Does anybody have any advice on purchasing a lightweight rigid wheelchair?

niftythrifty_2

Hi, I am not sure where the best place to post this thread is - 'public transport' seems slightly inappropriate! Basically, I am looking to purchase a lightweight titanium rigid wheelchair for my sister and I wondered if anybody had any useful information they could share.

I've googled the subject and found some UK suppliers of brands like Quickie, but I am interested in hearing from people who have first-hand experiences of buying a wheelchair. I have seen that the chairs are much better value in the US, but I imagine once you have paid for the consignment to be shipped over and paid customs tax, it's probably not that much of a bargain.

Thanks for any info in advance!

finc

Fortunately I've never need to buy a wheelchair but this man set up a website as he found he couldn't get any decent information about them when he needed an amputation.

Hope it helps.

Doppleganger

Nifty,

There are couple of UK manufacturers who make excellent bespoke (made to measure) Ti chairs:

Cyclone - http://www.cyclonemobility.com/
RGK - http://www.rgklife.com/

They will visit your sister to demonstrate their range of chairs and advisor her on whats best. Both company's are run by disabled owners so she won't get ripped-off or mis-sold a product as she'll be buying directly from the manufacturer.

The Quickie is very good chair but expensive and sold by a multi-national company. You can save a lot of money thru importing a chair however, what you miss out on is the customer service and having the chair set-up correctly for the user.

If you need any more info or want contacts at either company then drop me a PM, as I have first hand experience of Ti chairs.

Regards,

- Dop

glenstan

whilst you are making the deciscion of which wheelchair to buy for your sister you could always hire one quite cheaply from your local red cross association

ladydisco

Hi,

this is currently available from https://www.bargaincrazy.com
(there are also some good discount codes to use for bargain crazy on the relevant board)

Lightweight Folding Wheelchair

save up to £115

£114.99

Reliable and comfortable transport. Standard and deluxe wheelchairs come with a number of luxury features. Removable armrests, 61cms or 31.75cms rear wheels, vinyl seat and back canvas, black finish, 40.5/45.75cms seat widths, 18 stone (115kg) carrying capacity, crash tested. The deluxe model weighs just 23lbs with quick release components removed and have a fixed back as well. The standard model has a fixed back, fixed wheels and is available with 45.75cms seat width only.
S6271 - Standard 45.75cms width seat/ 31.75cms wheels
S6293 Standard 45.75cms width seat/ 61cms wheels
S6228 Deluxe 40.5cm width seat/ 61cms wheels.

Alternatively I would recommmend phoning your local Carers Centre for a recommended local supplier.

mentaljessie

I remember a few years ago when I worked at a rather large Institution the Red Cross seemed to be good at providing useful information and they worked out cheaper than the local mobility shops.

wadewade

Go to https://www.dlcc.org.uk and click on Centre locations at top left hand corner.

Disabled Living Centres give FREE and IMPARTIAL advice on all aspects of disability. Just find the nearest one and phone up or visit. They could save you a lot of money and, more importantly, tell you which one will suit your needs best.

tatts_2

if your sister is in reciept of disability benefit, she should be able to get one for free ( ring your local benefits office for info on this )
If its for short term use, then you can hire one from red cross, or from some mobility shops. (think its around £5/£7 a week.not sure)
My mums disabled with severe arthritis and had to wait for a free wheelchair, but as it was taking such a long time, my dad went out and bought one, think it cost £199, but it has lasted a long time now without needing any repairs, and is used almost daily.
Shall find out the make for you if thats of any help?

bertha

Have a look at
http://www.wheelchairusers.org.uk/

If this is your sisters first wheelchair, you could contact your local NHS wheelchair centre

Another useful site is http://www.ricability.org.uk/index.htm

Doppleganger

The problem with a lot of the cheap chairs sold by on-stores, ebay etc or lent out by the Red Cross or local authorities is that they are neither lightweight or made of Ti (titanium) They are ok for casual use but if you have to spend any amount of time in one or want to live independently then they just don't cut the mustard.

Just another thought: Your sister's local authority may offer the "NHS Wheelchair Voucher scheme" Under the scheme, she may be able to get a more expensive chair of her choice by paying the difference between the value of the standard chair and that of the more expensive chair.

- Dop

niftythrifty_2

Doppleganger wrote:

The problem with a lot of the cheap chairs sold by on-stores, ebay etc or lent out by the Red Cross or local authorities is that they are neither lightweight or made of Ti (titanium) They are ok for casual use but if you have to spend any amount of time in one or want to live independently then they just don't cut the mustard.

Just another thought: Your sister's local authority may offer the "NHS Wheelchair Voucher scheme" Under the scheme, she may be able to get a more expensive chair of her choice by paying the difference between the value of the standard chair and that of the more expensive chair.

- Dop

Thank you so much for your help. Like you say, it is all about living independently. I should point out, my sister already has her own Quickie wheelchair, but it is getting increasingly too heavy for her to push herself in, and Ti would make a big difference. I have lots of information to go on here, and I'll be pulling it all together in a spreadsheet and talking her through the options.