Choosing a suitable electric wheelchair mainly depends on the frame, controller, battery, motor, brakes and tires
1) Frame
The frame is the skeleton of the entire electric wheelchair. Its size can directly determine the comfort of the user, and the material of the frame greatly affects the load-bearing capacity and durability of the entire electric wheelchair.
How to measure whether the wheelchair is the right size?
Everyone’s body shape is different. Brother Shen suggested that it is best to go to an offline store to experience it for yourself. If conditions permit, you can also get a customized model. But if you are buying online, you can use the following data as a reference.
Seat height:
Users with a height of 188cm or more are recommended to have a seat height of 55cm;
For users with a height of 165-188cm, a seat height of 49-52cm is recommended;
For users under 165cm in height, a seat height of 42-45cm is recommended.
Sitting width:
It is advisable for the seat to have a gap of 2.5cm on both sides after sitting down.
Backrest angle:
The 8° reclining angle or the 3D elastic band can make the backrest fit the physiological curve of the spine when it is relaxed, and the force is averaged.
Backrest height:
The height of the backrest is the distance from the seat to the armpits minus 10cm, but half-recumbent/full-recumbent wheelchairs generally use high backrests to give more support to the upper body when they are at an inclination.
Armrest/Footrest Height:
With the arms adducted, the armrest height should allow for approximately 90° of elbow flexion. For the leg support, the thigh should be in full contact with the seat, and the foot support should also bear the load appropriately.
How to choose the right frame material?
The common frame materials of electric wheelchairs are iron and aluminum alloy, and some high-end models also use magnesium alloy and carbon fiber.
Iron is cheap, has good load-bearing capacity, and can be used by obese people who are heavier. The disadvantage is that it is bulky, easy to rust and corrode, and has a short service life.
Aluminum alloy is lighter in quality, not easy to rust, and can bear 100 kg, but the price is higher.
It can be understood that the lighter the material, the better the performance, on the contrary, the more expensive the price.
Therefore, in terms of weight, iron>aluminum alloy>magnesium alloy>carbon fiber, but in terms of price, it is completely opposite.
2) Controller
If the frame is the skeleton, then the controller is the heart of the electric wheelchair. It can directly adjust the speed of the motor, thereby changing the speed and steering of the electric wheelchair.
The controller generally consists of a universal handle, a power switch, an acceleration button, a deceleration button and a horn key. The universal handle can control the wheelchair to rotate 360°.
The quality of the controller is mainly reflected in the steering sensitivity and start-stop sensitivity.
It is a product with high steering sensitivity, quick response, flexible action and convenient operation.
In terms of start-stop speed, it is better to slow down, otherwise it will bring too much rush or frustration.
3) battery
Electric wheelchairs are generally equipped with two types of batteries, one is a lead-acid battery and the other is a lithium battery.
Lead-acid batteries are generally configured on iron cars; lithium batteries have wide adaptability, and different types of electric wheelchairs can be equipped with lithium batteries.
Compared with lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries are lighter in weight, larger in capacity, longer in standby time, and have better overcharge resistance and longer service life.
4) Motor
There are also two types of motors for electric wheelchairs, brushed motors and brushless motors. The biggest difference is that the former has carbon brushes, while the latter has no carbon brushes.
The advantage of brushed motors is that they are cheap and can basically meet the needs of users for electric wheelchairs. However, they work with loud noise, high energy consumption, require regular maintenance, and have a relatively short service life.
The brushless motor is very smooth when running, almost no noise, and it is power-saving, maintenance-free, and has a long service life. The disadvantage is that it is more expensive.
If the budget is sufficient, Brother Shen still recommends choosing a brushless motor.
5) brake
Electric wheelchairs have manual brakes, electronic brakes and electromagnetic brakes.
This is the case with manual brakes, which allow the wheelchair to stop by frictionally clamping the brake pads and tires. This is generally configured on electric wheelchairs equipped with electronic brakes.
Because the electronic brake can no longer be activated when the wheelchair is out of power, the manufacturer will install a handbrake as a second layer of protection.
Compared with electronic brakes, the safest part of electromagnetic brakes is that when the wheelchair is out of power, it can also brake the car through magnetic force.
Therefore, the price of electronic brakes is cheap and basically meets the needs of use, but there are potential safety hazards when the wheelchair is out of power.
The electromagnetic brake can meet the braking demand under any circumstances, but the price is more expensive.
6) Tires
There are two types of electric wheelchair tires: solid tires and pneumatic tires.
Pneumatic tires have a good shock absorption effect and are cheap, but there are problems such as punctures and deflation, which require maintenance.
Solid tires do not need to worry about tire punctures and other problems, and the maintenance is simple, but the shock absorption effect is poor and the price is more expensive.
Post time: Mar-13-2023