Light weight foldable wheel chairs

February 6, 2013 9:24 PM

Need a bare bone light weight fold able wheelchair - But with the normal size wheels. Not the little casters qll round.. My wife uses a wheel chair 30-50% of the time, other wise she walks with crutches. I see beautiful chairs with great construction AND DESIGN , and lightweight products like this for $4k that perfectly fit the bills. problem is this is isn't an acceptable price for us (if that what we have to pay so be it )but i bet there is a minimalist wheel chair maker out there (coming from a guy who put almost 5K into fitting up a Tommasin sintesin bicycle Frame) its hard for me to believe there isnT a high quality wheel chair out there with some degree of the workmanship for less thaN $2k

We find overkill $3K to $15K chairs that I can often appreciate the value but not the price they ask Any suggestions for higher end but not highest end light weight wheel chairs mot extremely exaggerated, Oh Yeah - Needs to be light weight and have a foot tray rater than th fold down foot supports Sorry for mispellings and caps my key board hates m3 - THANKS

posted by Carbolic to health & fitness (11 answers total)

Craigslist is a great source for affordable wheelchairs. You may have to watch for awhile but some pretty good one come up fairly often if you're near a good size city. I'm in Austin and I have seen some very pricy chairs, including sports chairs, in the $200-$700 range.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:48 PM on February 6

Try searching for "transport chairs." Here's one with 24" wheels that runs a little over $300.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:23 PM on February 6

Try searching for "transport chairs." Here's one with 24" wheels that runs a little over $300.

I don't think this is what the OP is looking for. That "lightweight" chair is 50% heavier than the one the OP covets. Also notice that "transport chairs" have handles so someone else can push the occupant around, often lack the large wheels required for the occupant to push themselves around, and that the lack of large wheels makes them useless in most outdoor environments.

OP, why foldable? My wife uses a chair some of the time, so I know a bit about this. IME, the best, lightest chairs do not fold. But the wheels release with pushbuttons on the axles and the seat back folds down, so you can get the thing in a small trunk or hatchback cargo area just the same.

I do think you're going to be disappointed in your search for cheap excellence. Even good mass-market wheelchairs, e.g. Quickie, are fairly pricey, let alone something artisinal.
posted by jon1270 at 3:32 AM on February 7

yeah, he wants an ultralight chair.
My wheelchair tech advised me to look on Craigslist too. I've been repairing my ultralight for years, and my insurance won't pay for an ultralight because hello, my insurance is crap. So yes, Craigslist. You can find bargains because when somebody stops needing a chair for whatever reason, it's not like ablebodied people have use for it, so they get sold.
posted by angrycat at 3:47 AM on February 7

These guys have a line of titanium chairs for right around $2K. 11lbs.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:33 AM on February 7

From slaphappy's link, I have the TiLite that's listed for 2k. It's kept me going fine for six years now
posted by angrycat at 6:28 AM on February 7

Wheelchair88 may meet your needs, and the price range of their products is <$2K. (Full Disclosure: I am of blood relations with the owner of the company.) Please MeFi mail me if you are interested and we get work out a better pricing for a fellow MeFite. :)
posted by angermanagement at 11:05 AM on February 7

Thanks for all suggestions but not interested in the transport (small wheel type) or anything motorized, The Lasher chairs are the ultimate but also overkill. Something with the same design ideas without being race ready is what we are looking for http://www.spinlife.com/critpath/match.cfm?categoryID=50 are closer The Lasher chars are beautiful but like bicycles I expect you get 75% + performance on a chair with a step or two down equipment wise
posted by Carbolic at 8:07 PM on February 7

jon1270 - I will reevaluate the need for a fold-able, Didn't consider that some rigid disassemble. The chair is mostly used when traveling, around the house and when shes under the weather. She rarely used it till a couple of years ago so what we have are two of the cheapest pot metal versions ever made,

I'm a biker and I've been trying to show her the comparison between the construction of a good bike and a good chair - why a $200 chair probably isn't the best. I guess we are looking for a nice Schwinn or mid-level Trek equivalent.
posted by Carbolic at 8:25 PM on February 7

Whatever you do, ask an expert to help you find a chair which fits your wife's body and needs. A badly fitting chair will crap out your back and shoulders in no time flat.
posted by firstdrop at 10:13 PM on February 7 [1 favorite]

we are still looking and taking the wisdom of this thread in to consideration
posted by Carbolic at 12:23 AM on March 14