While we wish we were up & mobile without the assistance of any medical equipment our whole lives, sometimes, that’s just not the case. When you’re in need, Oswald’s Medical Equipment has you covered! A question we often get on our medical equipment showroom floor, is “what’s the difference between wheelchairs & transport chairs?” While both chairs will help you get around, be it at the house or out and about with friends & family, there are some big differences to consider before your rental or purchase.

Wheelchairs cannot only be pushed from behind by your companion, family member or caregiver, but can also be self-propelled by the user. The wheels, often 24” or larger, need to be within comfortable reach for the user. That being said, you want to make sure the user has the strength to move the wheels without overexerting themselves. While the large wheels make it easy for an able-bodied user to cruise around comfortably, they also add a lot of weight to the chair! Have you ever tried lifting a wheelchair in and out of a car trunk? While modern building materials have helped the industry make ‘light weight’ wheelchairs, they’re still usually over 30 pounds! That brings me to one of the two major differences when you’re comparing a wheelchair & a transport chair.

Weight! We carry lightweight aluminum transport chairs that weight under 20 pounds. That makes a huge difference if you’re on the go quite often. The other major difference is the user is not able to self-propel. The user will always need someone to push the chair from behind. Many of our guests are tempted to try to move the transport chair around with just their feet, which we highly advise against. It’s made to be pushed from behind. Trying to move around with your feet could end up tipping the chair!

Many of our active guests that require mobility aids like a wheelchair, end up buying a transport chair too. Wheelchairs are great around your home or apartment, where sometimes you won’t have anyone around to help. While transport chairs, being so light weight, are great to keep in your car for all of your adventures outside of the home!

Besides those major differences, in choosing both a wheelchair and/or a transport chair, you’ll want to take note of the user’s weight and size. We have chairs that come in all sizes and weight capacities to make sure the user will have the most comfortable ride possible.

Thanks for reading our blog and don’t hesitate to come visit us at the store with any other questions you’ve got! Email alex@oswaldspharmacy.com if you’d like to see your medical equipment question answered on our blog.

Best,

Alex Anderson