# Help me buy a wheelchair **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214 "2011-09-05T03:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/21 "2011-09-06T20:07:43Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Yes, this is completely untrue (that manual chairs must be held onto when being transferred into). I never have anyone holding onto my chair. > > And actually, I have no handles on my chair. They get in the way of getting my chair in my car. That and they serve no purpose for me. Nobody needs them (I do all the grabbing of the chair) and they only serve to get in the way for things that I need to do with my chair. True, but you have much different needs profile than the OPs buddy [or for me, as it happens] so your type chair may not be appropriate. [and the generic starter rental chair tends at least in the US to be an [invacare](http://www.invacare.com/cgi-bin/imhqprd/inv_catalog/prod_cat_detail.jsp?s=0&prodID=V18RFR&catOID=-536885347) set up for 90/90 with handles, high back, one of several basic sets of arms, and basic foot support that may or may not be able to be rotated from 90 to something more comfortable. I will admit that I rented one for a week and a smidge so I didn’t have to let the gorillas that move luggage in airports throw my chair around. Good choice, one wheel hub got mangled slightly.] ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/22 "2011-09-06T20:13:18Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > True, but you have much different needs profile than the OPs buddy [or for me, as it happens] so your type chair may not be appropriate. > > [and the generic starter rental chair tends at least in the US to be an [invacare](http://www.invacare.com/cgi-bin/imhqprd/inv_catalog/prod_cat_detail.jsp?s=0&prodID=V18RFR&catOID=-536885347) set up for 90/90 with handles, high back, one of several basic sets of arms, and basic foot support that may or may not be able to be rotated from 90 to something more comfortable. I will admit that I rented one for a week and a smidge so I didn’t have to let the gorillas that move luggage in airports throw my chair around. Good choice, one wheel hub got mangled slightly.] Of course. I was just commenting on another’s remark about manual chairs in general. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/23 "2011-09-06T20:59:22Z")
Thanks for the additional insights and input! @ **jamiemcgarry** : I don’t know if the type of chair you use would work for the patient, but I’d certainly check it out. “Wheelchair athlete” websites tend to discuss activities and events and don’t get into how to select a chair. Would you recommend a a website? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/24 "2011-09-07T00:48:15Z")
I know you addressed your last message to Jamie, but I’ll add another comment anyway. Based on the OP, I think you’d be wasting your money getting a “sports” wheelchair. It doesn’t sound like the person in question is planning on doing wheelchair sports. Wheelchair costs are all over the map depending on what you want to get, and the “sportier” a chair is the more expensive it will be. You really do need to get **personal** advice, but broadly speaking you want something that is reasonably light-weight ( **NOT** like what I like to call a “hospital wheelchair”) and that is properly fitted. One other point. The person will need a cushion. Believe it or not, that is a topic all by itself if the person is going to be using the wheelchair for a very large portion of the day. Make sure that gets discussed as well. See for instance the stuff [ROHO](http://www.therohogroup.com/products/seat%20cushions/index.jsp)produces. Pressure sores are **not** fun for wheelchair users; I spend several years and several hospital stays dealing with one. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/25 "2011-09-07T01:14:46Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > Thanks for the additional insights and input! > > @ **jamiemcgarry** : I don’t know if the type of chair you use would work for the patient, but I’d certainly check it out. “Wheelchair athlete” websites tend to discuss activities and events and don’t get into how to select a chair. Would you recommend a a website? > **[Manual Wheelchairs for Sale | SpinLife](https://www.spinlife.com/manual-wheelchairs/critpath/match.cfm?categoryID=2&brandID=22&x=42&y=8&adv=googleads&tar=tilite-e&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=5070435684&utm_campaign=Wheelchairs)** > > Free shipping on all wheelchairs. Talk to a manual wheelchair expert today! We carry transport, standard, lightweight and ultralightweight wheelchairs. This is the brand of chair I have. And just reading your OP, the chair I use seems to fit all of your prerequisites. It has no grab bars in back, it folds up to fit in a trunk (or back seat), it’s relatively low to the ground (enough so to do what the patient desires to do with his feet), and it has an adjustable back support/back rest. Contacting a knowledgeable sales rep for Tilite should be most of what you need to do to find out what you need exactly. > **[TiLite TX Ultralight Titanium Wheelchair | TiLite TX](https://www.spinlife.com/TiLite-TiLite-TX-Folding-Wheelchair/spec.cfm?productID=79122)** > > NEW! View frame, tire & upholstery colors right on the chair. >  Click here to try out the TiLite Color Configurator. > > > The TiLite TX titanium features the Rigid Folding Mechanism - “RFM”, a... Sorry, i kind of messed up with the first link. This second link is a close cousin of my chair. It does have grab bars but those can be removed when tailoring the chair to the specific patient. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/26 "2011-09-07T01:19:43Z")
Ok, ok :o _ **This** _ is a link to the Tilite website (sorry, I’m a dumbass) [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CEcQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allinonemobility-shop.com%2Fwheelchairs.html&ei=Y8ZmToa0D-Lf0QHo09XxCw&usg=AFQjCNG\_4gkfz7wnRMMRpCyHsqhGRpRYXQ](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CEcQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allinonemobility-shop.com%2Fwheelchairs.html&ei=Y8ZmToa0D-Lf0QHo09XxCw&usg=AFQjCNG_4gkfz7wnRMMRpCyHsqhGRpRYXQ) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/27 "2011-09-07T01:25:45Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Ok, ok :o _ **This** _ is a link to the Tilite website (sorry, I’m a dumbass) > [Redirect Notice](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CEcQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allinonemobility-shop.com%2Fwheelchairs.html&ei=Y8ZmToa0D-Lf0QHo09XxCw&usg=AFQjCNG_4gkfz7wnRMMRpCyHsqhGRpRYXQ) Why do some wheelchairs\* have the wheels angled in? \*My uneducated observations notices it more on athletic type wheelchairs, people playing sports, doing marathons, usually their legs are strapped in and if I see them in a grocery store they tend to look much more physically fit then the majority of the people I see in ‘regular’ wheelchairs. Actually, come to think of it, I seem to notice it more it people that I’d gather have no use of their legs at all, based on their legs being very skinny compared to their upper body, which probably accounts for their legs being strapped in. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/28 "2011-09-07T01:28:51Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Why do some wheelchairs\* have the wheels angled in? > > \*My uneducated observations notices it more on athletic type wheelchairs, people playing sports, doing marathons, usually their legs are strapped in and if I see them in a grocery store they tend to look much more physically fit then the majority of the people I see in ‘regular’ wheelchairs. Actually, come to think of it, I seem to notice it more it people that I’d gather have no use of their legs at all, based on their legs being very skinny compared to their upper body, which probably accounts for their legs being strapped in. It’s called camber. The further apart your wheels are where they are on the floor the more stable you are, but the closer your wheels are to you where you grab them the more efficient at wheeling you will be. So, having the wheels angled combines both characteristics. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/29 "2011-09-07T01:42:57Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > It’s called camber. The further apart your wheels are where they are on the floor the more stable you are, but the closer your wheels are to you where you grab them the more efficient at wheeling you will be. So, having the wheels angled combines both characteristics. Makes sense (though I’m guessing your ‘but’ should have been an ‘and’), so why do the majority of the chairs have no camber? Is it because most people would prefer to be up higher up (obviously this brings the user closer to the ground without having giant wheels or a screwy center of gravity)? Is it more expensive (and why)? I assume the advantages to having straight wheels must outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to ‘normal’ chairs or we’d see a lot more of them. Yet when someone sees one on the street it definitely stands out. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/30 "2011-09-07T02:52:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Makes sense (though I’m guessing your ‘but’ should have been an ‘and’), so why do the majority of the chairs have no camber? Is it because most people would prefer to be up higher up (obviously this brings the user closer to the ground without having giant wheels or a screwy center of gravity)? Is it more expensive (and why)? > I assume the advantages to having straight wheels must outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to ‘normal’ chairs or we’d see a lot more of them. Yet when someone sees one on the street it definitely stands out. > **[Redirect Notice](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CFgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F10159861&ei=wNpmTt6LB8vG0AG-9pHJCw&usg=AFQjCNEU64SNjrkX0_WfdvgTPZqEwcT_3Q)** The abstract discusses the effects of camber on a wheelchair. One of the most significant, in terms of “negative” effects, is an increase in the overall width of the chair. This can cause a host of accessibility issues, from making it through doorways to using the bathroom in certain places. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/31 "2011-09-07T03:07:48Z")
Cambered-wheeled chairs aren’t the most practical for everyday living. They are great as far as sports chairs, basketball especially. For everyday living, a lot of wheelchair-users prefer to have as narrow a frame as possible (myself included), so that they can _get_ everywhere they need to. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/32 "2011-09-07T03:08:54Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > [Redirect Notice](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CFgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F10159861&ei=wNpmTt6LB8vG0AG-9pHJCw&usg=AFQjCNEU64SNjrkX0_WfdvgTPZqEwcT_3Q) That link described adjusting the camber is not only lowering or raising the CG, but also bring it forward or backward as well due to the entire chair tilting forward or backward. Does that really happen or am I not picturing it correctly. I envision them adjusting the camber on a chair, but not lowering or raising the front wheels which would have to be done to compensate for the back end dropping or raising. > [@](#): > > One of the most significant, in terms of “negative” effects, is an increase in the overall width of the chair. This can cause a host of accessibility issues, from making it through doorways to using the bathroom in certain places. Before I clicked on the link I read this part and it made a lot of sense, it would make the chair a bit wider, it’s not something I really ever gave much thought to. In fact, I wondered if engineers could come up with a way that a (more or less) able bodied person could adjust the camber on the fly. That is, they could keep the bottom of the wheels kicked out, but if they have to get into a bathroom or around a narrow turn they could straighten them out. I understand that it would likely mean trying to get the rubber wheels to go sideways with the their weight on them, but, as I’ve heard before, engineers are clever. Then I read the link and realized it would mean the front wheels would also have to be adjusted as well of the user would run the risk of tipping over one backwards or falling out of the chair forwards. It’s probably best left as a one or the other type deal. With the few people that have the money and resources to get their own custom type thing built if they want it both ways (which may or may not eventually trickle down into mainstream use) ---
**Author:** ![amronald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@amronald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amronald)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/33 "2012-08-09T20:24:13Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > Please help me shop for a wheelchair. I’ve poked around on the Intrawebs, but most of the information about models and options I’ve found seems to be based on the assumption the buyer knows what she/he wants in a chair. > > So, how does one figure out what kind of wheelchair one needs? I don’t know which of the following details will help with deciding which model to buy, but here goes: > > The user wants to propel the chair by hand, that is, rolling the wheels using the circular bar attached to the wheels. If the user self-propels the chair, then the “attendant’s handles” (is that what they’re called?) for pushing/steering can be omitted. Yes? > The user has good balance and doesn’t want high arm-rests. Low-profile ones are preferred. > The user wants to be able to prop up one leg and support it on a “calf rest” (not a footrest). > The user wants to be sit low enough to the ground to be able to put one foot flat on the floor, when desired. How does one measure a chair (the user?) for this? > The user is not overweight. > The user is not necessarily looking for a “sport” wheelchair, but will definitely consider one if that’s the best fit. But do sport chairs come with foot/leg rests? > The user wants a chair that can be folded, so it can fit in a car trunk. > Is an adjustable back rest/support available on styles other than the fully reclinable models? Is it advisable to have one? > From having tried (cheap) rented chairs, the sling-style seats do not provide the user with enough support, resulting in a back ache after use. What kind of seat gives proper support? > Some sort of under-seat tote/storage would be very useful. Is that available? > Is a seat belt advisable for any chair user, or just ones with muscle weakness/balance problems? > What other factors need to be considered when shopping for a wheelchair? > > Thanks in advance! Looks like you have a lot going on there in terms of your wheelchair checklist. I would suggest going to local stores and trying out some of the wheelchairs over there firsthand. There is no better way of knowing by feeling or testing it. You should then list down the brand and model and look over the web for cheaper prices. You can opt for a used or a new one. You can try out different [lightweight wheelchair](http://www.alltimemedical.com/category/Wheelchairs/Lightweight_Transport_Wheel_Chair_For_Sale.html) online stores, and then try ebay and amazon. Best of luck! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214/34 "2012-08-09T20:27:16Z")
Bit late with the spam. Reported. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-wheelchair/595214.md?page=1)