When trying to find the right wheelchair for you or someone else you need to know a couple of things to help you make the best decision when ordering a wheelchair.
When looking for a wheelchair the first question we ask is how long do you need it? If it’s temporary we offer short term wheelchair rentals and this might be the best route to take. If you think this is something you will need for a couple of months or longer then you need to know the following details below.
Transport Wheelchair Size
Wheelchairs are measured by the width and depth of the seat. This is very important because if you are tight on space you need to know that on most wheelchairs you will add 8.5 inches for the wheels. This will give you the actually width of the wheelchair and help you make sure it can go through the door frames at your home. An example would be if you got an 18 inch wheelchair you would add 8.5 inches to the width which would give you 26.5 total inches. Most all the wheelchairs have a depth of 16 inches. We do have some models that have an 18 inch depth option. Your larger baratric wheelchairs or Heavy Duty as they are sometimes called are 22,24 inch typically come with a 20 inch depth.
Transport Wheelchair Weight Capacity
The weight capacity on most standard size wheelchairs (16,18) are 250 lbs. You can find some versions that have a 300 lb capacity but most of the time an individual that weighs over 250 lbs can’t fit into a 18 inch wheelchair. You can get options that go up to 400 and even 500 lbs if needed.
Transport Wheelchair Weight
Most people don’t pay attention to the weight of the chair but it is very important to do this. Just because the Wheelchair says lightweight doesn’t me it’s light to you. Your average lightweight wheelchair weighs around 32 -36 lbs. Standard Wheelchairs are close to 42-44 lbs and Baratric Wheelchairs can weight between 55-85 lbs. Your lightest wheelchair is your transport chair. They weigh anywhere from 14-19lbs.
Transport Wheelchair Leg Rests
Swing away leg rest are the standard on wheelchairs. If you need something to raise your leg you would need to order an elevating leg rest.