Wheelchair buying tips

Manual

If you are going to be using the chair for transporting in the car, make sure it is crash tested. A quick way to check is by looking for clamp stickers or signs on the chair.

Non crash tested chairs can still be used to push the person about but just not to transport them in a car/bus/taxi.

The education board will not take any chair that hasn't been crash tested.

Work out if you need a solid chair or a folding one, and then if you need a folding one, do you want one with a removable back or that can fold up easily for lifting.

Ask for the weight and width of the chair before buying to make sure it is suitable for your house.

Speak to other parents and OT's first too and find out what they think of the chairs they have used.

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Ask about battery life and if batteries are covered in the warranty. Most of the time they are not, and they don't have a great shelf life so it's a good idea to buy a set in advance.

Find out how long the manufacturers guarantee lasts and if there is an extended warranty available.

Non Nhs chairs can go up to 8mph, it's only the NHS chairs that you have to do the EPIOCH training for. If that's too fast, ask if it can be turned down.

Find out the suppliers repair guarantee turnover for essential and non-essential faults.

Accidental injury to property or people is not covered in the warranty so it may be a good idea to get public liability insurance. This will cover you against scrapping a car (this happened to me!) or hitting someones leg in a crowded place. One company I know of is Locton.

Cushions for seats believe it or not don't come as standard with power chairs, so you will have to buy these at the time of ordering the chair.

It's a really good idea to phone the education board if you are going to change your chair, and find out what clamps are needed for your power chair. They have up to date information on the clamps for each chair and will be able to order them in on time for the delivery date. In my case this didn't happen and the education board won't transport the new chair until the new clamps come. You live and learn.

Again find out the weight of the chair and the width to make sure it will fit into your house and car.

If you are going to bring it on holiday it's a good idea to find out if the chair is suitable for air travel.

There are many great features that can be added onto chairs, such as side to side tilt, riser facilities, recline, sit to stand. But before buying try as many different types as possible and ask yourself if you will really use the more advanced features. You can ask for a quote with different variations of features to see the difference in prices.

Ask if the wheels are solid or have rubber tubes in them.

See how easy the chair is to clean before buying.

Find out if it's suitable for use in all weather, or if it's indoor or outdoor.

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