Here’s How To Choose The Best Wheelchair

There's a huge variety of manual and electronic wheelchairs out in the market and online medical stores. This makes it quite difficult for you as a layman to choose the right wheelchair that will suit your particular needs. However, when buying a wheelchair, there are a few guidelines that can be helpful to pick the right one.

All wheelchairs include a seat, arm and foot rests and a back support. The size of each part of a wheelchair varies from one model to another. Therefore, it is very critical to find the perfect size for seat and back support in order to get a comfortable medical equipment. There are also some wheelchair types where the option to eliminate the foot or arm rest may provide closer seating to a desk. In addition, there is a significant difference in the size of wheels which is precisely according to the kind of wheelchair you choose from manual and electric types of the transport.

Recommended Wheelchairs

Drive Medical Cruiser III Light Weight Wheelchair with Various Flip Back Arm Styles and Front Rigging Options, Black, 20" 

Drive Medical Blue Streak Wheelchair with Flip Back Desk Arms, Swing Away Footrests, 18" Seat

Drive Medical Lightweight Steel Transport Wheelchair, Fixed Full Arms, 19" Seat

Generally, there are two categories of manual wheelchairs- standard and transport. The best part of such chairs is that these are light in weight and allow users to easily handle push and transport them. Usually, standard manual chairs have some large rear wheels placed on their front, and come with smaller caster wheels. A standard wheelchair typically makes a perfect option for those who are looking to propel themselves. Moreover, a manual chair allows users to fold and bring it anywhere. The cost of a manual wheelchair is another feature that lures a lot of people toward it as they are significantly less costly than electric ones. However, this type of wheelchairs does not serve individuals who need another person to push their limbs to move.

Another type in wheelchair is the transport chair which is perfect to help a person move within a home, for instance, from bed to a dining room.  Many people also use transport chairs for short trips or to work with a person who can easily stand on his feet. Such type of chairs, however, is not suitable for those who are looking to propel themselves.

In addition, it is critical to make sure whether the wheelchair is meant for bariatric use when looking for a product for an obese individual. Generally, wheelchair that is prepared for bariatric use has the ability to support a person with 300 pounds to 800 pounds. Also known as heavy duty chairs or extra wide chair, this kind of wheelchair are particularly designed for overweight people with a focus on the utilization of necessary materials for safe and comfortable transport.    

Some More Recommended Wheelchairs:

Medline Transport Wheelchair with Brakes, Red

Drive Medical Silver Sport 1 Wheelchair with Full Arms and Swing away Removable Footrest

Before you can purchase a wheelchair, it is vital to know about its features in order to make sure whether it meets your particular requirements. Usually, online wheelchair reviews make it easier to compare two different products for their features, type and price. Other aspects that you must keep in mind while choosing this medical equipment include the age and weight of the disabled person and the type of disability the person is suffering from. You also need to specify where you want to use this chair, such as indoor or outdoor. Furthermore, you can buy a wheelchair according to your personal likes in color, styles and other features.