What is a lightweight wheelchair?
Disability limits the freedom of movement for the paraplegic individual. It is a key achievement in such individual’s life to attain the lost mobility without the help of a caregiver. Immobility, temporary or permanent, partial or complete, can now be overcome to a considerable extent thanks to a wheelchair and especially a lightweight wheelchair.
A lightweight wheelchair minimizes physical exertion, provides smooth and quick propulsion, better manoeuvrability for tight and low-radius turning, better control, and results in low post-usage fatigue. That is the reason why it is most suited to young persons with high and prolonged outdoor mobility needs like sports. It is as well more suited to the old handicapped persons, who are required to remain in a wheel chair for extended period of time. It is also suitable for individuals who have flexibility needs for their carrier. A lightweight wheelchair requires a higher level of energy and a somewhat good torso and arms strength.
A manual wheelchair will be far better for a user, who weighs 250 pounds. A manual wheelchair is classified into standard version,lightweight and ultralight version. The criteria on which this division is done is the weight of the wheelchair itself.
A wheelchair above 36 pounds in weight is called a Standard wheelchair while the one that weighs up to 36 pounds is called a lightweight wheelchair. Within this category, if a wheelchair weighs below 30 pounds, it is called an ultra lightweight wheelchair and if a wheelchair weighs between 30 and 34 pounds, it is called a high strength lightweight wheelchair.
You should use standard wheelchair for short term usage, say for temperory disability support. It costs comparatively cheaper and is not very flexible regarding foot, arms, and back rest. It requires some propulsion effort and is suitable for indoor and outdoor needs.
One of the many advantages with lightweight wheel chair is that foot,arms and backrests could be configured. You can opt either for a manual verson or for a folding version. It is very easy to propel and control It is made from high quality materials, such as aluminium, chrome, steel, carbon fibre, etc., to ensure reliable and best performance. It can resist a higher degree of wear and tear associated with extended usage of the wheelchair. It is also suitable in case a high degree of customization is needed.
You can always go for the highstrenght lightweight wheelchair if you want durability and a solution which can be relied upon. If you need mobility support for indefinite period of time, switch to ultra lightweight version. Know your requirements and choose the right lightweight wheelchair to make a difference in your life.
