Selecting and purchasing a power wheelchair is exciting but also could be confusing for a new power wheelchair user. Choosing a suitable chair to meet your needs is more or less similar to choosing your dream car- you need to know where would you be using the chair, what features would you like the chair to have and most importantly, a satisfactory experience of your test drive session.
There are basics your need to know to help you with the selection process. We have found you some easy to read and useful guide to help you to begin:
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/428482/pdwc-comparison.pdf
http://ilc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Guide-to-Selecting-Powered-Wheelchairs.pdf
Concise clinical guidance for the three main types of power wheelchair
http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Your-Power-Wheelchair
A step by step guide with diagram to help you to understand the key aspects of choosing a suitable chair
There is a useful online video for the power chair beginners:
Also similar to buying a car, there is no such a thing called 'perfect' car/power wheelchair in the world. However there is always going to be a better one to suit your personal needs. A chair designed for outdoor use with a greater suspension system may perform worse in an indoor environment due to its less maneuverability of a larger wheelchair footprint- same issue as the struggle of an expensive sport car might have when running on a country road. Therefore knowing where and how you would use the wheelchair for is essential when you come to select a power wheelchair- a more expensive chair might not be a better choice. A power chair could cost you from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the add-on features, brand/model & place of manufacturing.
After-all, selecting a suitable power-chair is a medium to long term investment as a high end power chair could cost you nearly the same as buying a car. To maximise the benefit of such a huge investment for your care, it will also require an experienced clinician, normally an occupational therapist to help you to select a product which not just meets your current needs, but also your future needs based on your health condition, prognosis and environmental limitations. If you have any question about selecting a suitable power chair for you or the person under your care, please feel free to contact GRS for more information.