What is a Powerchair?
What is a Powerchair?
A powerchair or electric motorized wheelchair is a wheelchair that does not need to be pushed. The wheelchair is propelled by twin motors mounted for front, rear, or mid wheel drive. In most cases and the joystick style controls are on the armrest for ease of use and can be on either the left or right side.
Most models will give an average traveling range of 20-30 miles between charges and a top speed of 4-6mph depending on the model you get. One thing to keep in mid is powerchairs are not street legal and for your safety you should never try to take one on the road. There are some street legal mobility scooters available if that is what you need.
The most important attribute of the powerchair is the manufactures ability to personalize it for the comfort of the user. With adjustable armrests, leg rests, and multiple seating options, the powerchair is the wheelchair of choice when it comes to spending long time periods in the wheelchair.
With recent advances in wheelchair technology the day's of bulky overweight wheelchairs is over. The modern powerchairs are borrowing off many of the conveniences of the mobility scooter and incorporating them into the modern powerchairs design. The newer models are designed to be lightweight, portable, and easy to transport. This equates to a much more convenient user experience as very little help is needed to transport and assemble the powerchair. This is, after all, what the powerchair is all about; convenience.
The modern powerchair is also fit for outdoor use. There are powerchairs available for off road use that are more rugged and have suspensions suitable for use in the park or camping too. Off road powerchairs can also have bigger tires suitable for all terrain use.
Which Powerchair is right for you?
This is a difficult question but the most important factor in determining which powerchair is it's use. A high end powerchair that is designed for high speed will not be as maneuverable in the home and a lightweight maneuverable powerchair will not work well outside. Consider the things that are most important to you and pick a chair that will work with your way of living.