What to look for in a powered wheelchair.

What would you look for in a powered wheelchair?

The frame is the obvious place to start, a rigid frame will be much the stronger option, but it will be difficult to transport. On the other hand a folding frame on your powered wheelchair, will be easier to transport, but the battery pack will often require to be removed before folding the powered wheelchair for transportation.

Next the seat, the shape and size of the seat will be different for each of us. The standard seat on a powered wheelchair is usually a slung seat, these will usually not, on it's own, give enough support or comfort. A padded seat from the accessories will be of great help here, though specialist assessment can also be requested.

Your powered wheelchair will probably come with a folding backrest, these make transport a lot easier, BUT as with the seat do not add much to comfort.

Smaller wheels on your powered wheelchair are good for manoeuvrability, especially in smaller limited spaces, but when it comes to uneven ground, larger wheels are far better.

Dependant on the model of your powered wheelchair, the front wheels may be smaller then the rear, some models have larger front wheels, these are good for negotiating kerbs or uneven ground. Other powered wheelchairs will have all four wheels the same size.

Rear wheel drive gives better grip then a front wheel drive powered wheelchair, but is not as manoeuvrable, some newer models may have 6 wheels with the drive wheels in the middle, this allows for a smaller turning circle.

All powered wheelchairs can have their motors overridden to allow the powered wheelchair to be operated as a manual wheelchair.

The tyres on your powered wheelchair will usually be pneumatic, these will give the most comfortable ride, but will require the maintenance that is required for any other pneumatic tyre, puncture repair is very similar to that on a bicycle.
Solid tyres on the other hand, don't need inflating and don't puncure, they are also good for manouverability on some surfaces.
A good compromise is puncture proof tyres on your powered wheelchair, these will absorb someof the shocks and bumps, but will not puncture.

Controls for your powered wheelchair will usually be via a joystick, these will be interchangeable for right or left hand use, not only this but there are many other types of control switch available, these may operated by other body parts (chin, head, foot etc.) Also touch sensitive switches are available so you can manouvre your powered wheelchair by a sensitive "suck/ blow" control unit.

Braking with your powered wheelchair will usually happen automatically, but some models may have a hand brake which will double as a parking brake.

Back to comfort features for your powered wheelchair, armrests can vary greatly dependant on needs,
Full length armrests will provide good support especially when standing up, but as they run the full length of your powered wheelchair, they will obstruct when approaching things like tables, on the other side they may have a detachable tray which may be fitted as required.
Desk style armrests let you access work surfaces, but will not provide much support if you require help when standing up.
A compromise is in adjustable height armrests, these give maximum comfort and support as required.
Detachable armrests are useful for transporting your powered wheelchair as they will reduce the weight and size, they also help for sideways transferral to and from your powered wheelchair. The down side is that they could be lost or misplaced.

Last but not least, your powered wheelchair will obviously have footrests, these may be detachable, ideal for transporting or storing your powered wheelchair, swing-away footrests are another good way of easing your transfer to and from your powered wheelchair.
A one-piece footrest will offer more support, but will limit transfers to and from your powered wheelchair.

Dependant on requirements, a scooter might be worthy of looking at.

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