Living with a disability doesn’t have to mean that you’re helpless. People living with disabilities need to be very active, so they don’t fall into depression. It’s already hard knowing that some of your movement and capabilities are restricted but not being able to do anything at all for yourself is more challenging. That is why you need to get a mobility aid and get the best lightweight wheelchair to aid in living everyday life. I have also had my share of not being able to do anything and feeling down.
A couple of months back, I fractured my shin while hiking and had to use a wheelchair. I got the traditional wheelchairs, but I found it difficult shopping, visiting loved ones, and when I’m left alone at home, it was difficult to do simple house chores. It became impossible to stay positive, and I began to drift into depression. My doctor noticed my personality change, and he recommended I got a lightweight wheelchair.
I decided not just to get a lightweight wheelchair but to get the best available. During my search, I discovered some very great options available, and it is from there, my review was borne. I have been able to pick out the best from different brands instead of just centring on one brand with more than one suitable lightweight wheelchair. Hopefully, you’ll get one that fits your needs and helps you stay positive for a quality life.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Lightweight Wheelchair UK
1. Days Escape Lite Wheelchair With Eleevating Leg Rest
Apart from the fact that The Days’ brand is a trusted name worldwide, these Days Escape lite wheelchair is very lightweight and has a foldable aluminium frame. It is an attendant-propelled chair that provides all the necessary comfort necessities for you. It is convenient, ideal for both indoors and outdoors, with three-seat widths. It gives flexibility and has puncture-proof tyres, which means low maintenance of the chair. It was specially designed for ease of transportation and storage. There is a two-year warranty on the mainframe and a year warranty on the complete chair.
Features
- Height adjustable footrest with 37cm and 57cm minimum and maximum length, respectively
- Foldable aluminium frame
- Padded full-length armrest; foot lever and heel cups on footplates available
- Adjustable seat belt.
2. Elite Care UK Deluxe Folding Wheelchair
This is the perfect getaway wheelchair suitable for days out, holidays, shopping trips, or just strolling around to take some fresh air. Here are all the reasons it stands out; this is a deluxe chair with handbrakes that can be used in two ways: slowing brakes or locking brakes. You use it for slowing by pulling the brake levers up and pushing the breaks down until it locks for locking. It is so lightweight for travelling, folds to approx. ⅓ of its size, making it easy to store and comes with 12 solid rear tyres, eight solid front tyres ready to take you anywhere.
Features
- Attendant handbrakes
- 12 rear wheels and eight front wheels
- Flip-up padded arms and multiple cross braces
- Lightweight
3. Elite Care UK Light Wheelchair
This wheelchair is not necessary. It’s beautiful; it is elegantly coated with metallic red liquid paint to give that catchy finish. It isn’t just the beauty of it that makes it not austere but other things it can help others do. Its armrest is flip-up and removable so that you can get nearer to the table when eating, and you can side transfer with ease, its lightweight, easy fold, and have quick-release rear wheels, which makes it lighter and more comfortable to store. Its backrest can fold down, making it easy to transport; its footrest swings inwards, outwards, and flips, which means fewer parking hazards. Overall this lightweight wheelchair is fantastic.
Features
- Adjustable leg rests
- Removable armrest
- Quick-release rear wheels with puncture-proof tyres
- Designed with foldable backrests
4. Drive Devilbiss Self Propelled Silver Sport Wheelchair
Talk about a stylish wheelchair, and then this is it. It is designed with a dark-tone nylon upholstery, silver frame, soft-touch side panels, and a rear pocket at the seat’s rear. All these features make it easy to clean, attractive, comfortable, and handy to store small items. The most outstanding property of this wheelchair is its Ultra-lightweight aluminium frame with a single cross brace, making transportation and keeping even more comfortable due to its lightweight. It’s manoeuvrable with its long reach brakes that can be easily used by the user or attendant and lightweight aluminium rims. This self-propelled wheelchair is safe for mounting curbs and comfortable as you can adjust yourself to your preference.
Features
- Desk style armrest with soft-touch side panels.
- Quick-release swing-away footrests
- Silver aluminium frame with cross brace
- Carry pocket on backrests to provide additional convenience
5. Angel Mobility AMW004 lightweight wheelchair
This is a lightweight wheelchair that weighs 11kg only this makes it very easy for transportation. It folds in seconds, the footrest is detachable, and the backrest is foldable, making storage very easy. And the last thing you need is a wheelchair that takes up a lot of space in the house and can’t just be put in the car wherever you’re going. It also makes it easy for the attendant with its hand brakes which makes stopping easier and reduces the stress of having to bend anytime you stop. It is a suitable wheelchair.
Features
- It has a flip-up removable footrest.
- High adjustable footrests and fold-down backrest
- Puncture-proof tyres and height-adjustable footrests
- Lightweight alloy frame.
6. Aidapt Compact Transport Aluminium wheelchair
If you’re a first time user or you’ve been using the traditional wheelchair and want to try the lightweight wheelchair you’ll need something strong, reliable and easy to use, then this is it. This wheelchair that is designed with a compact and lightweight aluminium frame making it easy to travel anywhere with and fold easily into your cars when going shopping, holidaying or visiting. It is comfortable, have easy to use brakes and have been awarded BS EN 12183 2009 Manual wheelchairs approval.
Features
- Fixed PU armrests and half folding backrest
- Height adjustable leg rests and brakes.
- Puncture-proof wheels and castors
- They are designed with a lightweight aluminium frame.
7. ChangeDe Lightweight Wheelchair
This lightweight wheelchair is made from Titanium alloy frame, making it ultralight, reliable, sturdy, stable and durable. It is quite expensive but worth the value. It comes with Titanium alloy tires for safe travel, and the tires are large sizes, reduced risk of inflation, leaking and puncture, it is easier to cross obstacles and drives smoothly. It has nursing handbrakes which make stopping easier for the attendant, the back pad and footrest comes with a honeycomb lathe mesh design, comfortable, moisture-retentive and breathable. It is easy to fold, which makes travelling easier. This chair is convenient and safe.
Features
- Titanium alloy frame and tires
- Hand brakes
- Rear wheels and front wheel
8. Days Swift Self Propelled Wheelchair
An incredible lightweight wheelchair that ensures comfort and swift mobility, this is one of the most flexible models on the market. It comes with an adjustable backrest that can be set from a partially reclined to an upright sitting angle. Whichever the case, just add your favourite comfort pillow and enjoy a blissfully relaxed sitting, regardless of how long it takes. The highly versatile wheelchair also allows you to sit comfortably, in all your favourite activities; watching TV, playing a ping pong game, or socializing. And when lunchtime arrives, you can enjoy your favourite meal or snack on a tray that sits conveniently on the handles.
Features
- Adjustable backrest
- Designed with footrest and leg guards
- Self-propelled design.
- Fixed arms
9. Paldin UK Lightweight Wheelchair
If your budget is low for a lightweight wheelchair, then this is your closest option. Notwithstanding the price, this wheelchair is also great value and has some features which are usually found in more ‘up-market’ models. Such as; high-quality tyres made from fine pressed steel, solid black tires with plastic wheel handles, steel parking brakes, uses a crossbar support structure, comfortable padded armrests and a storage pocket for storing essential items. It’s also ideal for an independent person as it is self-propelled.
Features
- Padded armrests and swing away dual footrest
- Parking brakes and plastic wheel handles
- Backrest storage pocket and nylon seat
- Black reliable back tire and Grey solid front tire
10. L-Y UK Ultra-lightweight Medical Wheelchair
This is a wheelchair that was built to suit you! This Ultra-lightweight wheelchair was made from Titanium alloy, giving it high strength, small folding size, easy to carry, comfort and stability. It is foldable to a compact size even its backrest and pedals are foldable, making it a travel wheelchair as it can easily fit in the car boot, aeroplane or coach. It has double brakes for easy use by the user and attendant. It can easily handle all kinds of road conditions with its solid rubber tires with high strength, high loading bearing, and non-slip wear resistance. It is comfortable and durable.
Features
- Foldable backrest and pedals
- Solid rubber tires
- Hand brakes and rear brakes
- Thick Titanium alloy frame
Lightweight Wheelchair UK Buying Guide
It’s not just about the review you have to know what to look out for a while buying the best lightweight wheelchair. It’s essential to understand what is expected, features to look out for, and choices. Buying is the most tricky thing to do, and it is vital to look past all the marketers say and make informed decisions.
This buying guide will help you know what is available and what to put into considerations.
Available types
When buying a lightweight wheelchair, you have to consider if it folds or not?
The folding wheelchair collapses completely, it’s middle folds, and most time its armrest can be flipped back or removed and its footrest folded down. The rigid wheelchair only folds its backrest. The folding model can be easily stored because the rear wheels are removed. Still, the rigid wheelchair is more lightweight than the folding model because it isn’t designed with the additional hardware and mechanisms needed to fold the chair.
Also, you have to consider which you prefer between a manual and an electric wheelchair. Electric lightweight wheelchairs are very expensive, but they are straightforward to use and manoeuvre. They also come with a battery that restricts movement distance based on battery life and strength. At the same time, manual wheelchairs are more cost-efficient, functional and practical.
Frame material used
There are two types of materials used for a lightweight wheelchair; aluminium and titanium. Aluminium is the material for standard wheelchairs, but titanium is the choice material for lightweight chairs because titanium is a lighter metal, it has built-in shock absorption, it is more durable, but it is also more expensive. Aluminium and Titanium wheelchairs are available in both rigid and folding models, so there are many choices for you.
Buying price
Most times you want something budget-friendly sometimes you want the best no matter the price involved. Both scenarios are fully covered because you can see a lightweight wheelchair with a price low enough to fit your budget and is the best value for its price. So you can be confident enough to know that just because your account is economical doesn’t mean you’re getting a low grade.
Other features to consider
Other features make the transport wheelchair easy to use, provide comfort, and are essential to look out for. There are;
Seat material, seat size, seat height, chair height, chair weight, armrests, leg rests and wheels. The seats are mostly made from vinyl or nylon which are durable and easy to clean. The seat height indicates how high the seat is. It shouldn’t be higher than the user or transfer will be difficult. Chair height and weight are vital for easy transport and manoeuvre, armrests and leg rests provide added comfort and support, wheels offer stability. Some are shock absorbers other are low maintenance.
Read Reviews from Customers
If you want to get that pure honesty about the product, don’t focus on only what the manufacturers say. It’s very typical for manufacturers to write only positive reviews about their products, but customers give honest reviews about the product and choose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do I need a wheelchair?
If you find it difficult to walk unassisted if you can’t walk long distances or can’t even take a few steps without needing to rest then you’ll need the assistance of a wheelchair. You should first visit your doctor to evaluate your difficulty working and prescribe a wheelchair.
what is the difference between a transport wheelchair and a standard wheelchair?
Transport wheelchairs are made of aluminium or steel, weigh 9-15kg and have 8-12 rear wheels, while the standard wheelchair is made of steel, weigh 15kg+ and have 18-24 wheels.
How should you sit in a wheelchair?
while sitting on a wheelchair you have to maintain a good posture if you’re not able to maintain a good posture adjust the chair height and width to sit upright, bring your shoulder back and ensure you’re not slumping to one side.
which brakes are more useful in a lightweight wheelchair?
They are different braking systems available for each chair some have handbrakes, some have rear wheels brakes others have a combination of both rear wheels and hand brakes. Handbrakes are very useful if the user is on the heavy side and there increase safety. Rear wheels brakes are available to bother the user and the attendant. But a combination of hand brakes and rear wheels brakes on a chair is more ideal.
Conclusion
This brings the review to a conclusion. A Lot has been said, and I know that it will help you make the right decision towards aid that will help you live a positive quality life. There is nothing more impressive than a person with a disability who can do even more than an ordinary person can. That is why when making a choice endeavour to pay more attention to the buying guide and make an informed decision not just to buy the Best lightweight wheelchair but the best lightweight wheelchair to suit your taste. Based on recommendations for a low budget choice, it’ll be the Paladin lightweight wheelchair, for an easy to control chair that will give me that independence. I’ll go for the motion Healthcare foldable wheelchair, which is electrical, my ultimate choice, which is the best value for the best price option that will be the Days Escape Wheelchair.
Electric wheelchairs are the future, and the future is now, and we hope that this review of best electric wheelchair UK helps in your search.
