Best Lightweight Electric Wheelchairs Of 2024 (2024)

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To determine the best lightweight electric wheelchairs, the Forbes Health editorial team analyzed data on over 25 lightweight models from top brands, evaluating them based on:

• Price
• Product weight (no model considered exceeds 75 pounds fully assembled)
• Maximum weight capacity
• Wheelchair width
• Number of seat widths available
• Battery recharge time
• Average travel range on a single battery charge
• Top travel speed
• Turning radius
• Ability to place controls on left or right side
• Portability (whether the wheelchair folds and/or disassembles)
• Approval for air travel

Star ratings were then solely determined by the editorial team.

Lightweight power wheelchairs are often made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy as opposed to heavier materials like steel that are used to construct traditional electric wheelchairs, says Thomas Henley, the owner of Henley Medical in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “Their claim to fame is that they fold up,” he says. “Or they come apart and people can lift the different parts into the trunk of the car, and then they can transport them.” (That disassembly includes removing the batteries for increased lightness.)

In cases where a person uses a bulkier wheelchair, they would typically need a special van and lift to transport it, adds Henley. Lightweight power wheelchairs are therefore considered particularly convenient.

Lightweight power wheelchairs are ideal for older adults and people with mild mobility issues who need to travel or run a quick errand. They should not be used by people with “significant progressive disabilities,” says Henley. “If you think of a person who has multiple sclerosis, and they’re using a walker and want to go to the mall or to their grandson’s ball game, a lightweight folding power chair would be just the ticket for them.”

“The more severe the disability is, the more likely they’re sitting in a traditional-style power chair—and the less likely they would be in a lightweight chair,” adds Henley.

He also notes that using a lightweight power wheelchair can help the user maintain a sense of independence. “It’s very, very handy to … go where you’re going, and your loved one doesn’t have to be pushed in a manual chair. They have their independence,” he says.

Since these chairs are easy to store in cars and on planes and trains, they help make traveling more pleasant. “It’s a good solution for many people,” says Bill Fertig, the Virginia Beach-based director of the United Spinal Association Resource Center. Fertig, who’s a full-time manual wheelchair user, says lightweight electric chairs are great for “major excursions” like visiting a zoo. Another benefit: “They’re affordable,” he says.

Plus, Fertig adds, they’re “super long lived”—some can go as far as 16 miles on a single battery charge.

Eisenbud and Donna Lowich, a senior information specialist with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggest considering the following factors when shopping for a lightweight electric wheelchair:

• The total weight of chair
• The chair’s turning radius, especially if the chair will be used inside a home
• Ease of disassembly or folding of the chair
• The power of the motor
• The quality of construction of the chair, as well as the durability of the materials used
• Comfort
• How often it will be used
• Ease of use
• The type of terrain it will drive on most often

Lightweight power chairs also have weight limits for the user, which can vary significantly, so make sure the one you’re interested in will work for you. Eisenbud and Lowich also recommend discussing the chair with your doctor and perhaps visiting a seating clinic to make sure this type of wheelchair is the best choice for you.

You can buy a lightweight power wheelchair online, says Henley, or you can visit a “reputable dealer” like a medical supply store. He recommends the latter because lightweight power wheelchairs tend to break rather often. If you purchased your chair directly from a local dealer, you can get it serviced more easily, he says. “If you buy off the internet, it’s difficult to get service, which you will need eventually.”

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