What are the Different Types of Manual and Electric Wheelchairs?
There are two main types of wheelchairs, manual and power or electric wheelchairs. Manual wheelchairs are propelled and controlled by pushing on rims attached to the wheels while electric wheelchairs are powered by a large battery and controlled by means of a joystick. Manual wheelchairs can be divided into two types as can be seen in this article about rigid versus folding wheelchairs. Rigid wheelchairs are generally lighter and better performing while folding wheelchairs have the advantage of folding relatively flat so they can be conveniently put in the back of a car without removing the wheels. Rigid wheelchairs are generally the option of choice for an active wheelchair user, while folding wheelchairs are generally the option of choice for someone who is not very active. However, folding wheelchairs are constantly improving and while the difference in weight and performance is decreasing, ridgid frames are still usually recommended for active wheelchair users. There are two types
