Air Massage, Heat and a Lumbar Support, All in the Backrest
The Derby puts its effort where most people want it. Air massage cells sit in the backrest — not the buzzing kind, but cells that fill and release in sequence, so what you feel is a slow squeeze rather than a hum — with heat and a lumbar support behind them. Two motors move the backrest and the leg rest independently, and a leg extension carries the footrest further out for longer legs. Three sizes, in grey or beige.
Key Features
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Air massage in the backrest — inflatable cells that fill and release in turn, pressing rather than vibrating.
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Heat and a lumbar support — the lumbar fills the hollow of your lower back instead of leaving it to bridge an empty gap.
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Two motors — backrest and leg rest move independently, so your feet can come up while you stay sitting upright.
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Leg extension on the footrest, so longer legs are carried to the heel rather than ending at the calf.
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Powered lift — the seat tips forward to bring you towards standing, and lowers you back under control.
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Three sizes, in grey or beige.
Air Massage and Vibration Massage Are Not the Same Feature
Most chairs that advertise massage use vibration: small motors set into the padding that buzz at whatever speed you pick. Air massage works on a different principle. Sealed cells sit inside the upholstery and a pump fills and empties them in sequence, so the chair grips and releases in slow waves. The two feel almost nothing alike — vibration is immediate, localised and audible, while air is broader, slower and much quieter. One honest caveat: the Derby’s cells are in the backrest, not running through the arms and legs. This is a back massage rather than a whole-body one, and if you were picturing your calves being worked over, that is a different chair.
The seat is worth a word as well. At 55 cm deep it is generous for this class of chair, which suits longer thighs and gives the backrest something to work against. The flip side is real: a shorter person can end up choosing between their back reaching the backrest and their feet reaching the floor, and feet win that argument every time — because feet off the floor is what makes standing hard, which is the one thing a lift chair exists to fix. That is precisely what the three sizes are for, so come in and let us put you in the right one rather than guessing from a page.
Product Details
| Type |
Lift chair — powered lift and recline |
| Motors |
Two — backrest and leg rest, independently controlled |
| Massage and heat |
Air massage in the backrest, with heating |
| Lumbar support |
Fitted |
| Leg rest |
Leg extension fitted |
| Sizes |
Three |
| Seat, standard size |
55 cm wide × 55 cm deep |
| Colours |
Grey, Beige |
Before You Buy
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Feel the air massage before you decide on it. It is the main reason to choose this chair over another and the one thing a description cannot convey. A minute in the chair settles it either way.
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Ask us the seat measurements for the size you are considering. We have the standard on file at 55 × 55 cm and can get you the other two. The sizes are not one chair scaled up and down.
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Run the three fit checks. Feet flat on the floor, two fingers of clearance behind the knee, elbows landing naturally on the arms. With a 55 cm seat depth the knee check is the one to watch. Tell us which feels wrong and we will move you a size.
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Ask us the maximum user weight. We will not print a figure we have not confirmed — ask in store and we will get it for you in writing.
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Ask whether it has battery backup. If the power goes out while the chair is reclined, a backup battery is what brings it upright again.
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Ask for the overall footprint and the clearance behind it when fully reclined, and measure the spot you have in mind first.
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Ask about warranty and who services it in WA, and whether it can be supplied under a Home Care Package, NDIS plan or DVA entitlement.
Try It at Beds4U
Air massage is the one feature in this category that a description genuinely cannot convey. People who love it usually know within a minute, and so do the people who would rather do without — which makes this a chair worth a trip rather than a click. Come and run a cycle through, feel where the lumbar sits against your back, take it up to standing, and try a size either side if you are between two. Call your nearest store first and we will tell you which of our WA showrooms has the Derby on the floor, and in which size and colour.
