A transport wheelchair is a lightweight mobility chair that combines the function of a power or electric wheelchair with the portability of a rollator.
They are lightweight (weigh a maximum of 20 pounds), smaller in size and compact when compared to a standard wheelchair.
This makes them portable, especially the foldable models, which get further compact to be easily placed in a vehicle.
This lightweight mobility device has smaller wheels and thus cannot be self-propelled, like a standard wheelchair, and needs to be pushed around by a companion.
The handles placed at the top enable the caregiver to push the transport wheelchair.
The brakes are on the chair handles or the rear wheels.
This adds to the safety feature wherein the caregiver exercises complete control over its movement.
The wheel size is at least 8 inches.
Some models even have 12 inches rear casters for a smooth ride over rough surfaces.
A lightweight transport wheelchair has the same weight capacity as a standard wheelchair and can carry a user weight of around 300 pounds.
Usually, two distinct categories of users avail of this chair – a) those with a permanent mobility concern and cannot self-propel the wheelchair and thus need a caregiver to push it around, and b) those who need it temporarily and thus would not want to invest in a standard heavyweight wheelchair.
Some transport wheelchairs have solid, one-piece bar footrest, while others have an adjustable footrest or a removable and swing-away footrest.
The latter ones are very useful while folding the chair for its transportation.
Use of Transport Wheelchairs in Hospital Setting
The transport wheelchairs are commonly used in a clinic or hospital setting.
In a hospital, they take the patient to different places within the facility for medical tests or therapies.
When patients are ready to be discharged, they can be moved from the room to the exit using the lightweight transfer.
The lightweight feature makes it easy for the caregiver/attendant to push it around within the hospital.
The hand brakes allow the caregiver to exercise full control over the wheelchair’s mobility.
The footrest will give the patient added comfort.
Thus, a transport wheelchair with basic features suffices the requirements of a hospital setting.
Advanced features or accessories are not essential here.
They also find their utility in homes where standard heavyweight wheelchairs with a wider base cannot fit in.
Using the lightweight wheelchair, the user can visit a doctor’s clinic or can go grocery shopping.
Transport Wheelchairs with Removable Arms
Armrests can be padded or stiff, flat or rounded.
Some chairs may even have short handles rather than full armrests.
Some of the transport wheelchairs have detachable/removable and flip-back armrests, which allow easy side transfers on and off the chair.
Most of these wheelchairs have desk-length arms, a shorter arm that enables rolling up to a desk or table.
