can be well over £150 for a family, how good do you think the £299 chair will be? And why is it so cheap?

These chairs are imported from the Far East where they are made at minimum cost. We don’t sell these types of chair, and with good reason. We want our customers to be comfortable, have a safe and reliable chair, and have a product that will last them many years. I’m afraid the old adage ‘buy cheap buy twice’ is very much true and over the years I’ve had so many people call to replace the cheaper chairs because they have failed.

If the chair is cheap, then it’s a cheap chair and will not last or give you the comfort you need. We at RiseUp believe everyone should be comfortable, and this is so true as you get older and spend more time in your chair each day as you naturally slow down. Now, we understand that not everyone is blessed with limitless finances and we offer several options of chair, as well as different ways to pay. Sitting in a chair that’s made to measure will massively improve your life – and you don’t need to live in the posh end of town to make that improvement. Give us a call and we’ll go through your options in a way that feels comfortable for your finances as well as your body!

We don’t have showrooms – they are expensive to run and many of our customers have difficulty in getting to us. Instead, we will bring a chair, bed or bath lift to you. You can try them out for yourself in your own home to see what you think.

Yes, we will take away your old furniture (unless you want to keep it) and we’ll also take away all the packaging that comes with your new chair too.

Yes, we can offer VAT exemption if you have a medical condition or long-term illness. When you place your order, your RiseUp consultant will fill in a form with you and then we’ll send that on to HMRC to get the VAT exemption for you.