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Home / ILS Blog / How to travel with your power wheelchair.

One of the best things to be in life is a travel junky, to enjoy life in motion and as a continuing journey. Travel is a great opportunity to feast your eyes on new things, meet new people and taste life in different flavors. But as you grow older you may find this more and more difficult as you face physical difficulties in moving. It is not only a component of aging but of many other reasons like illnesses, surgery or disabilities. The power wheelchair is a rescuer to all these situations and a reliable partner to your life in motion. Controlled by a joystick, it needs minimum effort from you, giving you more freedom to enjoy your surroundings.

Portability

The most important thing to check off when buying a power wheelchair to travel is its portability. Most powered wheelchairs are bulky, but you can transport it with the use of a ramp or a lift. If not you can even pick lightweight portable power wheelchair option that can be assembled and disassembled for transport.

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Buying a model to suit the journey

There are many models of power wheelchairs to pick from when shopping. However if you hope to travel it will be wise to power chairs that are modeled to travel outside. These are sturdier and can travel on rougher terrain. Also, when buying a model it is good to buy with a gap between your weight and the maximum weight capacity of the power wheelchair so that, in accordance with the rules of physics, it can support your weight up slopes and mountains if necessary. It will be also helpful to opt for a one with longer battery capacity to cover a long distance. In terms of adjustability, some powered wheelchairs offering recline and standing features which could come handy for a user.

Maneuverability, speed, and terrain

Attention should be paid to the number of wheels and their placement; located in the front, middle, and in the back. You should choose based on the drive feature you require. Middle wheel drive are suitable for better maneuverability, rear-wheel drive for better speed and front wheel drive to travel slow on uneven terrain. The type of wheel is also important, whether it is solid or pneumatic. If you are looking at using the power chair outdoors, the castor wheels, which are the non-drive wheels, should not be too small as it will not be suitable.

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With consideration and safety, you are on your way!

There are many things to consider and reconsider when buying a powered wheelchair for travel. It is also good to make sure they are handled and secured carefully during transportation to avoid damage. However, all these efforts are worth as it will give you the opportunity to enjoy travel independently.

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