Gardening is hard work at any age. But as we get older, we need to take even more care of our backs and knees if we want to enjoy the hobby without pain.
That means finding the right gardening stool and while these items aren’t very expensive, they are certainly more complicated than you might first think.
So, we went out to test gardening stools to find out which would be the best for senior gardeners and this is what we learned.
What To Look For When Buying Gardening Stools For Seniors
Gardening is a superb hobby for seniors suffering from arthritis, it can be great for folks with dementia too and it’s ideal for any senior looking for a relaxing pastime.
But it is important to think carefully before you buy a garden stool. There are an incredible number of options when it comes to garden stools (try typing in “garden stool” on Amazon and see for yourself) and it’s important to consider the following when you invest in a gardening seat.
- Seat height. The best garden seat is going to have an adjustable height because you want it to make gardening easier. A gardener’s seat is meant to stop you from getting knee pain or a sore back by stopping you from kneeling or bending at the waist. This is best done when you can change the height at a whim and it needs a solid locking mechanism to keep it in place.
- Seat Clearance – a gardening stool can become a more versatile addition to your gardening tools when it can also be used as a kneeling pad. But you need to ensure the minimum seat clearance from the ground allows for this.
- Durability and longevity – nobody wants to put a gardening chair or gardening stool and then watch it snap in two pieces the first time that they use it. The materials that gardening seats are made out of matter. Durable products won’t need replacing and will save you money in the long run. One key factor in this is the weight capacity of the stool. the best gardening stool has a weight capacity significantly higher than your body weight.
- Foam cushion/padding – one of our main gripes with gardening chairs is that they often have insufficient padding. Why they’d skimp on the foam, we don’t know. What we do know is that a gardening stool is meant to be comfortable.
- Portability – wheeled garden seats are often the best choice because it means you can move the garden chair around easily and without much effort. Whatever kind of stool you choose it must be a portable stool.
Our Favorite Garden Stools
We’ve tested a huge number of stools to arrive at a list of our favorites that we believe satisfy the criteria above for most people and which ensure that you can garden in comfort.
TomCare Garden Kneeler
We like this garden stool for a lot of reasons. Firstly, it’s big. It’s more like a chair and that means you can also use it as a workbench (we’ve never seen that idea in a list of gardening tips but it ought to make those lists) if you need to.
There’s plenty of storage space for other garden supplies too and all the tools that we use, fit in that storage compartment too.
It has a solid 1-year warranty and with a weight limit of over 300 lbs. we think it’s going to last pretty well for the majority of gardeners.
However, some users have reported that they found it easy to get this stool to slide around like a garden cart (and it doesn’t have wheels) and they recommend putting a grip on the corners before you take it out in the fresh air. We think that’s a great idea and it’s what we did before we tested the product.
Check Price here.
Simplay3 Handy Home 3-Level Heavy Duty Work/Garden Seat
We like the simplicity of this seat as well as its price tag which is very reasonable.
You can adjust it to three different heights which are very handy, however, we found that it doesn’t always sit well on uneven ground and you should check it for stability before you sit down.
It’s made of very heavy plastic that we’re pretty sure can take huge amounts of abuse. As a senior gardener, however, our tester didn’t really inflict that much trauma on this seat.
It has easy storage for gardening supplies and even our pruning shears fit comfortably in this storage bin.
The big downside to this product is that it cannot be used for kneeling. So, you will need to invest in a separate kneeling pad.
Check Price here.
Suncast Outdoor Rolling Garden Scooter
If your personal preference for a stool is easy transport, then you can’t go wrong with this Suncast model.
It has four wheels which makes moving it around the garden much easier than with many stools.
It’s a nice feature but it does mean a more compact design and this has one of the smallest sitting surfaces of any stool that we tried.
Some people are going to find they need larger gardening stools as they are going to struggle to get comfy on this.
But if you find it a comfortable seat? Then it’s a really solid product.
Check Price here.
Ohuhu Foldable Garden Stool
This Ohuhu garden kneeler and seat combination is a great product and we found it among the most comfortable of the gardening stools that we tested.
To change from seat to kneeler, you just flip it over (removing any garden tools you have stored on it first) and it functions very well.
We were impressed by the 330 lbs. weight limit and found it was super light when you fold it away for storage too.
However, we would note that other reviewers have found this product to fade in direct sunlight, so you may want to store it in a shady area.
Check Price here.
Gardener’s Supply Company Extra Wide-Seat Folding Garden Kneeler
This combination kneeler and stool have a decent seating area which is over 30% larger than a standard seat.
However, it can only support 250 lbs. of weight, which seems a bit self-defeating when it comes to supporting the larger gardener.
And it’s missing a tool pouch which, while not a deal killer, is something all of our other top picks include.
Check Price here.
Final Thoughts
You have plenty of options when it comes to finding a gardening stool as a senior and these are the best of the bunch.
Gardening is so much more fun when you’re comfortable and able to work easily for all the time that you want.