Buying a Wheelchair

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Feb 9, 2013
I have resisted as long as I could, but it is now necessary that I use a wheelchair in Disney. We usually rent from off-site for the duration of our trip, but since it is not a temporary thing, we are looking into buying a wheelchair for use while at Disney.

I do not need a wheelchair for my daily life activities, so the chair is strictly for Disney, as I cannot walk the many miles in the heat and humidity.

I am looking for a manual wheelchair that my husband can push and I will also be able to maneuver when necessary. Any input regarding brands, models, types, things to consider, etc. would be appreciated.

Thank you!
 
I don't have a wheelchair personally, but what a lot of relatives (and some of my patients at work) do is go see some physical chairs so they know what they like, get pricing, and then check Amazon as well. Some things off the top of my head other than sizing and comfort are how easy would it be to maneuver, turn and push/propel, if you're driving is it easily collapsible and not too bulky/heavy to get in the car, does it fit the Disney footprint for wheelchairs on transit/rides (if you're interested in that), and can you easily carry a small bag or a bottled water (i.e. do you need to be able to clip anything to the arm). Especially the "will it fit in my car", I know someone who didn't think of that for their sedan and the jigsaw puzzle to fit a rollator and even a small suitcase in at once was an adventure....
 
my husbands uses this one.. its a Drive brand with hand brakes.. Hubby got his from the VA, But these are currently on Amazon between $110. to $150 depending on the suppler. they sell this brand at Walgreens online.also..not sure of their prices .

its light weight.. easy for our 12 yr old son to push. the foot plates fold all the way back. and come off very easily. easy to keep clean.. can attach a cup holder without issues. I got him a gel cushion to use on the seat for added comfort when doing long days. it has the smaller wheels so you wont be able to move it yourself.
 

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A transport chair is lightweight and relatively easy to push, but from the specific wording in the OP, I get the distinct impression she wants to roll herself at times.
 
my husbands uses this one.. its a Drive brand with hand brakes.. Hubby got his from the VA, But these are currently on Amazon between $110. to $150 depending on the suppler. they sell this brand at Walgreens online.also..not sure of their prices .

its light weight.. easy for our 12 yr old son to push. the foot plates fold all the way back. and come off very easily. easy to keep clean.. can attach a cup holder without issues. I got him a gel cushion to use on the seat for added comfort when doing long days. it has the smaller wheels so you wont be able to move it yourself.
I would not get this one for Disney they are meant to go from point a to point b they are not that comfortable to sit in all day and are harder to push over uneven ground ( think of AK the train tracks at the MK) I would get one with the two big wheels in the back and two small wheels in the front so this way you could push your self when you need too. also, have you looked into an ECV there are some cheap used ones you can get ( my friend got one for about $250 it comes apart in 5 peaces and fits in the back of her SUV she only uses it for Disney too and it has made a big difference in her enjoying the park
 
Thanks for the replies!

Does anyone have any input on best brands for wheelchairs? Do any seem better than others?
 


Not really. Again, Amazon reviews of individual wheelchairs is going to give you a much better result than one or two random persons who purchased a wheelchair and read the DIS.
 
I bought this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VWK1TA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

But not to use at Disney. I have an ECV for Disney. I use a rollator at home, but I cannot stand for very long at all even with it so I got the wheelchair to use doing things around the home. I found myself scooting around on the seat of my rollator, and that is very unsafe. Plus it is very difficult to navigate from a seated position in a rollator.

I have no idea how this would work for you at the parks. I've been happy with it at home. I have not used it to be pushed though. It's well made, had good reviews and is lower in price than many. But I am not looking at something that I will be in for hours at a time.
 
A couple of fast thoughts:

Before buying, take into account seat size. Some folks find that an 18" seat width is fine; others need a wider (or narrower) seat. If you intend to self-propel at all, make sure that the armrests are either adjustable in height, or removable; otherwise you may make things much more painful for yourself that you need to.

Ideally, the push handles will be covered in a dense foam - the old school, shiny hard plastic handles can cause blisters (so take along cheap bike gloves to protect the pushers hands)

If you have a choice, a mesh seat back is great; you will feel much cooler in the Florida heat! A gel seat cushion may help if you have trouble sitting; the sling style seat of a wheelchair can get to be quite uncomfortable. Bring along a towel to cover seat if it's made from black fabric or leatherette, so that you don't burn the backs of your legs when sitting if the chair has been parked out in the direct sun.

Weight is important - the more the chair weighs, the sooner that the pusher tires out. High-end chairs are often made of titanium because it's super light, but strong. Heavier does not necessarily mean better or stronger.

Foot rests are important - make sure they will flip up out of the way, so that you can safely sit and stand to enter and exit the chair.

If you will need leg extensions, it's easier to buy them at the time you buy the chair, but they can be purchased later.

Last but not least, if you think you will self propel more than a few feet, begin training ASAP. Even highly conditioned athletes can't just jump into a wheelchair and self propel a full day at WDW; you need a very strong core, arms of steel and your back and shoulder muscles should be conditioned too. Your hands, arms, shoulders, even your neck, back and chest muscles will suffer the next day.

Brand is less important than fit, foldability, overall weight and comfort.
 
I am looking for a manual wheelchair that my husband can push and I will also be able to maneuver when necessary. Any input regarding brands, models, types, things to consider, etc. would be appreciated.

Thank you!
The only experience I have pushing, it was a Quickie GT. Could not recommend this wheelie highly enough. Magnificent machine and very very light. It had true dampened suspension, and every element of the thing was tunable. The angle, toe, and camber of the wheels. The height and angle of the seat. Everything.

So I just looked it up and it's about $2000. That's a lot of waffles for just one unpowered chair.
 
head to thrift stores. if you only want this for Disney use and won't need it anywhere else, you don't need to spend a butt ton of money. a simple plain chair is fine, you can then augment with a thick gel cushion for your bum( get one that has a fleece cover, preferably removable), wraps for the arm rests( those suckers get HOT just like vinyl car seats) also invest in a lightweight bag that can be attached to the handles for storage.

My biggest suggestion is to check any open pipes/tubes for..ummm.. critters.... ( not that I have any experience whatsoever with a swarm of baby spiders suddenly appearing one afternoon)
 
I recently broke down and bought a wheelchair too. I can handle most days with a cane but traveling, especially in airports, I always use a wheelchair; plus, I'm planning on using it for an upcoming Disney cruise. I did quite an extensive search and found a Medline on Amazon and so far I've been happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00737NJ92/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After using it to watch a sporting event, I quickly learned that I needed one of the foam pads which I also found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07192ZV7B/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

At some point I think I'm going to have some fun decorating it, but for now it's just plain. Good luck in your search!
 
We bought a transport chair from Amazon before our last trip in Sept 2017. Our dd17 has chronic Lyme disease and her joints are a mess from it. We'd rented while there a few times but looked at buying one and Amazon's prices were so good, we were able to buy for the same price as if we rented for a week. It's also really nice to have at the airport, or for back home outings like the zoo or museums that require a lot of walking.

Amazon had wheelchairs also but my dd's arm strength is too weak to propel herself. The transport chair is lighter and very easy and compact to fold.

ETA: We bought a Drive brand. Seems to be a brand that gets a lot of good reviews. It was only $78 (again, transport chair, not wheel chair) but my dd was very comfortable, never complained of being sore or in pain from the chair...she is small so we got the 17" seat and it's perfect.
 
I bought ours from Amazon, for about $150 I think.

Our youngest needs one at Disney, but not at home (does need it for field trips, museums, etc.).

I would not recommend a transport chair at Disney, rather I'd get a wheelchair.
 
I have resisted as long as I could, but it is now necessary that I use a wheelchair in Disney. We usually rent from off-site for the duration of our trip, but since it is not a temporary thing, we are looking into buying a wheelchair for use while at Disney.

I do not need a wheelchair for my daily life activities, so the chair is strictly for Disney, as I cannot walk the many miles in the heat and humidity.

I am looking for a manual wheelchair that my husband can push and I will also be able to maneuver when necessary. Any input regarding brands, models, types, things to consider, etc. would be appreciated.

Thank you![/QU
I have resisted as long as I could, but it is now necessary that I use a wheelchair in Disney. We usually rent from off-site for the duration of our trip, but since it is not a temporary thing, we are looking into buying a wheelchair for use while at Disney.

I do not need a wheelchair for my daily life activities, so the chair is strictly for Disney, as I cannot walk the many miles in the heat and humidity.

I am looking for a manual wheelchair that my husband can push and I will also be able to maneuver when necessary. Any input regarding brands, models, types, things to consider, etc. would be appreciated.

Thank you!
I would recommend the Karman S-115 Ergonomic Transport Chair it is much more than the Drive chairs and other low end transport chairs. But for quality and comfort you can not beat it. My wife had a stroke and con not walk long distances. We had a drive transport chair that the hospital gave us but it was very uncomfortable for her. With the Karman she can sit it in for hours with no issues.
 

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