A Folding Power Wheelchair Makes Travel Easy

A person who needs a motorized wheelchair and also needs to pack their wheelchair frequently for travel can find a convenient solution in a folding power wheelchair.

A heavy power scooter or power-base wheelchair can take multiple people to load into a vehicle, or even an electric lift or ramp. They can be disassembled and may fit in the trunk of a car, but the pieces are cumbersome and for some models a van or SUV is necessary.

Folding manual wheelchairs take up the smallest amount of space and are easy to manage, but if you require a motorized wheelchair due to your physical condition, if you can't push yourself long distances or can't move yourself at all in a manual wheelchair you will lose your independent mobility if you travel with it. If you travel with a transport wheelchair, it will be lightweight and convenient to pack but you won't be able to move on your own.

If you're looking for the lightest possible motorized wheelchair, power wheelchairs are based on the manual wheelchair design. Travel power wheelchairs come as one lightweight piece or can be disassembled and loaded in a car or airplane. Folding wheelchairs can either be folded or detached from the motor and then folded, making them compact.

Folding wheelchairs take up less storage space than other power wheelchairs, even if they can be disassembled. These space-savers fit in the trunk of most cars. Scooters and power-base wheelchairs usually take up enough space that a larger vehicle is necessary to move them, and much of the vehicle's storage space will be taken up. A folding wheelchair leaves more space in your vehicle for packing luggage.

When disassembled, the heaviest piece of a travel wheelchair tends to weigh about 80 pounds, with the lightest models weighing about 60. Travel wheelchairs generally aren't made to support as much weight as larger models, but travel versions of heavy duty wheelchairs are available with a capacity of about 300 pounds while retaining a low weight and size. These can be separated into parts as well, but the heaviest piece may be 100 pounds or more.