Half of prospects skip or guess their body measurements when they book. That burns 15–20 minutes of a 60-minute eval just recapturing data. Take these 7 measurements at home first, and we spend the whole session on chair selection, fit tradeoffs, and pressure management — not tape-measure basics.
You don't need a clinical setup. Most people can do this solo, but a helper makes three of the seven measurements significantly easier.
Fabric or plastic, at least 60 inches. The kind from a sewing kit works perfectly.
Not a couch or recliner. A kitchen or dining chair with a hard seat gives the most accurate sit.
Hip width and seat depth are much more accurate with a second person holding one end of the tape.
Jot measurements as you go. You'll enter them in the intake form before booking.
Do it in one sitting if possible. Fatigue posture vs. rested posture can shift measurements by ¾".
Download the one-page PDF below and fill it in as you go — or just use the section headers here.
Each measurement has a direct impact on frame sizing, seat configuration, and pressure management. Don't skip #7 — body weight drives axle placement and wheel camber more than most people realize.
Widest point of your hips or thighs, sitting
Measuring over thick pants or while holding your legs together. Wear thin clothing and let your legs fall naturally.
Back of knee to back of seat bone, minus 1–2"
Measuring to the back of the chair, not the back of your body. You're measuring you, not the furniture.
Seat surface to desired back support termination point
Measuring to the top of the shoulder. That's the axilla measurement. Your back height is almost always 2–4" below the shoulder tip.
Popliteal fold to bottom of heel
Measuring with feet flat on the floor. The popliteal-to-heel distance needs to be a free-hanging measurement — not compressed by bearing your weight.
Widest point of your torso at the seat back contact zone
Confusing trunk width with seat width. Seat width is your hips. Trunk width is your torso — usually smaller, and used for back hardware, not the seat pan.
Outer hip bone to outer hip bone, seated
Measuring at the widest soft-tissue point and calling it hip width. You want the bony landmarks specifically — the prominent iliac crests you can feel clearly through your skin.
Current weight, lbs or kg — with shoes and typical clothing
Using a weight from your last doctor visit or "roughly" estimating. An error of 15 lbs can shift axle recommendations by ½". Just weigh yourself today.
Measurements unlock the hardware conversation. This context unlocks everything else — your sitting history, pain points, and daily demands drive the final recommendation as much as the numbers.
If you have a current chair, knowing what it is — and what you hate about it — is faster than starting from scratch. Check the side frame or look up the serial tag.
Any history of pressure injuries (location, severity, whether healed) directly affects cushion selection and seat dump angle. Don't skip this — it's the most medically critical variable.
Foam, air, gel, hybrid — and whether it's working for you. If you're unsatisfied with your current cushion, that's often the fastest win in the entire eval.
Are you in the chair 2 hours a day for mobility, or 14 hours as your primary seating? This changes the entire pressure management and back support calculus.
Independent or assisted? Sliding board, stand-pivot, lift? Your transfer technique affects armrest configuration, seat height from floor, and whether a rigid or folding frame makes more practical sense.
Mostly indoors on smooth floors, or outdoors on pavement, grass, or rough terrain? Wheel size, tire width, and anti-tip positioning all depend on where you actually roll.
One-page PDF. Blank fields for all 7 measurements plus the contextual info above. Print it, fill it in while you measure, then keep it on hand for your evaluation. No email required.
A 60-minute telehealth session with Daryl Bullard, ATP — 20+ years fitting ultralight manual chairs, zero brand commissions. The $200 fee is credited in full toward any chair purchase. Come in with your measurements and we'll go deep.