Wheelchairs are essential for people with mobility issues to get around. Nowadays, with the development of technology, wheelchairs are constantly updated. Even some healthy people prefer to travel in wheelchairs. It is important to pick a power wheelchair that suits your needs, and if you want to know the basic models of wheelchairs, this article may help you.
Manual wheelchair
Components of a manual wheelchair
A manual wheelchair consists of a frame, seat, wheels, footrests, and a push handle, with the frame providing support for the overall structure and the seat for the user to ride in. It is usually individually cushioned for added comfort. There are traditionally two casters in the front and two large wheels in the back. The larger rear wheels with slightly smaller diameter push rims will protrude directly above the tires to allow the user to push the seat to maneuver the wheelchair without gripping the tires. The footrest is in front of the seat and allows the patient to place their feet on it to provide support and balance. Two push handles are located on the upper rear of the frame to allow the attendant to manually push the wheelchair.
Functional characteristics of manual wheelchair
Mobility function: Users can manually push the wheels of the wheelchair to achieve forward, backward, turning and other operations to meet their mobility needs in daily life, such as short-distance movement indoors and outdoors, suitable for hospitals, rehabilitation centers, families, and other places.
Comfort: Equipped with a comfortable seat and backrest, made of soft materials and with proper support to alleviate the user’s discomfort when sitting in the wheelchair for long periods.
Adjustability: The seat and backrest usually have adjustable functions, which can be adapted to different users’ heights and body shapes, such as seat height, angle, and position, and backrest height and angle can be adjusted according to the demand.
Safety Features: Although heat may be generated by friction when the user’s palms are supported directly on the push wheels, the braking system ensures the stability of the wheelchair when it is stationary, and some wheelchair users choose to wear padded wheelchair gloves. The braking system reduces the friction between the wheelchair user’s hands and the wheels. Also, most wheelchairs are equipped with seat belts to prevent the user from falling off.
Customizability: It can be designed according to the user’s specific dimensions and needs preferences, such as installing shock absorbers to cushion bumps, and setting the rear wheels with camber (so that the tops of the wheels are facing the chair) to improve propulsion efficiency and make it easier to keep a straight line on slopes. Designed for special needs to meet the needs of different physical conditions or use scenarios, such as commode wheelchairs to facilitate the user to go to the toilet, high back wheelchairs to provide comfortable seating for users who need more back support, reclining wheelchairs to allow the user to lie down and rest when needed, and one-hand drive wheelchairs suitable for one-handed users with the ability to maneuver the wheelchair.
Power wheelchair
Electric wheelchairs are upgraded based on manual wheelchairs, which are powered by battery-driven motors instead of human power to drive the wheelchair forward. Electric wheelchair has a variety of ways of maneuvering, most of them are controlled by a rocker, but also controlled by various switches such as a head or blowing suction system, there are also intelligent operation levers, and left and right hands can be controlled by the type, which provides convenience for users with different physical conditions, for example, users who have difficulty in hand movement can choose the way of head control, and so on.
Portable wheelchair
Portable wheelchair is divided into a portable power wheelchair and a portable manual wheelchair. A portable wheelchair as a kind of mobility tool designed to meet mobility-impaired people traveling, one of the main characteristics of its products is portability. Travel wheelchairs generally use lightweight aluminum alloy or carbon fiber frame, and can be easily folded, which is not only convenient to carry, but also saves the occupied space. This makes it easy for the user to carry it to different places. In addition, some high-end travel wheelchairs may also come with quick-release wheels, which further enhance portability. It is suitable for people with mobility problems who need to go out.