Checklist for Finding and Purchasing a Child Wheelchair

Child wheelchairs provide a degree of freedom for children with mobility issues. Choosing the best child wheelchair is a project of love and security.

But finding the right wheelchair for your child is not easy. There are various factors that need to be taken into consideration before purchasing: physical characteristics, lifestyle, etc.

Our checklist for finding and purchasing a child’s wheelchair will help you with this special project and take away your stress.

1. Ask Your Doctor

You want to make sure you get the best and safest wheelchair. Therefore, your first and best source of advice is the doctor.

Your doctor can tell you if a wheelchair is necessary, which ones support your child’s illness, and where you might find trustworthy options. They can also help decide if you need to buy one or whether a child wheelchair rental is sufficient.

Moreover, you can learn how you can get your insurance or tax deductions to support the costs.

2. Activeness

The level of activeness of your child will greatly impact the type of wheelchair you get. For example, does your child participate in activities in school? Moreover, consider which activities are most meaningful to your child. Maybe they aren’t active now but playing with friends will become more important as they grow up.

3. Physical Support

Depending on the level of activeness, a wheelchair will have to provide physical support for the movement. The chair needs to be adjusted to the child’s size to provide the best support. This includes checking the proper width, depth, and height.

For example, the seat of the chair must be able to fit the child’s hips. If there’s too little space, it’s uncomfortable. If there’s too much, this impacts the child’s ability to reach out to the wheel rims.

Moreover, do you need any additional support for the wheelchair? There are various options out there like harnesses, self-propel management, and electric controls.

4. Environment

Before looking at wheelchair types, you must also have a good understanding of where the wheelchair will be used. Answer questions like these to help guide your search:

• Is it only for at home or also for school?
• Will the child enter unknown environments regularly?
• Will the child need to maneuver on their own?
• Will there always be a caretaker around?

5. Wheelchair Type

Finally, you need to choose your wheelchair type. There are tons of options out there, and it’s ever-increasing.

There are three popular ways of distinguishing between wheelchair types:

• Manual vs. Electric
• Lightweight vs. Ultra-Lightweight

Manual wheelchairs require a caregiver to push the chair for the child. This is a cheaper option but requires constant support. The electric chairs offer more freedom and mobility but are generally heavier and harder to move around.

An ultra-lightweight wheelchair is great for frequent transportation. It’s also more expensive. If the wheelchair is largely for home, then a regular lightweight option is also appropriate.

Finding The Perfect Child Wheelchair

When you have found the perfect wheelchair, your child will have more opportunities and more freedom to move around. If you consider the checklist above for a child’s wheelchair, you will make the right choice based on importance, functions, and safety.