Manual Wheelchairs

Types of Manual Wheelchairs

There are two main types of manual wheelchairs available:

• Standard Wheelchairs
• Transportable Wheelchairs

Standard wheel chairs are more commonly propelled by the user, but also have handles which allow the chair to be pushed by a companion. They usually have a large wheel on the back and a small wheel on the front.

The transportable wheelchair usually have small wheels at both the front and back and cannot be propelled by the user. Foldable wheelchairs are also available, which can be easy transported by car.

How to Choose the Right One?

Below is a simple guide to help you choose the most suitable wheelchair for your needs.

Wheelchair weight

The lighter the wheelchair is the easier it will be to push by both the user and any companion. It will also make it easier to put in the car if required. Within budget try to purchase the lightest wheelchair possible.

Users weight

Before buying check the maximum weight capacity of the wheelchair as this may be an issue. Heavy duty wheel chairs are available if required.

The Seat

The seat can come in various sizes so it is important that the seat suits the user. The width of the chair should adequately cover your measurements from hip to hip plus extra width should you be wearing bulky clothes etc. The depth of the chair should cover the distance from your back to behind the knee.

The seat height should also be considered as to high will result in the users’ feet no resting comfortably on the footrest and to low will result in the users’ feet dragging on the ground. The seat height can be measures from behind the knee to the heel, also consider the height of the seat cushion.

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