Transport Wheelchairs

A transport wheelchair is pushed by someone else. That is the whole distinction. Instead of the large rear wheels a person grips to propel themselves, it has four small wheels, which makes it lighter, narrower and easier to fold and lift into a car.

Transport chair or standard wheelchair

Choose a transport chair when someone will always have a companion with them: appointments, outings, airports, holidays, or getting around a large building. Choose a standard wheelchair when the person can and wants to move themselves, even part of the time. Independence is worth protecting, and a transport chair removes it by design.

Many households end up with both, a standard chair for daily use and a transport chair kept in the car boot. That is often the right answer rather than a compromise.

Indoor and outdoor

Indoor transport chairs are narrower and lighter, made for corridors, lifts and turning inside a home or a care setting. Outdoor chairs have larger wheels that cope better with pavement joints, kerb cuts and rough ground. A chair chosen for one will feel wrong in the other, so it is worth being honest about where it will actually be used.

Getting the size right

Seat width should match the person, not be rounded up for comfort. A chair that is too wide lets someone slide sideways and makes it harder to push straight; too narrow causes pressure at the hips. Measure across the widest point while seated and allow a little room, or come into the showroom and we will do it.

Transport chairs are usually a retail purchase rather than a funded device, though this depends on the situation. Contact us if you would like help choosing.