Electric Wheel Chair

Looking for the right Electric Wheel Chair? Choosing the right wheelchair or motorized scooter can be tricky. There are a lot of options and features to choose from, and they can be expensive, to boot!

If you want to make sure your power chair is right for you, start with your health requirements. Some people simply need a little extra help getting around. Others have severe medical issues (such as cerebral palsy) which make getting the right electric wheelchair especially important since they’ll be in it all day!

At the end of this article, I will post a few places you can go to get more information on electric wheel chairs.

Important Factors To Consider When Choosing Your Electric Wheel Chair!

Body Position The Wheelchair Requires Or Allows – You may be most comfortable sitting up straight in your chair. However, some chairs offer different options. For example, you can have electric wheel chairs that lift you up to a nearly vertical position (while you are strapped in) to make it easier to talk to people who are standing. This is great for social events. You may also like a mobility scooter that lets you hop on-and-off relatively easily (due to not having barriers near your feet) or you may prefer the security of a chair that will strap you in.

Controls – How Is The Chair Operated? – This may seem like a simple question, as many wheelchairs are operated through the use of a simple joystick you maneuver with your hand. However, not everyone has good use of their hands. Quadriplegics have the option of using a joystick with their mouth. I also have someone at my church who uses a foot pedal to control his electric wheel chair because he doesn’t have good control of his hands.

Comfort/Size – Take a look at the padding and size of the wheelchair. This will determine how comfortable the chair is for you. Deep high-quality padding is generally the best. You may want a variety of cushions to help support you in the right position to avoid bed sores and back pain. If you are a plus-sized individual, you may find that a bariatric wheelchair is especially comfortable and a good investment.

Battery Life – Different electric wheel chairs have different options when it comes to good batteries. There is variety amongst wheelchair batteries… How long do they hold a charge? How much power do they provide? How long does it take to charge them up. The cost of the electric battery is a big part of the cost of an electric wheel chair. Make sure you get a good one that will meet your needs. Most are designed for daily use and nightly charging. However, if you anticipate using your electric wheel chair or scooter only occasionally, you may not need to put quite as much money here.

Ease Of Transport – Once you have your wheelchair, you’ll be able to get around, but can you transport your chair easily? If you travel in a wheelchair van or bus, you’ll probably be okay no matter what kind of electric wheelchair you get. However, if you want to take your wheelchair with you in the car (on a trailer or hitch) and in your home, you may be more constrained on space, so make sure your wheelchair will fit wherever you need to go!

Wheelchair Cost – Finally we get to the price of the wheelchair. Many people like to lead with price as a determining factor in which wheelchair they get. But, as you can see, it’s not easy to get a cheap wheelchair AND meet all of your other requirements. A cheap electric wheel chair that doesn’t work the way you need it to is a bad investment. Certainly it makes sense to get the best deal you can on your wheelchair, but don’t make the mistake of buying just a little too cheap, and then paying the price every day through dissatisfaction in your primary mode of transportation.

An electric wheel chair is too big an investment to get something you won’t be happy with!