The World's Lightest Wheelchairs available at FrontlineMobility.com

The World's Lightest Wheelchairs from the Online Wheelchair Store
Wheelchairs have rapidly evolved in recent years. Just a decade ago, the world's lightest wheelchairs were in the range of 10kg (approximately 22lbs). Now, it is possible to find ultra-lightweight wheelchairs in the range of 5 kg (approximately 11 Kg) or less including wheels. These new ultra lightweight wheelchairs are possible due to advances in materials, technology and designs.
What is the advantage of an ultra lightweight wheelchair?
There are three advantages to an ultra lightweight wheelchair:
* Transfers and Travel: An ultra-lightweight wheelchair simplifies traveling. Getting into a vehicle is much easier if your wheelchair weighs 5kg instead of 10kg. Many wheelchair users get into a car alone, reach out and pick up the wheelchair and pull it in. This complicated maneuver is considerably easier if the wheelchair frame is a feather light 2 or 3 kg, rather than a clunky 7 or 10kg.
* Performance: An ultra-lightweight wheelchair is easier to push. For example, some wheelchair ramps can be steep. Pushing yourself up a ramp in a wheelchair which weighs 5 kg is much easier than in an old-fashioned heavy wheelchair which can weigh anywhere from 5-15 KG more.
* Cool factor: If you have to be in a wheelchair, it is best to be in the coolest, lightest, most innovative wheelchair possible.

What is the best material for an ultra-lightweight Wheelchair?
Which is the best material for an ultra-lightweight wheelchair is an impossible question to answer. Ultra-lightweight wheelchairs are typically made of four types of materials: aluminium, titanium, carbon fiber and other composite materials. Comparing one type of material to the other is made nearly impossible since each type of material has advantages and disadvantages and technology is constantly advancing. For example just ten years ago carbon fiber was known for yellowing and breaking. But with improved technology, the best carbon fibers of today have come a long way from the carbon fiber wheelchairs of a decade ago. Many composite materials are a combination of carbon fiber and plastics or resins and these too have come a long way in recent years.
As an example, the aerospace industry is on the cutting edge for creating strong and lightweight materials, for a simple reason. The lighter the aircraft, the better it will perform and the more fuel efficient it will be. Boeing states that its new 787 Dreamliner "is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction" According to the Boeing website the new design has "an airframe comprising nearly half carbon fiber reinforced plastic and other composites. This approach offers weight savings on average of 20 percent compared to more conventional aluminum designs". While most wheelchair manufacturers will make a wheelchair from either aluminum, titanium or composites, Boeing takes advantage of all of these materials and uses them appropriately to achieve the lightest and safest airplane possible.
Engineering is more important than material
Further, not all aluminum wheelchairs or titanium wheelchairs are equal. There are so many factors which go into making the frame that an aluminum wheelchair made by one company may easily be lighter than a titanium wheelchair from another company and vice versa. Tubing diameter and wall thickness effect stiffness, strength and weight. One manufacturer could use a thin walled tubing and achieve a lightweight frame which would be very satisfactory for some users, but which could crack under heavier strain from other users. The lightest wheelchairs will employ various thickness and diameter tubing in different parts of the frame in order to achieve the best balance of weight, strength and stiffness necessary for the best ride.
For example, titanium has a higher strength to weigh ratio than aluminum. But in 2008 researchers from the Veterans Administration and University of Pittsburgh published a study of tests on four popular brands of titanium wheelchairs. The scientists found that the titanium wheelchairs that they tested failed quicker than aluminum wheelchairs that they had previously tested. These wheelchairs were lightweight, but apparently some of the lightness may have been achieved at the sacrifice of frame strength.
Therefore, it is mistake to assume that a wheelchair made of a particular material is necessarily going to be lighter, stronger or better than a wheelchair made of a different type of material. The lightest weight and strongest wheelchair of the future will probably be one which uses a combination of different types of materials as in the Boeing Dreamliner.
Some issues to consider about all types of materials
Titanium: Titanium can be difficult to paint. Special painting techniques may be employed, but they are often costly. As a result, many titanium wheelchairs are a dull grey color. Some like it and others do not.
Carbon-Fiber: While improving, there are still complaints about carbon fiber frames breaking. Whether or not the technology is mature enough will most likely depend on the type of carbon fiber processes that your manufacturer is using. Also carbon fiber may yellow when exposed to UV light, unless coated with paint or some other material.
Aluminum: Welded aluminum frames are generally going to be lighter than aluminum frames held together with brackets and screws. But many people do not like the looks of welding on wheelchairs and welding renders the wheelchair non-adjustable. If you want to sell your wheelchair, you may have a problem finding a buyer who is exactly the same size as you.
How Does The Wheelchair Fit?
One of the key issues in selecting an ultralight wheelchair is how the manufacturer makes it fit your body. There are typically three approaches:
* Adjustability Approach: A manufacturer may make a wheelchair with a few frame lengths and widths then use adjustability to make it fit your particular dimensions and requirements. They will adjust the front seat height, rear seat height, front caster angle, back rest angle, backrest height, foot rest length to fit your requirements. The problem is that adjustability requires bolts, brackets and screws and these add weight to the wheelchair. Most ultra, ultra-lightweight wheelchairs will have limited adjustability.
* Fixed Frame Dimensions Approach: Some manufacturers may save weight by having little or no adjustability and have simply have a "few sizes fits all" approach. In order to minimize the number of frame sizes that they must keep in stock, they may try to minimize some dimensions. For example, some wheelchairs may be offered in only 1 frame lengths and recommend that everyone, from very short to very tall fit in a wheelchair frame of the same length.
* Custom Approach: Customization means that the wheelchair is built from the beginning to the exact dimensions of the buyer. This has the advantage that a fully customized wheelchair will fit the owner's body perfectly. With no adjustability required, a customized wheelchair has fewer bolts, brackets and screws and is therefore lighter. The disadvantage of a customized wheelchair is that if the measurements are wrong, the wheelchair must be made again. If you are not comfortable the manufacturer may not be willing to build you a new wheelchair. The other disadvantage is that if you ever want to sell the wheelchair it can be very difficult to find a buyer who has the exact dimensions and requirements that you have.

Wheelchair Weight, Comparing Apples to Oranges
Which manufacturer makes the world's lightest wheelchair?
This is probably not as easy to answer as you might think. Many factors will play a role in a wheelchair's weight and finding the data necessary to compare weights is often an impossible task.
Many manufacturers will give the weights of their wheelchair frames without wheels, locks, side guards, even upholstery. Other manufacturers will include these or other parts. The same frame might come with several sizes or configurations. If wheels are included, the type of wheels can play a significant role. Rear wheels often add 2kg or more to the weight of the wheelchair. Rarely does a manufacturer give the specifications of the conditions under which it was weighed. Rarely do they tell you the frame size or wheel type or used during the weighing. Therefore, making a comparison of weights of one wheelchair to the next will be very difficult to do and the weights given below should be used as an indication. Do not use these weights to compare one wheelchair to the next, but rather to get an idea of how light a wheelchair can be.
The World's Lightest Wheelchairs
If you are looking for the world's lightest wheelchair, here are a few to consider.

Pantera X is a carbon fiber wheelchair. Pantera claims that the frame weighs 2.1 KG.

Proval is an aluminum frame wheelchair. The lightest weight frame weighs in at 3.4kg. Proval achieves this low weight due to its unique oval shaped aluminum tubing.

Quickie Helium (Europe) / Q7 (N. America) is made from 'formed aluminium technology'. Its frame weighs 4.2kg.

Tilite ZR is a titanium frame wheelchair and weighs 4.2 kg. If you know of a wheelchair with a frame which weighs under 4KG (9lbs) .
http://www.frontlinemobility.com The best online store to buy a wheelchair.

Bariatric Wheelchairs – What You Should Know

Bariatric is a term that represents the population of people who are exceedingly obese and who need medical intervention due to their excessive weight. They are generally classified as patients over and above 250 pounds. In the health care setting, bariatric clients are usually addressed separately from the general populace due to their distinct need for a different set of interventions and specialized medical management.

What are Bariatric Wheelchairs?
Bariatiric wheelchairs are designed for bariatric patients who need assistance in moving around. These pieces of equipment provide clients with the ability to take up an independent way of life despite their restrictive condition.

Obese patients basically have special needs that are different from normal-sized people. They also require specialized design considerations when it comes to wheelchairs. Aside from the excessive weight, these mobility aids need to have appropriate capacity for depth, width and length prerequisites.
Wheelchair manufacturers have taken these variables into account. There are in fact numerous types of bariatric wheelchairs in the market today. Each of the styles are modified to meet the unique needs of this population group. Modern bariatric wheelchairs also carry a variety of features, which include durable frames built with advanced welding technology, hardwearing wheels with pneumatic tires, padded upholstery for added comfort, and other extra features.
Manual Bariatric Wheelchairs
Like the regular variety, bariatric wheelchairs also come in manual versions. These wheelchairs are ideal for people who still have the capacity to push the wheels and set the chair in motion with minimal or no assistance.
Manually propelled bariatric wheelchairs also provide a certain degree of exercise to their users. However, other medical conditions – aside from obesity – may get worse because of the added strain created by pushing the wheels. For people with other infirmities, electric bariatric wheelchairs may be more appropriate.
Electric Bariatric Wheelchairs
These wheelchairs are ideal for patients who have cardiovascular disorders or those who lack the upper body strength required to propel a manual bariatric wheelchair. The ability to move around easily by means of a joystick mechanism provides wheelchair-bound obese clients with the chance to perform a number of routine activities.

Wheelchair Selection: How to choose a new wheelchair

Wheelchair Selection: How to choose a new wheelchair

What's the big deal? Wheelchairs look pretty much alike. Right?
Wrong! It's just not that simple. A wheelchair is much more than "looks." There are as many differences in wheelchairs just as there are differences in cars or microwave ovens or... any consumer product.
With wheelchairs it can be even more important. Wheelchairs have strong differences in how they feel, how they fit, how they respond and what they enable us to do.
There are lots of differences in the people who use wheelchairs too. People who use wheelchairs vary in:

• Age: children, young adults and older adults,
• Gender: boys and girls, men and women
• Body type: every body type from muscular to just average to very thin or very overweight.
• Diagnosis or reason for using a wheelchair: some people are too weak or have too little endurance and can actually still still get up and walk in some situations. Others have paralyzed legs and torsos, missing limbs or poor balance and use a wheelchair all the time.
• Activities they want to do in their wheelchair: some people just what to sit, others want all of life's activities without exceptions.
• Places they will use their wheelchair: some people only use a wheelchair at home which is their primary environment. Other people go travel all around the community. Still others push their wheelchairs to the max using them in rugged environments like dodging potholes on city streets, working on a farm or camping in the woods.
• Preference or just "what they like": the same thing that makes some people like a Ford and others a Chevy.

Because people, their abilities and their needs are so different there are many possible combinations between people and mobility equipment. That's part of the challenge... figuring out which kind of wheelchair or seating system is best for each person. For many consumers, there is even another person who figures into these decisions. If a spouse or child or family member will be assisting the person using the wheelchair their needs may need to be considered in the wheelchair selection decision too.
People who buy or get a wheelchair for the first time are usually overwhelmed by their choices. In fact, they are overwhelmed just by the idea of having to use a wheelchair. Some of their concerns are addressed on the New User page. Usually, a wheelchair is not what people have in mind as a way for moving around in life.
The information you will find on the next few pages is about the process of getting a wheelchair. This page will link to other pages and resources on the Internet. Our goal is to give you as much information about the process of getting a wheelchair as possible so you can be an informed consumer. We think that informed consumers make better choices and better decisions. We also think that when consumers know more that it is easier for them to see themselves as "clients who are purchasing products and services."
Clients are people who hire professionals and then ask them to help solve or correct complicated problems. This way of thinking can be a very helpful model to keep in mind when you are preparing to get a new wheelchair. Wheelchair selection is a complicated process and, especially if you are new at it, you will want expert help. It will be a learning process for you but you will learn something every time you get a new wheelchair. It is also important to realize that regardless of expertise, you have the biggest stake in the end result. You will be using the wheelchair on a daily basis for the next 5 years or so. Because you have strongest interest in a good outcome we would like to help you know what to expect when you get advice from the seating and mobility professionals who will work with you.
The professionals in the wheelchair business are:

• people who evaluate you, your body and your daily living needs,
• people who recommend equipment that matches with your needs,
• people who complete the selling, funding and reimbursement transactions (like your insurance company),
• people who make sure that the delivered equipment is fitted exactly to you, and
• people who design, test and manufacture the wheelchairs that people want and need in their everyday lives.

So if you want to know more about this process keep on reading....

Getting a Wheelchair for the first time!

If you are like most people, you will be depending on the most knowledgeable person you know when you go to get that first wheelchair. This might be your sister who is a nurse, or an occupational or physical therapist, or a friend or spouse, or a salesperson at a durable medical equipment store. New users of wheelchairs usually get their first wheelchair in one of these ways. They get a:

• A loaner or hand-me-down chair from someone they know,
• A rental wheelchair from company that contracts with Medicare or their insurance company,
• A prescription from their doctor which they take to a sales person at a medical supply store, or, if they are fortunate, they go to
• A wheelchair clinic with experienced wheelchair people like OTs, PTs and Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers.

The outcome or the end-result in getting a first wheelchair can have a lot of variation:

• Sometimes people have a good experience.
• Sometimes they don't.
• Sometimes first-timers don't even know what to expect from the experience. (It's hard to have expectations when everything is so new!)
• Sometimes professionals know a lot and are really experts.
• Sometimes professionals know a lot, are really experts and they include YOU in the process.

When you are included in the process, then there is a larger chance that the outcome will be a good one. You are included in the process when you are seen as a "client" (someone who is purchasing a service) and the professionals ask you questions about:

• your goals,
• your needs both today and in the short term future,
• your lifestyle,
• your living environments,
• how you plan to use your wheelchair, and
• how you plan to travel as a driver or a passenger in motor vehicles.

When you as a client experience this kind of evaluation you have had the best situation of all.
So... If this is the kind of experience you had the first time you got a wheelchair, count yourself lucky! (Don't loose their phone number!) When it is time to replace your equipment you will have an excellent resource at your disposal. Spending money for this kind of service might seem like an expense to avoid the next time you get a wheelchair but it can actually be money very well spent. Mobility products and services are more expensive and more complicated today. Insurance companies allow replacement chairs less often so you can be stuck with a poor purchase for a long time. Many insurance companies are starting to recognize the value of a good evaluation and are starting to require it a a condition for purchase. A good evaluation can be a huge saving in time and aggravation. You can often prevent a secondary disability like a shoulder problem, a pelvic position problems or a pressure sore when you have a knowledgeable professional working for you.

The Wheelchair Evaluation Process

Since there is so much to learn about getting a wheelchair for the first time, this is a good place to talk more in depth about that process. There is a whole vocabulary of new words that you will start to hear. And it might be helpful to understand a head of time about some parts of the "service delivery" process. "Service delivery" is health care jargon that refers to the way an organization sets up the processes and procedures they will use to get their services delivered to you. Any time you get involved with an organization it is helpful to know a little something about how service delivery works and how to move around in that system.

We have created a page, Wheelchair and Seating Evaluations, that discusses the evaluation process and in particular:

• The Wheelchair Prescription
• The Wheelchair Evaluation Process
• The Evaluation Team
• The Consumer as the Focus
• The Evaluation Summary
• Letter of Medical Necessity or Justification

But, first do this!

Before you take your wheelchair prescription to an evaluation team it will be important for you to think about o the following important questions. As you come up with answers it may also be important to discuss with them with your family. Here they are:

1. Where will I use my wheelchair most?
2. What will I use my wheelchair occasionally?
3. What kinds of activities that I do (or did) everyday are most important to me to get back to doing?
4. How will I get my wheelchair (and myself) from place to place?
5. How much of the day will I be spending in this wheelchair?
6. How will I transfer from the wheelchair to other surfaces?
7. If I will need help with my wheelchair who will that come from and what features about my wheelchair are important to them?
8. How will I get my wheelchair around my neighborhood or yard? What kind of surfaces or slopes are involved?

If you have thought about these questions ahead of time, then you will approach the evaluation process a little differently than most new consumers. On the other hand, it is important that you have a team that takes the time to listen to you. Good Luck!
Here are some additional resources related to choosing a wheelchair that have been found through searching the WWW.

• Choosing a Wheelchair: A guide for optimal independence - a book by Gary Karp
  • Life on Wheels website
  • Purchase this book online
• Independent Reviews - reviews of different wheelchairs by knowledgeable and "real" end users.
• Informed Consumer's Guide to Wheelchair Selection - from ABLEDATA but written in 1994.
• Slide show "Development of consumer-based criteria for evaluation of assistive devices" - by Batavia and Hammer (a 18 K pdf download file).
• The Wheelchair Selection Guide: How to Use the ANSI/RESNA Wheelchair Standards to Buy a Wheelchair - a book by Axelson, Minkel, & Chesney - read the exerpts posted on WheelchairNet or purchase the entire book.
• Wheelchair Selection - from the Spinal Cord Injury Network at UAB.
• Wheelchair Selection: An ALS patient guide - by Marilyn Trail, OTR, BCN and Peggy Ingels, PT
• Wheelchair Selection and Training: Teaching and Guiding Practitioners and Consumers - a book review of 5 books on wheelchair selection by Brian Dudgeon, PhD.
• Wheelchair evaluation check list and Comparison Matrix - a resource located on WheelchairNet.
• What does it mean if your rehabilitation professional has Certification in Assistive Technology?