By VerifiedCareData. Specs checked against each maker’s spec sheet and FDA records on . How we check →
If getting over the bathtub wall is the hard part, get a tub transfer bench: you sit down outside the tub and slide across. For most people, our pick is the Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench, a plain bench with a backrest rated 350 lb (the maker lists 400 lb). Can’t scoot across a seat? Get a sliding bench. Measure your tub wall and the floor beside the tub first; the fit check below does the math.
Our pick: Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench, $51.61 on Amazon today
Because the tub wall is the hardest part of a bath.
01Standard bench
Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench
Best for most people who can sit up and scoot across a seat on their own.
✓Seat height 17.5–22.5 inches, in ½-inch steps. Seat 26 wide × 18.5–19.5 deep inches.
✓Rated 350 lb on the Amazon listing (the maker lists 400 lb). Weighs 13.6 lb.
✓Backrest flips for left or right entry. One removable arm. Suction cups on the two legs in the tub.
How we chose it: Drive’s spec sheet gives a 17.5–22.5 inch seat range in half-inch steps, no FDA recall names it, and Amazon itself sells this listing (model 12011KD-1).
One flaw (not a dealbreaker): The seat does not slide. You scoot across it, so you need to sit up steadily on your own. Drive also does not publish the bench’s overall width.
Amazon price today: $51.61 Amazon price, checked Oct 25, 2026
How we chose: we started with the models the top buying guides recommend most, kept the ones that fit a bathtub, have no FDA recall naming them and are sold new on Amazon, then picked the one with the clearest maker specs for the most common situation. Each number comes from the maker’s spec sheet where one exists, and we say when it comes from the Amazon listing instead. How we check →
The other benches worth a look
These are the benches the top buying guides recommend most. Each fits a different person or bathroom. Pick the line that sounds like you.
Standard bench
Medline Transfer Bench with Back
Best for: a bench with a built-in side arm to push up from.
Weight limit400 lb
Seat height18–22.5"
Overall width28.7"
Tub wall limitnot published
Trade-off: Medline and its own Amazon listing disagree on the seat height range (18–22.5 vs 17.6–21.9 inches). Check your tub wall against the lower numbers.
Best for: a small bathroom where a bench sticking out into the room would block the toilet or door.
Weight limit350 lb
Seat height5 inches above the tub wall
Overall width29.5"
Tub wall limitup to 17.5"
Trade-off: It clamps to the tub wall, so it will not work on a rounded-top tub wall (including most clawfoot tubs). The tub must be at least 25 inches wide.
Best for: a person over 400 lb, or anyone who wants six feet on the floor instead of four.
Weight limit600 lb
Seat height16–20"
Overall width29.5"
Tub wall limitup to 18"
Trade-off: It is the lowest bench here (16–20 inches) and the listing says it fits tub walls up to 18 inches only. It also costs several times as much as the Drive.
Sliding seats: Platinum Health Carousel Sliding Bench slides 12 inches and swivels 360°, locks every 90°; Eagle Health Tub-Mount Sliding Bench slides 6.75 inches.
Will it fit your tub?
Take these three measurements before you order. They take about two minutes with a tape measure.
Your tub wall height. Measure from the bathroom floor to the top of the tub wall. The seat has to sit above the wall, not rest on it. (Medline’s bench guide: “check to be sure the bench fits above the sidewall of the tub.” The Canadian Red Cross bench sheet: “the bench should not rest on the tub wall.”) Only a few makers publish the highest tub wall a bench fits; where they do, we show it. Either way, set the seat above your wall.
The floor space beside the tub. Measure from the far inside wall of the tub, across the tub, to the nearest thing on the other side: a toilet, sink, door or wall. The two tub legs go close to that far wall, so the whole bench has to fit in this distance. (Red Cross: “The legs inside the tub should be as close to the far wall of the tub as possible.”)
The user’s weight. Pick a bench rated at or above it. When the maker and the Amazon listing disagree, we use the lower number.
Bench
Tub wall
Floor space
Weight
Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench
no limit published; seat 17.5–22.5"
width not published: measure
up to 350 lb
Medline Transfer Bench with Back
no limit published; seat 18–22.5"
needs 28.7"
up to 400 lb
Medline Padded Transfer Bench
no limit published; seat 18–22"
needs 32"
up to 400 lb
Platinum Health Carousel Sliding Bench
walls up to 18.5"
needs 34"
up to 330 lb
Eagle Health Tub-Mount Sliding Bench
walls 13–17.5"
sits inside the tub
up to 350 lb
Lumex Bariatric Tub Transfer Bench
walls 14–18"
needs 29.5"
up to 600 lb
Type your numbers and each row shows ✓ fits, ✗ does not fit, or ? when the maker does not publish the number we need. A “?” on the tub wall means: check that the lowest seat setting sits above your tub wall.
Which side does it go on?
Stand in the bathroom and face the tub. You sit down on the part of the bench that is outside the tub, on the side you can walk up to. Every bench on this page can be set up for left-hand or right-hand entry; on most, the backrest moves to the other side. Put the arm on the side that is inside the tub. (Drive’s manuals: “Back support is reversible to accommodate left or right tub entry.” Medline: “the armrest should always be on the side of the bench that is in the tub.”)
Set the two legs in the tub to the same height, and the two legs on the floor to the same height, so the seat is level. Because the tub floor is higher than the bathroom floor, the legs in the tub are usually set lower. (Drive RTL12075 manual and the Red Cross sheet.)
What the makers claim vs. what the record shows
FDA treats tub benches as low-risk (Class I) devices. Makers still have to register with FDA, and recalls are public. Here is what we found, checked October 25, 2026.
Bench
Maker sheet vs. Amazon listing
FDA registration
FDA recalls
Drive Medical Tub Transfer BenchModel 12011KD-1
Drive rates it 400 lb and 13.6 lb. The Amazon listing says 350 lb and 10 lb, and calls it an aluminum frame (Drive says a blow-molded plastic bench). We plan on the lower 350 lb. Source
Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare is registered with FDA. FDA listing
No FDA recall of a Drive bath bench or transfer bench. FDA recall list
Medline Transfer Bench with BackModel G3-100KBX1
Medline lists 400 lb and an 18–22.5 inch seat. Its Amazon listing says 17.6–21.9 inches. The 26.5-inch seat width and 28.7-inch overall width come from the Amazon listing only. Source
Medline Industries, LP is registered with FDA. FDA listing
No FDA recall of this bench. A 2009 recall (Z-0463-2010) covered a Nutech-made transfer bench sold under Medline catalog number MDS86960R for weight load. It closed in 2013 and is a different model. FDA recall list
Medline Padded Transfer BenchModel G3-100KBPX1
Every number here is from Medline’s own Amazon listing. We could not read a Medline spec sheet for the padded model.
Medline Industries, LP is registered with FDA. FDA listing
Platinum Health Carousel Sliding BenchModel PHB3400
Platinum Health publishes no spec sheet we could find. The 330 lb limit and 20 lb weight are from the Amazon listing. Seat height, the 14–18.5 inch tub-wall range and the 12-inch slide are from a retailer’s spec table. Source
Not found in FDA’s bath-aid listings.
No FDA recall names Platinum Health. We did not find Platinum Health in FDA’s device listings for bath aids. FDA recall list
Eagle Health Tub-Mount Sliding BenchModel 77762
Eagle’s own website was offline, so these numbers are from Eagle’s Amazon listing. The listing says the seat slides 6.75 inches; one retailer says 8.5 inches. Source
Eagle Health Supplies is registered with FDA. FDA listing
Numbers are from the Amazon listing (sold by Amazon). We did not find a Graham-Field spec sheet for 7925A-1.
GF Health Products, Inc. is registered with FDA. FDA listing
No FDA recall of this bench. One recall under the bath-aid code names a Lumex product: the Drop Arm VersaMode commode (Z-1353-2021, front casters), closed in 2023. FDA recall list
FDA’s recall database lists 20 records for transfer aids from 2008 to 2024, and only 8 are bath products. Seven were Nutech shower seats and a transfer bench in 2009 (“may not meet specifications for weight load”). One was a Norco folding shower bench in 2012 (bracket bolts). Code ILS has 4 recalls (list). None was issued by Drive, Medline, Carex, Platinum Health or Eagle Health; one 2009 Nutech recall covered a bench sold under a Medline catalog number (see the Medline row).
Tub transfer bench or shower chair?
It depends on your bathroom. If you have to step over a bathtub wall, get a transfer bench. Two of its legs stand outside the tub, so you sit down first, then lift your legs over. A shower chair sits all the way inside the tub or shower, so you still have to step over the wall to reach it. If you have a walk-in shower with a low or no step, a shower chair is the simpler choice. See our shower chair guide.
Sliding bench or a regular bench?
A regular bench has a fixed seat. You sit on the outside end and scoot sideways into the tub. It costs less and has no moving parts. A sliding bench has a seat that rides on a rail, so you sit once and the seat carries you over the wall. Get a sliding bench if scooting is painful or hard, or if a helper will move the person in. On this page, Platinum Health Carousel Sliding Bench and Eagle Health Tub-Mount Sliding Bench slide. Sliding benches are longer and cost more, so measure the floor space first.
Drive or Medline?
They are close. The Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench is rated 350 lb on its listing (the maker lists 400 lb) and the Medline Transfer Bench with Back 400 lb. Both have a backrest that flips sides, and both use suction cups in the tub. The Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench adjusts in half-inch steps across 17.5–22.5 inches. The Medline Transfer Bench with Back has a fixed side arm and a seat that Medline lists at 18–22.5 inches. Choose the Drive unless you want the Medline’s side arm.
After hip replacement
With a transfer bench you never stand on one leg to step over the tub wall. Follow your surgeon’s hip rules. One common rule is that your knees should not be higher than your hips when you sit (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS), so you may need the seat set higher. Your occupational therapist will tell you the height.
What about the shower curtain?
Part of the bench sits outside the tub, so the curtain can’t close all the way and some water may reach the floor. Keep a non-slip mat or a towel on the floor beside the tub. Sliding glass doors often have to come off before a bench will fit.
How to set it up
No tools: Drive says its bench goes together without tools. Drive’s steps: lay the bench upside down, push the legs with large suction cups into the slots marked “A” and the others into “B,” turn it over, add the arm and backrest, then set the suction-cup legs in the tub.
Check every leg: each leg’s button has to pop fully through the same hole, and all four feet have to touch down at once. Push down or pull up on each leg to make sure it is locked (Drive manual).
Never stand on it. Every maker manual we read says so.
How to clean it
Wash it with mild soap and warm water, then wipe the seat dry after each use (Drive manuals). Don’t use abrasive cleaners (Medline). Check the rubber tips and suction cups often and replace any that are torn or worn (Drive).
Does Medicare pay for a tub transfer bench?
No. Original Medicare does not pay for bath seats or transfer benches. CMS lists bathtub seats as a comfort or convenience item, not medical equipment (NCD 280.1). The billing codes for transfer benches had 0 Medicare claims in 2024. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, call and ask whether it covers bathroom safety items.
This is an equipment guide, not medical advice. If a doctor or therapist has told you which bath seat, height or transfer method to use, follow their instructions over anything here.
Some links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, VerifiedCareData earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes which product we pick or what we say about it. See our methodology.
CMS DMEPOS utilization, 2024 — E0247 and E0248 claims
Amazon product listings — Product names, photos and prices. We check each Amazon price and whether it is in stock every night. A price only shows if it was checked in the last 24 hours.
For Medicare billing
Transfer benches bill as HCPCS E0247 (transfer bench for tub or toilet with or without commode opening) and E0248 (heavy duty). Neither has a DMEPOS fee schedule entry, and both had 0 national claims in 2024 (CMS utilization data, published with about an 18-month lag).
