Selecting a wheelchair comes with many options, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. This resource will help you learn the differences between chairs, preferred features, and hopefully the option that is best for you. Manual wheelchairs are expected to last 3-5 years, when choosing consider the following questions:
- Is my disability expected to progress or remain stable?
- What are my goals for independence?
- How much do I care about the weight of the wheelchair?
When reading through the options it’s important to know that you can achieve the same outcome with different options. For example, if you have reduced core strength you can use any of the following supports to keep you upright in your wheelchair:
- Increase the seat angle (dump) placing your knees higher than your hips
- Choose a solid backrest with lateral supports
- Angle the backrest back a few degrees
- Use armrests
Wheelchair Finder Tool
Avoid hours of looking up manual wheelchairs! After reading this article take a look at the wheelchair finder tool. It is designed to show you what manual wheelchairs are currently on the market and their key features.
Rigid vs. Folding Frame
Wheelchairs have 2 typical options for collapsing when not in use.
Folding frame collapses the frame in half by bringing the wheels closer together. This style requires the seat cushion and backrest to be removed along with non-rigid footplate options. Folding wheelchairs are often designed to be less active (low performance) because of the added frame weight and additional moving pieces. There are a few folding wheelchairs on the market designed to be more active (high performance).
Rigid frame has a solid bar that keeps it from collapsing, most options allow the backrest to fold down. This option is always considered an active wheelchair as it is lighter weight with fewer moving pieces.
Transportation is the real question with frame types. When fitting a manual wheelchair into a car, you may need to collapse it. A folding wheelchair is great when other people are helping place your wheelchair into the back of any size car. A rigid wheelchair is easy for independent drivers are you can break it down and bring the pieces across your lap and into the passenger side seat.
When flying most wheelchairs, rigid and folding, have to go underneath the plane. If you plan to seat strap your wheelchair frame, rigid frames are typically required. Note: There are rigid wheelchairs on the market that can fit in the overhead bin on planes such as the RGK wheelchairs that fold at the casters.
Frame material: Aluminum, Titanium, or Carbon Fiber
Frame material choice mostly comes down to weight. The lighter the material the higher the cost. Aluminum has been used for years and is considered the heaviest of the lightweight materials. While there are questions about rust, aluminum is not expected to rust. Titanium is a newer material lightning the chair by a few pounds. Carbon Fiber is the newest of lightweight material and gives vibration dampening qualities to your ride.
Adjustable vs. Fixed Frame
Many lightweight wheelchairs are adjustable allowing you to change the center of gravity, back height, caster angle, backrest angle and dump. Adjustable chairs are ideal for your 1st wheelchair and if you are unsure of how your disability may progress. Fixed wheelchairs have almost no moving pieces with the only adjustability being the footrest height. These options only apply to rigid frames, folding frames are adjustable in nature.
Why Do I Care About "Moving Pieces"?
Wheelchairs with moving parts such as the folding mechanism or adjustability take more energy to push. Over time moving parts can cause additional noise when rolling such as rattling or clicking. High performance adjustable rigid wheelchairs are most common for daily use as they balance the need for small adjustments and efficient rolling.
Backrest Type & Height
Backrests can be solid or fabric and set to different heights. Fabric backrests are standard with every wheelchair and offer minimal support at a low cost. Solid backrests are an additional charge and can be various heights. Low solid backrests give more range of motion while high solid backrests give core support. On solid backrests you can add contour, giving lateral support to varying degrees. Additionally, if you need a head rest, solid backrests give a solid attachment point.
The hardware used to hold solid backrests to your wheelchair can be fixed or adjustable. All allowing for angle adjustability (to varying degrees). If you need to remove the backrest for folding purposes, adjustable hardware is needed for easy removal.
Seat & Cushion
The seat dimensions (width & length) is a set measurement in wheelchairs that can’t be adjusted. Some companies have programs or add-ons allowing seat measurement changes for an extra charge. Since the measurement is permanent, the seat cushion dimensions should be measured to precisely fit. The frame seat can either be a sling seat (material) or solid (often carbon fiber). Sling seats are standard with every wheelchair and lightweight. Solid seats add weight and give support under the cushion.
With a solid seat you can avoid getting the cushion wet when transferring out of the shower or a pool, by sitting directly on the solid seat. There are a lot of cushion options with varying material to suit each person differently.
Brakes
Brakes are useful on wheelchairs to ensure safe transfers, stop on non-flat surfaces, and avoid any general “rolling away”. Push-to-lock brakes are standard on most wheelchair giving you a lever to set the brakes. These can also be changed to a Pull-to-lock setting. These brakes require minimal hand dexterity. Scissor locks take a bit of hand strength to use with the benefit of the locks being out of the way (avoiding jamming your thumb when pushing). D’s locks are a hydraulic locking mechanism that can be set with the push of a button. A piston is placed into the wheel, locking the chair in place. These brakes require specific wheels and are only provided by Hands On Concepts.
Armrests
Armrests can be useful for additional support but can limit range of motion. Arm rests are typically removable, some having a swing away mechanism while other may be attached to the side guards. Arm rests can be height adjustable depending on their attachment mechanism. If you are being pushed by others, arm rest can give you a comfortable resting position. If you plan to self-propel, arm rests can get in the way and add a little more weight.
Footrests
Footrests are found on both folding and rigid wheelchairs. On folding wheelchairs, the foot rest needs to have a flip up option, this can either be 1 footrest across or 2 separate. On rigid wheelchairs the footrest is solid and can be various sizes. Footrests can have angle adjustability which is helpful ensure a greater custom fit. There are flip-up footplates if you are ambulatory and want the ability to foot propel or stand up.
Side Guards
Side guards (also called clothing guards) sit on the side your chair creating a barrier between you and the wheels. Side guards can help keep your hips in position and keep your clothes from getting caught in the wheels. Having side guards can keep your chair narrower as the wheels can be closer to the frame. Side guards can be removable or fixed. An issue with removable side guards is that they can push out on to the wheels, Motion Composites offers side guard clips that prevent them from pushing out while keeping their removability.
Why Remove Side Guards?
To fold down the backrest on a rigid wheelchair or when transferring.
Anti-Tippers
Anti-tippers are used to avoid falling backwards in your wheelchair. They are a good safety measure. As you progress in your wheelchair skills, you may find the anti-tippers limit your ability to do wheelies and get over obstacles. Anti-tippers are removable add-ons to wheelchairs (both folding and rigid). There are flip-up/flip-away options, which can help you have the protection when wanted. Anti-tippers do add extra weight to the chair.
Transit Tie Downs
Tie downs are metal loops that allow for easy attachment to safety hooks on busses, taxis, and trains. The tie downs are optional as safety hooks can be placed directly on your wheelchair frame. The added weight of the tie downs is something to consider when ordering your chair.
Wheels & Push Rims
Casters are the 2 small front wheels on a wheelchair. These wheels can be various sizes, with smaller sizes (3-4 inches) being more efficient for rolling and larger sizes (5+ inches) being easy to handle rough terrain.
Wheelchair wheels typically known as the large back wheels are used to propel your wheelchair. There are various brands and types all with their own features. When looking at wheelchair wheels look at the weight of the wheel and their weight capacity to ensure they are going to meet your needs.
Attached to the wheels are push rims which allow you to push your wheels while keeping your hands clean. There are various shapes and material on the market for push rims. The choice of shape allows for greater ergonomics and comfort of your hands when pushing. The choice in material gives different texture for greater grip or a smoother roll.
