We always start with a simple question. What kind of wheelchair do I need?
Here at DME review, I will try to take the guesswork out of purchasing medical equipment. I want to make sure that you get the equipment that will work best for your situation. To do that you need to make the most informed decision based on the options you have. When you buy a wheelchair, you do have a couple choices to make when it comes to size and comfort of the chair. Lets dive in and take a look at the most common choices when it comes to size and comfort of the chair. Lets dive in and take a look at the most common choices when it comes to buying a wheelchair.
Nearly all basic, out of the box wheelchairs will come with foot rests. Those are the plates that flip down so the user can rest their feet while in the chair. There are two types that you can usually order for your wheelchair. Foot rests and elevating leg rests. The difference is a foot rest is just a flip down plate to put a foot onto. They have some way of adjusting the height of the plate but that is all. If you decide this is all you would need, I would definitely pick one with a tool free adjustment. Foot rests that require a tool can be a pain, and while you will probably only have to adjust it once, the tool free version is much easier to do so. The elevating leg rest option would be our suggestion for what you should get for your wheelchair. The elevating leg rest has the foot plate similar to the other option, but it also comes with a calf pad and adjustable angle of the leg rest. This is for people recovering from a broken leg or ankle and theyneed it elevated or they are unable to bend their leg. But even if you do not need to adjust the angle of the leg rest, the calf pad makes it more than worth it. It adds a comfort that the standard foot rests dont. If you are in the chair for a long time, it can add support that you will miss with the standard foot rest. My recommendation: Elevating leg rests.
To choose the correct size, you will need to know how wheelchair sizes are available. Most average adults will fit nicely in an 18″ wide seat. Manufacturers build non custom wheelchairs by 16 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch, 22 inch, and 24 inch wide seats. They are all usually 16 inches deep unless specified. The 22 inch and 24 inch wheelchairs are for heavier people and will have a higher weight capacity to go along with the size increase. Another thing to consider is the width of the doorways you will be going through regularly. If you take the seat size and add about 8 inches, you will know the total width of the wheelchair. So a standard 18 inch wheelchair will be about 26 inches total. While the size of the person is the most important thing to consider, this aspect is often overlooked when purchasing a wheelchair. Just a heads up. My recommendation: It depends on the persons size.
For standard wheelchairs, they will come with armrests. You have your choice of desk length or full length arms. Full length armrests run from the front to the back of the wheelchair along each side. It has a pad you rest your arm on and make the chair more comfortable. These are often flip up or removable arms to make getting into the chair easier. Desk length armrests are similar but only go about half way along the side of the chair. This allows the chair to be rolled right up to a desk or table so the person sitting can use it comfortably. Desk length armrests are more common and unless the user needs support for their entire arm, the better way to go. My recommendation: Desk length armrests.
This is the big one. What style of wheelchair should you start with. The transport chair or the wheelchair. This one is pretty easy though. If the person sitting in the chair will be propelling themselves, then you need to standard wheelchair. It has larger rear wheels with push handles which gives the user the ability to move around in the wheelchair. The transport chair is what it sounds like. It is used for transporting someone who would not push themselves around. The user would sit and be pushed by someone else to their destination. It is great for being folded and put into a car. Without the large push wheels it is much lighter than a standard wheelchair. Both can be folded up for transport, but the standard wheelchair is a bit heavier. My recommendation: Depends on the situation.
