Installing these arms was simple. They connected to our toilet as if they were part of a toilet seat and lid. The ability to push the arms our of the way keeps the bathroom easily accessible to able-bodied individuals while providing a simple method of putting them in place for less able-bodied people.The color of the wood is nice and matched our other pine items.The arms feel sturdy enough to bear the weight of everyone that used it (up to 250lbs in our testing). The position will work well for most, though taller individuals may not get to their feel fully and that should be considered, especially as the way for a tall person to stand up using these is to lean forward which can lead to imbalance and a fall. Not a flaw, as such, just a point to be aware of if you have 6 foot or above family members who might use this.

I am reviewing: FSA/HSA Eligible Toilet Safety Rails for Seniors, Heavy Duty Foldable Toilet Support for Seniors, Elderly Toilet Seat Rails with Arms, Toilet Bars for Elderly and Disabled Up to 520LBS (Wood Color)This is a very heavy and durable piece. The base plate is solid metal. The white coating is mostly consistent and smooth, with a couple of little burrs. The wood pieces are varnished with a smooth and durable substance leaving a beautiful and upscale shine.Installation was not exactly straightforward. The instructions were not in order and did not mention the use of a toilet seat and how to integrate it with this device. The bolts are extra long, and come with an integrated nut-type device that must be seated into the top of the hole prior to placing the base, and without the bolts. The armrests are marked left and right, but don't say which way you're facing when determining which is which. The bolts drop in from the top with the bolt side to the middle, leaving the arm rests hanging out to the sides. Each has three little bolts that screw in with the included allen wrench. They have nice little white silicone covers. However, due to the placement of the bolts, only two have sufficient space to drop over the bolt easily. I was able to get one side finished by pushing the silicone into the space with a flathead screwdriver. I was unable to do the same on the other side. I'm considering cutting the silicone, but I'm sure these will be lost very soon.The sticker on the mounting plate advises using the included hardware, but I had to use a combination because the washers did not work for my toilet seat. Everything else worked well. There are soft gaskets between the metal base and the porcelain toilet. My toilet seat has gaskets to place between the hinges and the base plate so there is no metal on metal. The integrated piece worked perfectly with the included long bolts and I got the seat and plate bolted on securely with no wobble.The hand rails however, do have a slight amount of play. They push up only a short distance, not anything like the illustrations in the listing. Depending upon where your toilet flush handle is, the armrests might cause issues. But since they don't go back far enough to touch the handle or toilet tank, I have no problem.Overall, I am very happy with these rails. They are a solid improvement, making life a little more easy for my elderly loved one, and for myself with my back issues as well. They are beautiful, good quality and should last a long time. They are less intrusive and take up less space than any of the other types I've used, and that has been several. My biggest problem is that when someone (ahem) misses the toilet, there are cracks and crevices that are going to harbor filth. I'm thinking I might put some calk along the edges of the base plate to keep liquid from seeping underneath.

I installed these for my mother. They look nice and are not as obtrusive as some other alternatives available for retrofitting an existing toilet. She said they work well and make it easier for her to stay balanced. I like that when they are not needed, the bars flip up so as to be somewhat out of the way for others using the bathroom. When I began the install I was confused because the order of the instruction sheets that were stapled together did not flow intuitively. Once I figured out that I needed to begin on the back page, it started to go more smoothly. It was unclear though when it came to affixing the assembled unit to the toilet because there was no mention of the toilet seat and the pictures weren't detailed or labeled. I was able to figure out that based upon the toilet seat we had that it made sense after placing the plastic "molly style" pieces into the slots in the porcelain, the bracket with the bars should come next, followed by a small round washer over each hole, then the toilet seat, followed by the smaller oblong washer over each hole. Then the long screws would pass through the oblong washer, toilet seat, round washer, bracket, and screw into the mollies set into the toilet until snug. When attaching the bars to the bracket, the positioning of the outer holes at the base of the bars was too close to the pivot enclosure to permit the small white rubber screw covers to be used. However, this doesn't effect the function at all. There was a minor imperfection in the paint on the metal bracket on the left side, but again, not a big deal. I have attached pictures relating to my comments for clarity and to show the difference in the appropriate oval washer choice based upon our toilet seat. These grab bars are effective and aesthetically pleasing as far as bathroom safety structures go. I would recommend this product for anyone with mobility or balance issues (or whose legs might go numb after an extended sit on the pot from time to time).