Manual Wheelchair Buying Guide
and Overview Information
If you are buying a wheelchair for the first time, you
are probably overwhelmed by the number of
wheelchairs and multitude of options that are
available to you. What seemed like a simple matter of
purchasing a wheelchair has turned into a myriad of
choices and second guessing that can leave even the
most experienced wheelchair buyers frustrated and
confused. Mobility4Less has created this Wheelchair
Buying Guide to help you understand what features
to look for on a wheelchair and how to fit it properly
to the user. It is our sincerest hope that we provide
you with a wheelchair that helps its user regain
freedom of mobility and will last for years to come.
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Covered in this Guide:
What Type of Wheelchair Do I
Need?
How do I know what Seat
Size to order?
Do I need to know the Back
Height?
What Armrests should I
choose, Full Length or Desk
Length?
What are Front Riggings?
Are all Handrims the same?
Getting Assistance
What Type of Wheelchair
do I Need?
There are several categories of Manual Wheelchairs available:
The first two questions to address in finding the right manual
wheelchair is, how much time will the user be spending in the
wheelchair and will they be propelling the wheelchair themselves?
If the user will be spending the greater portion of their day in the
wheelchair and propelling it by use of arms or legs, lighter is
always better. We would recommend a Lightweight-High Strength
wheelchair like the Invacare 9000SL or 9000XT models. These
types of chairs usually weigh less than 34 lbs and are designed to
take everyday abuse without breaking. Additionally, while like all
wheelchairs they are bulky when folded, they are much lighter than
standard wheelchairs and therefore easier to load into a car.
Another consideration in choosing the proper wheelchair is how the
user will be propelling it. Many wheelchair users propel the
wheelchair with their hands but there is a large contingent of
wheelchair users that also rely on the use of the legs to help walk the
wheelchair along. If the wheelchair user is going to use his legs to
propel the wheelchair forward, he must have a wheelchair that sits
low enough to the floor as to accommodate his feet resting flat on
the the ground. This Seat-to-Floor measurement is critical but easily
obtained. To measure for the proper Seat-to-Floor height, simply
measure the distance between the floor and the back of the thigh
while the intended user is sitting. Don’t forget that if a cushion is
going to be used, then the extra height of the cushion must be
included in height of the chair.
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MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
How much time
will the user be spending in the wheelchair and
will they be propelling the wheelchair themselves?
Standard Lightweight Lightweight-High Strength Ultra Lightweight Tilt-in-Space
For instance, if the user’s lower leg measurement is 19 inches, and
the wheelchair cushion compresses to 2 inches when sat upon,
then the proper Seat-to-Floor height of the wheelchair should be 17
inches to accommodate the extra 2 inches of the cushion.
Generally speaking, a half inch leeway is given if you can’t find
exactly the height you need. Any more than an inch of leeway,
however, will force the wheelchair user to sit unsafely on the edge
of the wheelchair or slouch in the wheelchair in an effort to reach
the ground.
Many wheelchairs offer a variety of Seat-to-Floor heights by
utilizing a variety of wheel /caster and axle positions. In wheelchair
lexicon, a caster is the front wheel and the wheel is the rear wheel.
Physics tells us that a larger wheel is easier to propel than a
smaller one and that a smaller caster will have more difficulty in
ground transitions such as doorway thresholds. So before you
choose a smaller wheel and caster size, make sure the person
using the wheelchair is strong enough to manage the smaller
wheel sizes.
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Seat-to-Floor height can be adjusted with wheel/caster
combinations and axle adjustments
How do I know what Seat
Size to Order?
Because people come in various sizes, wheelchairs must
also. Why does it matter that a wheelchair fit a person
appropriately? Just like clothing, a good fit makes for
comfortable use.
A wheelchair seat that is too wide for its user will leave
the user stretching his arms out in an unnatural position to
propel it. This will lead to quick fatigue and even injury if
the user is forced to propel any substantial length of time.
A seat that is too deep for a user will force him to slide
forward or “sacral sit” in the wheelchair so that the back
of the legs don’t hit the edge of the seat. This type of
sitting creates bad posture leading to sore backs and the
possibility of pressure ulcers forming on the buttocks.
So, it is important to consider the proper wheelchair seat
size before buying a wheelchair. To measure for the
appropriate seat size, ask the user to sit upright in a regular
chair or wheelchair. To obtain seat width measurement,
measure across the lap from the outside of one thigh to
the outside of the other. This will give you the appropriate
width of the user, but not the appropriate seat size. Add an
inch or two to the lap measurement so that the wheelchair
doesn’t pinch the user and to also accommodate for any
weight gain that may occur in the future.
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CONSIDER THIS:
On average, users sit in their wheelchairs for 10 hours per day
It is important that the seat be deep enough to support the entire
femur or upper leg. This allows the pressure created from sitting to
be supported across the entire seating area instead of solely on the
buttocks. To obtain the proper seat depth measurement, measure
from the back of the calf to the back of the buttocks. Once you
have this measurement, subtract two inches from it to get the
proper seat size. This will allow the back of the legs to move
without hitting the seat edge. For instance, if the wheelchair user’s
measurement is 18 inches, the appropriate seat depth is 16 inches.
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Do I need to know the
Back Height?
Not necessarily. There are many variables in determining
the best back height, but none are critical considerations
unless the user is aggressively propelling the wheelchair in
a manner in which his shoulder blades are being inhibited
by the presence of a back that is too high. For most users,
the back height should be tall enough to lend support
without interfering with wheelchair propulsion. This
measurement can be had by measuring the sitting user
from the seat surface to bottom of the shoulder blades. If
you are uncertain whether a back height is proper, many
models of chairs have adjustable back heights that can be
changed once the user begins using the wheelchair.
What Armrests should I choose,
Full Length or Desk Length?
Since most wheelchairs offer two different styles of armrest,
this is one of the easier decisions to make. Generally speaking,
the following guidelines should be followed in choosing the
armrests. If the user is able to transfer from the wheelchair
independently but is unsteady, then Full Length Armrests offer
the best support for making the transfer. By being positioned out
near the edge of the chair, Full Length armrests give the user
the ability to push off of them to assist in standing.
However, because Full Length Armrests are so far forward, they
will interfere with the wheelchair user’s ability to get close to
desks or tables. That is why many people choose to go with
Desk Length Armrests.
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In addition to Desk and Full Length Armrests, some wheelchairs
offer Adjustable Height Armrests too. These are valuable for
taller users whose elbows would not rest comfortably on the
armrests if the user is sitting properly upright in the chair or
when a thick cushion is used creating the same scenario for an
average height person. If the user is going to be in the
wheelchair for great lengths of time, it is important for comfort
and health that their arms rest comfortably on the armrest.
What are Front Riggings?
Front Riggings are wheelchair terminology for footrests.
Because most wheelchairs offer the ability to take the footrests
on and off, the mounting systems are referred to as riggings.
There are two different basic types of footrests. Swing Away
footrests and Elevating Legrests.
Swing Away footrests are the basic and most commonly used
footrests. These are positioned 70 degrees from the seating
surface and are sufficient for most users. Some are available with
plastic or aluminum footplates but beware, while aluminum
footplates add additional strength, they also add additional
weight. Heel loops are usually available on Swing Away
footrests and help keep the user’s feet from sliding off the back
of the footplate.
Elevating Legrests are just as the name suggests. The footrest
can be raised and lowered to accommodate the user’s needs.
They will have a calf pad on them to support the leg when the
legrest is in the elevated position. Elevating Legrests are used
when one or both legs of the user are unable to bend to 70
degrees. The Elevating Legrest can be set at a degree of elevation
that is comfortable for the wheelchair user. Additionally, Elevating
Legrests are used for persons that have extreme edema or
swelling in their lower legs. The common practice of elevating the
legs helps the fluids that are trapped in the lower leg circulate
better.
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MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
Can the user
transfer from the wheelchair independently?
Are all Handrims the Same?
Definitely not. Many wheelchairs manufacturers offer composite or
aluminum handrims. While composite handrims may be a tiny bit
lighter, they tend to get nicked up over time creating a rough and
sometimes jagged surface. Aluminum, however, is extremely
durable and comfortable to grip. Given a choice, we would always
recommend choosing aluminum handrims over composite.
Some wheelchairs offer plastic coated handrims that may or may
not have projections coming off of them. The plastic coated
handrims are slightly thicker and much easier to grip than
aluminum or composite. This type of handrim works especially
well for someone with severe arthritis in their hands or a lack of
grip strength. If the user’s hand is so damaged as to be unable to
grip at all, then plastic coated handrims with projections protruding
from the rim is a viable alternative to giving up the use of hand
propulsion entirely.
This wheelchair guide is meant to be just what the name implies, a
guide. If you should have further questions regarding your or a
loved one’s wheelchair, we encourage you to seek assistance from
a qualified therapist or wheelchair seating specialist. Make sure the
person with whom you speak is ATP certified by RESNA.
For questions regarding the purchase of a wheelchair, please
contact Mobility4Less at 1-800-898-9014 or online at
www.mobility4less.com.
MOBILITY4LESS.com | 1-800-898-9014
Weight, user’s ability to propel, comfort and durability are
important factors when considering handrims.
Still have a question? Call us, we can help
1-800-898-9014