Far from being a one-size-fits-all scenario, choosing the right size wheelchair for your needs can be the difference between one that’s comfortable and fit for purpose and one that just isn’t quite right.
With a little time and consideration beforehand, you’re sure to find the right size wheelchair for your needs. You just need a rigid tape measure (not a fabric one) and somewhere solid for the person who’ll be using the wheelchair to sit (like a dining table chair). If you’re measuring yourself for a wheelchair, you may need someone to help you.
Getting the right seat size will have a major impact on the overall comfort of the wheelchair. If it’s not wide enough, the person using it may feel it pinch or squeeze at their sides and it could lead to pressure sores developing – especially if they’ll be using it a lot. Too wide and it may make it more difficult to manoeuvre if it’s a self-propelled chair.
How to get the measurements you’ll need
To measure the width
- Have the person who will be using the wheelchair sit down on the dining table chair (or whatever solid seat surface you’re using for this)
- Measure them at their widest point, this may be at their hips or their thighs
- Make a note of the measurement
To measure the depth
- Make sure the person is sitting upright
- Measure them from their rear to behind their knees
- Make a note of the measurement
To measure the height
- Make sure the person is sitting upright
- Measure them from behind their knees to the ground
- Make a note of the measurement
How to use these measurements
It’s not quite as simple as taking those measurements and directly applying them to each wheelchair you look at. For example, if you were interested in purchasing the Economy Attendant-Propelled Wheelchair, the seat with measurement is 450mm (18”). If your width measurement is also 450mm, then the chair isn’t really wide enough for you as, ideally, you’d need the wheelchair to be wider than your width measurement by at least 250mm for comfort. In this example, you’d want to consider a wheelchair like the Deluxe Folding Wheelchair instead, which has a seat width measurement of 480mm (19”).
If your width measurement was a lot smaller than the wheelchair by 500mm or more, then it would likely be too wide for you and you may want to look at a narrower wheelchair instead.
Similarly with the depth measurement (sometimes referred to as the seat length), you don’t want it to completely align with the depth measurement of the wheelchair or be less than it, as this would be uncomfortable to sit in long term. In an ideal world, the seat depth measurement of the wheelchair would be roughly 300-500mm shorter than your depth measurement.
However, with the height measurement, you can be more literal using it as it’s simply a way of making sure there’s enough space for their legs and that their feet won’t dangle!
Don’t forget about weight limits
You’ll need to keep in mind the weight of the person using the wheelchair as each wheelchair will have a different weight limit. A good place to start, when looking to purchase a wheelchair, is to check the weight limit first before looking at any of the other measurements. This will help make sure you don’t waste time in your search examining a chair that won’t be suitable even if the seat size is right.
Something to keep in mind
Unless a wheelchair is a specialist one that’s been tailored to be a custom fit for you, you may not find one “off the shelf” that is perfect in every aspect. It’s about finding the one that’s closest to the right fit for you and your needs.
If you are a permanent wheelchair user looking for a more custom, specialised wheelchair, please speak with our Specialist Wheelchair team for further help.
