Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this for my mother. I wanted her to have a bed-side commode before she actually needed one. Maybe it was a premonition, because the day after I ordered it she fell and hit her head on the base of a piece of furniture. I was grateful she didn't need stitches...but ... after this fall I don't want her anywhere near the bathroom at night even though I get up and help her every time she has to use the bathroom. Having this commode has made things much easier, on both of us. I looked at a lot of commodes before I chose this one. --- Pros: I like the padded seat/back, the drop down arms, and adjustable height. However, the one plus that is not on many commodes is the cut out seat. This is beneficial since it decreases the amount of movement needed for cleaning. -- Cons: I don't understand why a company would put so much thought into a commode and not make the receptacle adequate for the seat. The first time my mother used the commode there was a little spillage. Luckily I had read some other reviews and saw where people had recommended putting a disposable bed mat under the commode. So I didn't have a problem. I have fixed this problem by adjusting the receptacle (pulling it forward), and by pulling the plastic commode liners up (higher). When you put the commode liners on be sure to place the widest part of the bag to match up with the receptacle handles. Then when the receptacle is covered, pull the plastic commode liner up to where it extends above the top of the receptacle. Put into place, lower the seat, and just ensure the pulled up plastic covers any opening around the receptacle. This will give you a little more of a barrier and keep liquid from escaping over the top of the receptacle. If you don't use a commode liner you can always cut a disposable bed mat in two and lay them across the front and back... which is what I initially did. I REPEAT... Why would a company put so much thought into such a nice commode and then botch up the most important part?!? Another disadvantage is the lid. I place the lid over the commode when not in use. However, you cannot handle the lid with the insane handle they have designed. It just slips out of your fingers... right into the commode in my case. So it must be handled from the side. I will probably add some sort of grip tape to help, and keep an eye out for something else to use as a cover. It baffles me that issues like this are not addressed before mass production. Caregivers have enough to contend with without having to wipe up urine that spills out due to a poorly designed receptacle. The people who design these things should have to personally use them before approving the design... and, I hope the person who approved the final design did not receive his/her yearly bonus! Anyway... One other thing. I thought the directions were lacking. I'm good at putting things together, but in the case of a commode it would help if they would add some simple drawings to help. My directions were read only... which is fine, but NO MENTION was made on how to connect the toilet seat. Easy enough to figure out. However, when you are putting your sweet little old mother on one of these things you want to make sure it is put together correctly. If my computer comes with pictures, then why can't a commode seat have pictures? .... plus a list of any tools needed to put the thing together with... like the type of screwdriver you'll need (for the seat). That said, I am happy to have this commode since it gives me peace of mind. The design of the seat and the soft foam is really nice. In all, this commode makes it much easier to tend to my mother than in the bathroom. So for now I will rate it 4 stars. Will update if anything changes.