Whether you’re in the healthcare industry or someone who wants to learn about the accessibility and use of wheelchairs for themselves or a family member, it is important to know what role the larger rear wheels and the small front wheels of the wheelchair play.
There are many types of wheelchairs available on the market.
Some are easier to use, and others are not.
To find out which wheelchair would be best suited to your needs, you need to do some research.
You might be wondering, are wheelchairs with big wheels easier to push?
Or which wheelchair is the best?
Well, no need for you to worry because I’ve got the answers to all of your questions.
This article will talk about wheelchairs, whether wheelchairs with big wheels are easier to push, which wheelchairs are easiest to push, the anatomy of a wheelchair, and the rear’s purpose front wheels of a wheelchair.
I’m also going to provide you with a guide for finding the ideal wheelchair.
So, sit back, relax, and read this article till the end.
Are wheelchairs with big wheels easier to push?
You’d think that a wheelchair with large wheels would require more effort to be pushed because of the larger size of the wheels, but in reality, that isn’t the case.
Wheelchairs having larger rear wheels are easier to push because they have less weight to roll than their weight and structure.
That’s why you’ll see wheelchairs with big wheels more often in hospitals and clinics.
Some types of terrain will require bigger wheels for better performance, for example, at the beach.
Sandy terrain can be a very challenging adventure for a wheelchair user.
But thanks to technology and human ingenuity, we can find beach wheelchairs to buy, or even rent or borrow on some beaches.
So, yes, wheelchairs with big wheels are easier to push than wheelchairs with smaller, more compact wheels at the rear, which hinder the control and movement of the wheelchair.
Is it easy to push transport wheelchairs?
Transport wheelchairs are the best mobility and ease of pushing for users who are not capable of propelling themselves.
A few key features of transport wheelchairs make them the easiest to push wheelchairs.
Let’s take a look at those key features.
First of all, these wheelchairs came with ergonomically correct handlebars and made from a soft material that feels good to the hands and doesn’t cause soreness and muscle pain after a long time of pushing the wheelchair of a loved one.
Secondly, the wheelchair’s rear wheels are larger and lightweight rubber material requiring the lowest force to push them with a person.
Some transport wheelchairs are foldable and can be stored compactly and easily.
This allows them to be accessible by larger individuals even without any excessive space requirements.
All of these features make transport wheelchairs the easiest to push.
Why do wheelchairs have big wheels?
A question that might be echoing in your mind is, why do wheelchairs have big wheels?
What’s the purpose of such large wheels at the rear end of the wheelchair?
Well, first of all, not all wheelchairs have huge wheels at the rear.
Some wheelchairs use four medium-sized wheels at the back and the front to keep a steady and stable uniform movement.
But the ergonomic and easy-to-push choice of wheels is bigger rear wheels and smaller front wheels for wheelchairs.
As a caregiver, you can push either a transport wheelchair or a manual wheelchair in the end.
But for the wheelchair user, only the second option would allow self-propelling, with no second person’s assistance.
This is because bigger rear wheels not only move faster and the wheelchair easier to push, but they also allow for self-transportation, which you might have seen people in wheelchairs do.
They don’t require any helper or person to push the wheelchair with the handlebars at the back because they can do it themselves.
This is something they wouldn’t have the ability to do if their arms couldn’t reach the wheels in the first place, which is the case when a wheelchair has smaller rear and front wheels.
So, that’s why I believe bigger wheels are used in wheelchairs so that the options of self-transportation and supported wheelchair movement are both on the table.
The people in the wheelchair can be responsible for their movement, giving them a morale boost and a sense of independence, which is incredibly important for a healthy mind.
Why do wheelchairs have small front wheels?
The wheelchair has big rear wheels; they also come with smaller front wheels. These wheels are called wheelchair casters.
So, why are wheelchair casters used in the front?
What’s the purpose of using small front wheels in a wheelchair? Let’s find out.
Wheelchair casters hold a lot of importance in the operation of a wheelchair.
They’re small and quick to move, but most importantly, they can swivel and move in all directions, which is essential for maneuvering and moving the wheelchair in different directions at a quicker speed than the larger rear wheels would take.
Wheelchairs that have small front wheels that are made from durable material are easy to roll and can move in all directions without causing problems are the perfect choice for everyone because not only do they require less pushing force, but they’re ergonomic and swiftly moveable.
If the small front casters of a wheelchair are not up to par, you need to expect them to perform as badly as the shopping mall cartwheels that you hate to use.
So, not only are casters integral to the anatomy of a wheelchair, but good quality is also very extremely important.
Is it hard to push a wheelchair?
Pushing a wheelchair can be hard only if you’re not taking advantage of all the incredible options and modern advancements in the wheelchair industry.
The thing is, in the past, wheelchairs were designed only to be transportable.
There was no focus on ergonomics, swift movement, or anything of the sort.
If a wheelchair is good enough to move a person with the caretaker’s help from one place to another, that would be enough.
If you choose the right wheelchair in modern-day society, you won’t face any difficulty pushing it and would find it very easy to push.
Force required to push a wheelchair.
You might be wondering, what sort of force is required to push a wheelchair?
Well, instead of going into mathematics and physics, I’m going to tell you that the ideal wheelchair requires little to no force to move it.
It is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and super simple to control.
However, if you take the example of a bad-quality wheelchair, you’re going to require a lot of force to push it around.
From the wheels being heavy to the swivel being bad and the overall motion being laggy, wheelchairs can also be quite a pain in the bottom. That’s why finding the ideal wheelchair is a must.
What to look for in the Ideal wheelchair?
Thinking about getting the ideal wheelchair?
Lucky for you, I’ve made a list of some of the most important factors you’re going to need to look for in a wheelchair.
Here they are:
Ergonomic Handlebar – One essential feature that the ideal wheelchair must have is an ergonomic handlebar.
A handlebar designed to be held easily without causing any strain to the muscles and feeling soft on the skin can help the wheelchair pusher keep working for a long time without any pain or stress.
Larger Rear Wheels – Larger rear wheels, as I’ve said before, are key to the ease of using a wheelchair.
A wheelchair with large rear wheels opens up many avenues and allows you to choose between self-transport or caretaker’s help, and you can easily move around according to your choice, which is great.
High-quality Front Casters – Front wheels are small but integral to the movement of a wheelchair.
They take a lot of the weight of the wheelchair on them, and that’s why they need to be very high-quality.
The caster wheels need to be in tip-top shape from the rubber to the swivel design and everything in between.
Foldable Design – It is important that the wheelchair you’re getting can be stored easily.
You might not have enough space for a huge wheelchair to be stored.
For that reason, you’re going to need a wheelchair that can easily be folded into a compact form and can be stored without any hassle super-efficiently.
Maximum Weight Capacity – A wheelchair is only as good as the maximum weight capacity.
It would help if you found a wheelchair that is good for heavier people.
A strong-framed wheelchair that can fit larger people without giving out is good because the person put into the wheelchair might not always be underweight.
You will find some wheelchairs in the market called bariatric wheelchairs.
Those are very specific for users facing health problems due to obesity.
It is very important to purchase the right wheelchair in this case. Wheelchairs that are not suitable to carry so much weight can cause serious accidents if they break during their use.
Be careful.
Talk to your trusted specialist.
Conclusion
Wheelchairs are a revolutionary advancement in the field of medical sciences.
And throughout the past few years, these amazing devices have become very structurally ergonomic.
From larger rear wheels to small front casters and soft material handlebars, along with excessive storage space and self-moveability, wheelchairs seem to have all the things you’d need in a single sitting mode of transportation.
So, make sure you get the ideal wheelchair for yourself or your loved one so they can live a happy and easy life with a carefree mind.
