When purchasing power wheelchairs, travel wheelchairs or medical wheelchairs there are some things to consider. You must look at things like turning radius, how does it move in and through small spaces, does it fit under tables, is it comfortable, warranties and offer multiple ways of paying for the wheelchair.
After doing some research on 3 popular and durable wheelchairs. I came up with the Hoveround, Jazzy Air 2 and the Air Hawk.
The Hoveround is an American corporation. They manufacture, distribute and sell the Hoveround brand of power wheelchairs and accessories. The company was founded by a former nurse Tom Kruse out of Sarasota, Florida. The Hoveround LX-5 Power Wheelchair
is an affordable product. It retails for $2,495. I have provided some details below.
- 300-pound weight capacity
- 12 mile battery range (will run for many hour based on riders weight)
- 4 mph maximum speed (speed may vary based on riders weight)
- 22.7-inch turning radius
- 2.5-inch ground clearance
- 2-inch maximum step climb to get over little bumps and floor raises
- 38-inch length and 24-inch overall width. It will move through narrow spaces
- Power wheelchair weight including batteries is 173 lbs.
This is a comfortable long term usable power wheelchair. It fits under tables for work or dining areas. Runs well indoors and outdoors. Has a good turning radius. The company offers a 1 year warranty. Also, the company offer to potentially see if Medicare would pay for it partially or totally. This chair has gotten 5 stars from many users.
The Jazzy Air 2 is made by a company called Pride out of Exeter, Pennsylvania. The product has very good reviews. It has a very comfortable seat that elevates up to 12 inches. It also has a top speed of 4 miles per hour. Gives the user a comfortable ride with built in suspension. It’s gives great usability indoors and outdoors. Overall is a good package.
- 300-pound weight capacity
- 16.8 –19.2 mile battery range (will run for many hour based on riders weight and version of battery chosen)
- 4 mph maximum speed (speed may vary based on rider’s weight)
- 24.25-inch turning radius
- 1-inch ground clearance at motor bracket
- 33.21″/42″ (with footplate)-inch length and 23.25-inch overall width.
- Power wheelchair weight including batteries is 202 lbs.
This is a quality and comfortable long term usable power wheelchair. It fits under tables for work or dining areas. Also, has the ability to raise the seat to adjust to various counter areas and people you’re speaking with. Runs well indoors and outdoors. Has a decent turning radius. The company offers warranties – 5-year limited on frame, 13-month limited on electronics, 13-month on drive motors and 13-month limited on batteries. It retails for $4,069.00. There are some places that offer free shipping. This chair has gotten 4 and 5 stars from many users.
The Air Hawk is sold by many groups. It’s manufactured by a company called Pride. It’s the largest manufacturer of wheelchairs in the U.S.. The Air Hawk is distributed and sold mainly on the internet. They also, offer many accessories. Some are free and some at a reasonable cost. This power wheelchair is very light. It weighs 41 pounds. It can be very compact. It comes apart and folds in a matter of about a minute. It is a great chair for travel. It is FCAA approved and UN approved for travel. It can run on 1 battery, but currently many dealers are offering 2 batteries as a promotion at no cost. It can safely be folded and placed into a trunk of a taxi, SUV or plane. This chair offers 12 free accessories like under seat basket, spare battery, cup holder, arm bag, safety flag and more.
- 264.5-pound weight capacity
- 26 mile battery range (will run for many hour based on riders weight and version of battery chosen (1 or 2 batteries).)
- 4 mph maximum speed (speed may vary based on rider’s weight)
- 27.3-inches turning radius
- 3.9-inches ground clearance
- 35 in. x 23 in. x 35 in. Unfolded Dimensions (LxWxH)
- Power wheelchair weight without batteries is 41 lbs.
This is a good quality and reasonably comfortable usable power wheelchair. It operates very quietly. Has a lot of ease of use. Able to roll up to tables for work or dining. Also, runs well indoors and outdoors. Has a decent turning radius, but more than the other 2 mentioned earlier. The company offers 2 year limited warranty. With all warranties, the buyer must do some research. It retails for $1,987.00 currently. This is the base price. There are some places that offer free shipping. This chair has gotten good reviews many users.
In conclusion, there are many choices out there when trying to find the correct power wheelchair for you or a loved one. It has a lot to do with the ability of the person using the power wheelchair. Some people are more active and others need to spend more time in the chair. There are people who are still working professionals that may need to spend a lot of time in the power wheelchair. They may consider comfort, mobility and ease of use as a necessity. To move through your home, offices or traveling around town, country and the world are all things to think about. The thoughts of just aiding the elderly with a power wheelchair was not enough for me. I had to think of possibly helping all levels of a person’s life who may need a power wheelchair. So, when approaching to help people that are looking at power wheelchairs; I wanted to give people levels of information that can help them see different applications for different users. It’s my absolute pleasure to read and study products like these to offer help. There are a riduclous amount of power wheelchairs that are availble. Hopefully, I was able to help some people reduce the search and narrow down a purchasing decision. Time is a very hard thing to hold onto. So, please use my research and website to help save you time. Don’t spend your time researching too much. Instead, spend time with your family, friends and loved ones. That’s including yourself.
