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How to choose a Wheelchair, Mobility Scooter or Riser Recliner
Wheelchairs generally come in two types, these are self propel and transit.
Self Propelled wheelchairs as the name might suggest are designed for those who are capable of propelling themselves around. They come with two large 24" rear wheels and with handrims for the user to control the wheelchair with.
Transit wheelchairs are identical in every other way to a self propel wheelchair except that they have small rear wheels and are designed for an attendant to push the wheelchair user around. These wheels will generally be 12" in diameter.
Wheelchair features to consider:
Wheelchair tyres
Wheelchair tyres can either be pneumatic (air-filled) or solid (puncture-proof). Pneumatic tyres are the norm for wheelchairs and this is because they are good at absorbing the impact from the ground due to the air in the tyres. Solid tyres are almost the opposite they are filled in completely and do not shield from the impact of the ground. However the big advantage of solid tyres is that unlike pneumatics they do not puncture and are maintenance free. This is a massive plus especially if the user plans to take the wheelchair abroad or to a remote location where repair facilities may not be available.
Portable Mobility Scooters
Mobility Scooters generally come in three types. Firstly you have what is known as portable, or transportable mobility scooters. These are mainly designed to be easily taken apart and also to be made as light as possible. The idea behind these mobility scooters is that the user (or carer) would take the scooter into the car for a day out for example.
Portable Mobility Scooters generally break up into four/five easy parts. They also have solid tyres which are puncture proof. Many of them also have detachable battery packs which the user is then able to take inside the house or other location for charging. Portable mobility scooters' range varies, the smallest will go between 3-4 miles, the largest of them will go 8-12 miles. These factors can vary depending on the weight of the user, the terrain the scooter crosses and the age of the batteries. Good examples of a classic portable mobility scooters are the Pride Elite Traveller Mobility Scooter and the Sunrise Medical Little Gem Mobility Scooter.
Mid Size Mobility Scooters
Mid Size Mobility Scooters are the next size up in this range. They typically are larger in size but do not break up easily and are not designed to be portable. They offer greater comfort, suspension, a greater range of features and have a much expanded range. Mid Size Mobility Scooters are generally stored in a garage, outhouse, or even outside provided they are covered with a waterproofing material. They will typically have a range of between 15-25 miles again depending on various factors.
Large Class 3 Mobility Scooters
These scooters are classed as the road going scooters. Scooters which have a maximium speed of either 6mph or 8mph are classed as the Class 3 Mobility Scooters. These scooters will typically have a range of 25 miles - 40 miles depending on the model and are designed to be used all day. Many of these scooters are also heavy duty meaning that they can support users of large weight limits (in some cases upto 25 stone and beyond).
Riser Recliners
A Riser Recliner is defined as a recliner chair that also has a lifting function to aid the user to get up out of the chair. This is done by the way of motor that is fitted to the chair frame allowing it to rise up and tilt the chair to an angle which is the easiest for the user to vacate the chair. Riser Recliners like other normal chairs come in different sizes. They also come in different types, single motor and dual motor versions. The main difference between single and dual motor versions is that the backrest and the legrest move on the same axis, ie when you press the button to move the legrest up, the backrest will also recline.
On a dual motor riser recliner although there is a slight sync movement, generally there is almost full indepence of the backrest and footrest. This generally allows a much greater range of positions available and is undoubtedly the most popular version.
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