Guidelines For Choosing a Wheelchair
What is it you want in a new wheelchair? Since everyone is different and has unique needs, you have a lot of decisions to make before you ever decide on the chair that's right for you.
Your doctor, therapist, and trained store personnel will all be willing to help you find the right fit, but ultimately the decision about what feels best and is most functional comes down to you.
Therefore, it will be necessary for you to make a trip to the local medical supply store to try on different models and see which one is going to be the most comfortable to ride in and the easiest for you to operate.
Even then, it can be difficult narrowing down the choices, because there are just so many to pick from.
If you are looking for a manual chair that you can propel by yourself, you'll want to choose a chair with larger wheels and self-propulsion features.
If you're buying a chair to use pushing Grandma around the mall when she comes to visit on Sunday afternoons, then an inexpensive, small-wheeled chair will probably do the trick.
You also need to think about where the mobility chair is going to be used.
Will it's use be to moving around inside the house, or will the user be covering rugged terrain, playing sports, or taking walks in the park? The answers will also point you in the right direction as to the type of chair you want to buy.
The weight of a wheelchair is often an issue.
There are many lightweight, folding models that weigh as little as 20-30 pounds.
Even if that sounds good, stop and consider who is going to be lifting the chair into and out of the trunk of the car, and who's going to be pushing the chair around carrying the weight of the user.
A large, strong person won't have a problem doing this, but if your caregiver is older or unable to lift heavy objects, then you might want to look into buying something that doesn't weigh quite as much.
One way to try out a wheel chair you're considering buying is to give it a push on a smooth surface.
This is a simple way to test the efficiency of the chair.
Folding chairs carrying the weight of the various joints aren't going to be nearly as efficient as rigid ones.
At the same time, heavy steel construction is going to be much heavier and not nearly as efficient as a chair made of aluminum.
For efficiency and speed, lightweight titanium framed-chairs are ideal.
Purchasing a mobility chair that has a lot of adjustable parts will help you adapt one chair to many aspects of your lifestyle.
For sports, you will want something fast and lightweight as well as portable, and you will probably want to select a chair with a titanium frame.
Many of these wheelchairs are designed using technology from mountain bikes.
They will give you the freedom and independence you're looking for to participate in life.
Your doctor, therapist, and trained store personnel will all be willing to help you find the right fit, but ultimately the decision about what feels best and is most functional comes down to you.
Therefore, it will be necessary for you to make a trip to the local medical supply store to try on different models and see which one is going to be the most comfortable to ride in and the easiest for you to operate.
Even then, it can be difficult narrowing down the choices, because there are just so many to pick from.
If you are looking for a manual chair that you can propel by yourself, you'll want to choose a chair with larger wheels and self-propulsion features.
If you're buying a chair to use pushing Grandma around the mall when she comes to visit on Sunday afternoons, then an inexpensive, small-wheeled chair will probably do the trick.
You also need to think about where the mobility chair is going to be used.
Will it's use be to moving around inside the house, or will the user be covering rugged terrain, playing sports, or taking walks in the park? The answers will also point you in the right direction as to the type of chair you want to buy.
The weight of a wheelchair is often an issue.
There are many lightweight, folding models that weigh as little as 20-30 pounds.
Even if that sounds good, stop and consider who is going to be lifting the chair into and out of the trunk of the car, and who's going to be pushing the chair around carrying the weight of the user.
A large, strong person won't have a problem doing this, but if your caregiver is older or unable to lift heavy objects, then you might want to look into buying something that doesn't weigh quite as much.
One way to try out a wheel chair you're considering buying is to give it a push on a smooth surface.
This is a simple way to test the efficiency of the chair.
Folding chairs carrying the weight of the various joints aren't going to be nearly as efficient as rigid ones.
At the same time, heavy steel construction is going to be much heavier and not nearly as efficient as a chair made of aluminum.
For efficiency and speed, lightweight titanium framed-chairs are ideal.
Purchasing a mobility chair that has a lot of adjustable parts will help you adapt one chair to many aspects of your lifestyle.
For sports, you will want something fast and lightweight as well as portable, and you will probably want to select a chair with a titanium frame.
Many of these wheelchairs are designed using technology from mountain bikes.
They will give you the freedom and independence you're looking for to participate in life.
