2nd Mar 2025
Reading Time: 11 minutes
Furniture can save you money. Yes, really! More than that, the right furniture for your needs will make a big difference to your daily life – which is why it’s worth budgeting more for the items you use every day, like armchairs.
I received an Ultra 5 Motor Rise and Recliner chair from Fenetic Wellbeing in exchange for an honest review. Here’s why I think investing in one could save you money in the long term.
While a product was received in return for a review, MoneyMagpie prides itself on only recommending products we truly believe in and providing honest reviews. The receipt of the item does not influence the review.
How Could a Fenetic Wellbeing Chair Save Money?
A Chair for Health
Firstly, this is a stylish armchair with various different finishes available, from fabric to vegan leather to leather. It will look at home in any living room: it doesn’t look like a ‘medical assistance’ chair. It’s also not too big – the design is structured, unlike many recliner chairs that have wide slouchy arms. This would fit in most rooms comfortably (it does need room behind it to recline!).
However, there’s a reason I was the one on the team to try this chair out. I’m very tall (over 6’2″) and very heavy, with limited mobility due to health conditions that include arthritis, fibromyalgia and more. Some days I can move just fine – and other days, my feet swell painfully large, my legs are heavy, and moving around is painful and difficult. I can’t afford a massage every week and I don’t need someone always around to help me in and out of a chair – though some days it would be useful!
A rise and recliner chair is one that helps you in several ways. They tilt forward and up, to make standing from the chair much easier, and recline to help you raise your legs and find a comfortable position for your back. This is a luxury version – here’s why.
Best Features
The Ultra 5 Motor Rise and Recliner from Fenetic Wellbeing has loads of brilliant features that helped me to properly relax in the evening. First, it comes in three sizes. That means I was able to get the XL – which is suitable for people over six foot tall. It is very difficult to find chairs that fit tall proportions, often being too short in the seat or the back to be comfortable for long periods. Being able to choose from three sizes means you can find the right size for you. It also has a weight limit up to 28 stone – which is far more than most rise and recliner chairs available on the high street.
The chair has a recline and tilt function, like any chair of this type. However, it also has a tilt function and several moving parts. This means you can raise your legs above your hips (great if you get swollen feet like me), and choose whether you want to lie back or remain sitting upright. As well as an adjustable back, the headrest can be tilted forward too – so even if you prefer a leaned-back posture, you can have your head raised to still watch the TV or chat with other people comfortably. I really love this feature, because I like to be fairly upright despite needing to raise my legs, and the headrest tilt makes it super easy to find the perfect comfy angle.
The armrests are structured. This sounds like a silly thing to mention maybe, but I have had recliners in the past which were ‘floppy’ wide armrests that felt too low and not supportive. The arms on this chair are solid and not too wide, and a good height to rest your elbows on. When the chair rises to the stand position, they felt supportive and not at all flimsy.
Here are some of the other features I love:
Choice of Fabric
I have the vegan leather option which suits me perfectly. I like fabric furniture but have two very fluffy pets and not enough energy to constantly hoover the armchair. The vegan leather is smooth and durable, and feels like wonderful quality and (I discovered quickly thanks to my clumsiness) easy to wipe-clean when you spill your coffee on it. I like that you can choose from different colours and between fabric, vegan leather, or leather to suit your own style and needs.
Comfortable But Not Squishy
Some people like armchairs and sofas they can sink into. However, if you’re anything like me, those are a nightmare! This chair is supportive, comfortable, and cushioned but it doesn’t feel ‘squishy’ or unsupportive. Even without the rise feature, it would be a chair I’d choose because I can easily sit in it for hours without getting tailbone pain from being too hard or back pain from lack of support from the cushioning.
Three Heat Options
You can add some heat to the seat and back, with three temperature options. This helps take the chill off a cold room without needing to put the heat on, while the higher temperatures really soak into achey bones to fully relax you. It has an auto shutoff too, so you can’t accidentally leave it on.
Adjustable Lumbar Support
As well as the multitude of tilt functions in different parts of the chair, the lumbar support (the lower back) has an inflatable option to provide extra support. This is perfect for people like me who suffer from constant low back pain and feel like they always need a cushion in their lower back whenever they sit down. You can adjust it to the perfect amount for you, too.
Easy Controls
The remote control is wired to the chair, so you can’t lose it! And you also don’t need to worry about batteries running out. There are very clear instructions with pictures on every button to make it easy to set up to your ideal position. When it’s time to get out of the chair, there is a central button that controls the rise/recline, so just pressing up or down continuously will set the chair all the way back to a lay-flat position or all the way up to standing. There is a USB port in the end of the remote – which is great for me, as I can keep my laptop charged while I work from the chair.
The Hidden Arm Features
Inside each armrest is a little pop-out feature. On one side, there is a cup holder so you can keep a drink close to hand. I have to admit, this serves as the ‘pet treat’ holder in my household instead! On the other side is a wireless phone charger, so if your phone has a wireless charging capacity you can keep it in that pocket to maintain charge while still being close to hand.
Massage Function
This feels like no other massage chair or device (like those shiatsu cushions or neck roller massagers you’ve probably tried at some point). It’s not a hard, roller-style massage. Instead, parts of the back of the chair inflate and deflate in sequence, providing gentle pressure. It feels like a hug or someone pressing on your back – it’s really very pleasant and also didn’t leave me aching the next day like some roller-massage devices have done. There are three levels to try – start slowly and try each one out, because the third level is wonderful for someone like me who likes a deep massage but it might feel a bit strong for some! Having different options means there’s a level that’ll suit everyone.
Lithium Battery
The chair needs to be plugged in to function for normal operation. However, a unique feature of this model that many rise and recliners do not have is the backup lithium battery. Why is this important? In a chair without one, if you have a power cut, you could get stuck laid down or tilted back in the chair! However, the battery provides plenty of power to make sure you can safely get out of your chair even if there is a power cut.
Delivery and Installation
I didn’t get any special treatment for my delivery: I got the same service every customer will. Fenetic Wellbeing are an independent company, and it was very clear they care about their customers and know their product inside-out. During delivery, they set it up in the place I needed the chair to be, then spent plenty of time talking me through all of the main functions. There wasn’t a hard sell, just care to make sure it was set up how I needed it to be set up, in the right place, and that I was comfortable with how to use it. They even made sure to ask if I wanted the remote control to be wired in on the left or right side!
Areas for Improvement
Before you rush out to buy this chair, there are a few things to consider. To me, they are minor ‘would likes’, but we always look at pros and cons in our reviews as it’s important that we provide a genuine picture of what an item is like.
Heat and Massage Button Location
I am wide of hip. Very wide of hip. And, I must say, this chair still fits my sizeable rear very comfortably with space to spare either side at each armrest. However, if I move in the chair, I have sometimes accidentally put the heat or massage buttons on or off when I wanted the opposite. This is because the controls are located on the inside of the armrest, so it’s quite easy to knock with your leg if you’re a wriggler. The buttons could be better on the outside of the chair to avoid accidental knocks.
Remote Pocket
In a similar vein, I love that the remote is wired so you can’t lose it. But the wire is fairly short and you have to sort of leave it to dangle on/ over the armrest or if you’re less wide of backside, on the chair seat next to you. There is a pocket on each side of the chair – but it’s juuuussstt lower than the wire allows the remote to go. Also, if you did want to use the pocket on the side of the chair, it’s a long reach and because the central button on the remote sticks out, putting it in/out the pocket knocks the button so it does move the chair when you’re not expecting it – the pockets on each side of the chair seem more like magazine holder pockets than for the remote. I have since got a fabric over-armrest pocket that holds the remote (and TV remotes) so it’s in reach but out of the way, so it’s only a very minor snag.
No Gimbal in the Cup Holder
The cup holder is fixed in place – which means if you’ve forgotten a drink in there, you might tip it everywhere when you want to set the chair to rise and tilt forward! It would be amazing if this was set into a gimbal to level the cup however the chair was tilted.
You Need Tilt Room
Like any rise and recliner chair, you need room to operate it. Because this one has extensive tilt and recline range, you will need to make sure you have a few feet of clear space behind it if you plan to recline far back with each use.
Memory for Favourite Seating Position
The controls are manual, which is great – but if you’re the only person using the chair, it would be amazing to have a programmable option so that it remembers your favourite position. However, being able to change so many bits isn’t overwhelming, because within a few uses I knew exactly what to press (legs up, back forward, headrest forward, lumbar inflated, if you must know) in just a few seconds. It also means you can adjust depending on what you need each day.
Option for USB-C Charger
I LOVE the wireless charger pocket and that I can plug my laptop in using a USB-A to USB-C cable to keep it charged while I work. But if I am being really, really picky, it would be nice to have the USB plug in the armrest pocket instead of the wireless charger, with a USB-A and USB-C port so you can keep different types of device plugged in and store cables in the pocket when not in use. This is probably the absolute pickiest thing I can come up with for this chair but definitely one of those ‘if I were designing the next version’ notes I made.
Why Would a Fenetic Wellbeing Chair Save You Money?
Right, you might think I’m reaching here but I genuinely think you could save money with a Fenetic Wellbeing chair. There is one, very clear, money saving thing I need to mention straight away:
You could get this chair VAT-free. That’s automatically 20% off the normal sale price.
If you are buying this chair (or any rise and recliner chair from Fenetic Wellbeing) because you need assistance to get into/out of the chair, and/or would benefit from features like the tilt, raising your legs, or the heat and massage functions because of a long-term health condition, it qualifies as a medical assistance device. For example, the heat function has seriously aided my back pain and arthritis issues, as I have been able to spend half an hour each evening relaxing in the chair with the heat dissipating in a way that it reduces my muscle tension and overall pain. If you aren’t sure if you’d qualify for the VAT exemption, talk to Fenetic Wellbeing about it because they’re so knowledgable and helpful.
Even if you don’t qualify for the exemption, you can quickly compare prices online between the Fenetic Wellbeing rise and recliner range and similar offerings from high street shops and discover they are much better value, better quality, and highly rated customer service. This is their top of the range chair and it retails from £1999.99 with VAT relief or £2399.99 without VAT relief – and a portion of each sale goes to the MS Society. They have a range of rise and recliner chairs too, starting from £399.99 with VAT relief.
No Need to Heat the Whole Room
Staying on the heat element for a moment, this could save money on your heating bills because it really does get very toasty very quickly, so if you’re the only person who gets cold in the room, or you live alone and don’t fancy heating the whole house just to warm up a bit, it’s great for taking the chill away.
Thomas Appelbee, Co-founder of Fenetic Wellbeing says:
Stay Independent Longer
Independent living is so important to anyone with long-term health conditions. We don’t all have partners or family around to help, and paid care is expensive and doesn’t always happen when you need it. For example, I don’t need a carer around all the time – but on bad days, I could get stuck on the sofa for hours unable to get up. I have definitely considered paid carers in the past for this kind of reason, but having something like this on a bad day means I could confidently settle myself in knowing I can still get out of the chair on my own.
There is also definitely something to be said for having a chair that fits you properly when it comes to reducing pain and fatigue. Getting proper wind-down rest every evening before bed has meant that I am sleeping better, which in turn means my fatigue is lessened and I can manage more tasks in the day now.
Longevity in Quality
This is not your standard high street chair. It’s incredibly well made and will last a lot of daily use for many, many years. Investing in daily-use and high-traffic furniture is always going to save you money in the long term because ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ is real.
Less Spent on Massages
My health conditions mean I can benefit from frequent massages, but at £60 a pop that’s just not possible to maintain long-term. One massage cycle on this chair helps take tension out of my back and has made me feel much lighter and experience less pain because it’s helped with muscle tension around sore points, like my neck. I have also found that raising my legs for an hour every evening means I don’t have to consider getting expensive lower leg massages to improve circulation and lymph drainage as this is happening naturally from having my feet raised in the chair. My feet are no longer swollen all the time!
