Over 6.8 million Americans use mobility support devices to help them with daily life.
Electric wheelchairs provide improved independence and mobility, allowing people to participate in activities they would not be able to do otherwise. Electric wheelchairs can immediately improve your physical and mental health. You can enjoy everyday activities with increased mobility, independence, and confidence.
We are going to talk about the things you need to consider when buying fodling electric wheelchairs in this article. For other types of wheelchairs, you can read Let's Find The Right Electric Wheelchair.
The right wheelchair will keep you comfortable in every situation. Here are some important things to know before you purchase.
Who should use a folding electric wheelchair?
Electric wheelchairs are designed for 3 kinds of people: 1) People with mobility issues, 2) People with disabilities, 3) People with temporary injury. Those kinds of people will need electric wheelchairs to solve certain mobility problems they will encounter in daily life.
People with these issues still have the need to go outside to feel the warm sunshine, breath the fresh air in the park or visit some friends and families in another city. But in most cases, the fact is that some electric wheelchairs are heavy and not portable. Sometimes you even need to add wheelchair lifts or ramps to your vehicles, which is very costly.
The folding electric wheelchairs are designed to solve these problems. The light and compact folding features make it very convenient for people to transfer wheelchairs to their car trunks or even airplanes. In one way, it aims to help people improve their mobility, in another way, it's designed to be as portable as possible so that people who suffer from mobility issues can still go outside like they used to do.
Folding Time, Lightweight & Compact Size
One of the biggest advantages of folding electric wheelchairs is portability, making it possible for people to handle wheelchair transport independently. For most people who use wheelchairs as support, they will have a feeling of being a burden to families as they cannot independently handle the transport. Lightweight folding wheelchair is the solution.
The feature of portability is determined by folding time, lightweight and compact size.
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Folding time: The majority of folding electric wheelchairs can be folded or unfolded within 10 seconds. The less time you spend on folding, the more portable they will be. There are some power wheelchairs on the market that are not foldable but can be disassembled into several pieces. It will require a lot more time than the folding ones. The best folding electric wheelchair can be folded and unfolded in one step
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Lightweight: The weight of folding electric wheelchairs varies from 30 pounds to 60 pounds. Generally, the lighter the wheelchair is, the more portable it will be. But you have to consider the stability and quality of it. Some of them are lighter because less material is used, which will affect the quality.
- Check the following product, it's 30 pounds in weight, but looks unreliable and seems to be broken in a few months.
- Some of them are lighter because they have used new materials like carbon fiber, which makes the wheelchair lighter but also stronger than the aluminum alloy wheelchair.
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Compact Size: The full size electric wheelchairs are normally very big and heavy. It also requires a van equipped with wheelchair carrier or ramp to transport the wheelchair, which is very inconvenient and expensive.
The folding electric wheelchairs are designed to be transported in most vehicles. They're very compact when folded, suitable for almost every car trunks. You do not need to buy another SUV or van to accommodate the wheelchair.
Living Conditions & Turning Radius
As a wheelchair user, you will inevitably use it indoors for a long time. To make sure that you can maneuver through doorways and rooms, measure the doorways in your home (be sure to account for hinged doors which can reduce the doorway opening by 2"). The doorway opening should be large enough for the electric wheelchair as well as the armrests and joystick if it protrudes beyond the base of the chair. The standard common door width for US homes is 36 inches, which means you need to choose an electric wheelchair that is less than 34 inches in width.
Spacing in bathrooms is typically tight and must be considered—can the electric wheelchair maneuver around the toilet and sink? You need to check on the specifications of the wheelchair about its turning radius. Make sure the turning radius of the wheelchair is small enough for you to use it in tight but must space in your daily life.
For outdoor uses, electric wheelchairs can drive on several different terrains, such as grass, light gravel, cobblestones, etc,. But the terrain will affect the travel range of the chair. Try to avoid complex terrains as much as possible.
Travel Range & Battery
If you don't want to be stuck somewhere outside, the travel range is a very important feature to consider. The travel range varies from 10 miles to 20 miles, depending on the battery type and capacity. We recommend users to charge the chair everyday to make sure it's enough for the next day's use. Anyway, it's super convenient to charge the electric wheelchair.
The full-size electric wheelchairs are equipped with two 12 volt U1 batteries in the base(Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery), and the batteries cannot be removed.
The folding electric wheelchairs are upgraded with removeable lithium-ion batteries, which is more durable and powerful than SLA batteries. And they are small and light, which can be easily taken out of the chair. You can buy a spare battery to deal with emergency situations.
Seating & Comfort
Most users spend a lot of time in their electric wheelchairs, so seating and positioning are very important for their health and comfort. The wheelchair will have to accommodate custom backrests and seat cushions made of contouring foams, gels, and other materials for those who require additional support.
As folding electric wheelchairs are designed to be lightweight and foldable, the comfort may be inadequate. Unlike the full-size wheelchairs equipped with thick cushions, some of the folding ones are equipped with thin cushions. But you can add extra pads yourself if you do want a folding electric wheelchair with comfortable seating.
Motors & Wheels
Folding electric wheelchairs are equipped with two powerful brushless motors on both the back wheels. The motors are generally 200W or 250W. You should choose the different types of motors according to your own needs. And the motors can be easily switched from electric mode to manual mode. It's helpful if the chair is running out of battery and you can still have someone to help push the chair.
The front wheels of folding electric wheelchairs are small, about 7 inches. The back wheels vary from 9 inches to 12 inches. The bigger the wheels are, the better they can perform on different terrains like grass and cobblestones. But you should also take the power of the motors into consideration.
Footplates
Most footrests have a swinging motion that may be inwards, outwards, or occasionally both. To safely move the person into and out of the wheelchair, it is essential to have footplates that can swing away from the chair. This will enable you to stand in front of the chair without stepping over the footplates. Because doing so will minimize the total size of the frame, having the ability to remove the footplates from the wheelchair completely is another feature that is essential for transporting the device.
Armrests
When sitting, the arms of a wheelchair are essential for providing support. On the other hand, they may impede the transfer process, primarily if a transfer board is used. Because of this, most wheelchairs come with armrests that can be detached and removed to facilitate sideways transfers. Some chairs also include armrests that can be swung up, letting you go under the table very easily; other, more complex wheelchairs have armrests that can be adjusted in height.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity of a folding electric wheelchair varies from 220 pounds to 400 pounds. The basic models have 220 pounds capacity, which is suitable for most people. Make sure the weight capacity can meet your needs. Remember to calculate your own weight and the weight of the things you have to take with you.
Generally speaking, weight capacity and product weight are positively correlated. The higher the weight capacity is, the heavier the product will be. But there are some new models with whole carbon fiber frames on the market, making the folding electric wheelchairs lighter but also stronger.
Maneuverability & Safety
It's super convenient to maneuver the electric wheelchairs. The most common controller for electric wheelchairs is a joystick and keypad. The joystick controls the direction and speed in some models. The keypad can also control speed and other functions such as horn. Most require constant pressure to operate and will brake once the pressure is lifted from the control.
Electric wheelchairs are designed to be at low speed to keep the driver safe. They usually travel at about 4-6 miles per hour. The slope performance would be 8 degrees, which is an ADA standard slope. And they are also equipped with two anti-tip back wheels to reduce the possibility of tipping over.
We strongly suggest you purchase an electric wheelchair with FDA approval. The majority folding electric wheelchairs on the market are not proved by FDA, thus they may have potential quality issues.
Accessories
You can choose to buy some accessories according to your own needs. Small accessories like travel bag, side bag, backpack, cup holder, cane holder, flashlight clamp, poncho would be very helpful.
A whole pack of these accessories would cost over $300, and many vendors even do not have relevant accessories. But Sunlit will provide all these accessories for free.
Price
Folding electric wheelchairs vary in price depending on the material, model, and features. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 for a folding electric wheelchair. More luxurious models with additional features, like elevating and tilting, can cost up to $10,000. Make sure you understand your needs, as this can decrease pricing or more depending on the configuration.
