Bathroom Grab Rails
Bathroom grab rails turn a slippery, high-risk space into somewhere the user can move with confidence. Fitted at the right height beside a shower, WC or bath, a rail gives an elderly or mobility-impaired user something solid to hold while standing up, sitting down or moving between surfaces. For most households, it is the cheapest adaptation that makes a real difference.
Every Impey rail is built for real-world load and finished for a wet environment. The range covers fixed, hinged, drop-down and angled options, so it suits a single shower fixing point or a full room adaptation.
Choosing the right bathroom grab rail
It comes down to three things. Where the user needs support, how much support that is, and whether the wall behind the fixing can carry the load.
Fixed straight rails are the most widely specified. Mounted level or at an angle, they give a continuous grip point beside a shower, WC or bath.
Hinged rails suit spots where the rail needs to move out of the way, usually beside a WC where a carer needs access from either side.
Drop-down rails do the same job but stow flat against the wall, which keeps a small bathroom feeling open.
Angled and curved rails work best at step-in and step-out points. They follow the natural line of the hand as the user moves in and out of the shower area, so grip stays continuous through the transition.Wall-to-floor rails are the answer where a wall fixing alone will not carry the load.
Designed with the people who use them
The Maxi-Grip range was developed with input from the RNIB. The square profile improves slip resistance and stands out clearly against tiling, which matters for anyone with reduced vision. Maxi-Grip Plus adds soft co-polymer corners for a more comfortable grip, useful for users with weak or arthritic hands.
Impey has worked alongside occupational therapists, local authorities and housing associations for over 25 years, with more than 600,000 installations across the UK. That experience shapes the range, from rail profiles through to how they fix.
What to check before you fit
A grab rail is only as strong as the wall behind it. Maxi-Grip Plus supports up to 150kg, and load figures for every rail are listed on the datasheets. On a stud wall, the fixing has to land on a noggin or a reinforced pattress, never plasterboard alone.
In a wetroom, set rail positions before the tanking goes on. Adding a fixing point later means opening up work you have just finished.
Height is best decided around the user rather than a standard figure. Approved Document M and BS 8300 give recommended positions, and these are what most local authority adaptation teams work from. On a grant-funded job, an occupational therapist will normally specify the rail type and position as part of the assessment.