What are the different kinds of motorised wheelchairs available?

Motorised wheelchairs are typically classified into 3 major types: the Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD), Mid-Wheel-Drive (FWD) (aka Center-Wheel-Drive or CWD) and Front-Wheel-Drive (FWD). This method of classification is based on the position of the drive wheels, which are attached to motors, giving the wheelchair its propelling power.

How to choose the right Motorised Wheelchair?

Much of the literature published on this subject are from countries and regions where motorised wheelchairs are widely used, such as USA & Europe. Those written for Singapore are mainly copied from foreign sources, or provide only bits and pieces of information designed to help promote certain products.

Falcon Mobiliity has developed a useful original framework for choosing motorised mobility aids..

Portable Motorised Wheelchairs

Many people come to me looking for motorised wheelchairs that are portable, cheap, powerful and durable. Does it even exist?

In a perfect world perhaps. But we don't live in a perfect world. So it's time to get realistic.

How many hours can the batteries last?

A question phrased like this has no answer, but we get it all the time. It is the same as asking "How many days can you drive this car before you need to pump petrol?" It could be every 2 days for you, every week for another, and every month for a 3rd driver, even though all could be using the same car.

So how many hours the batteries can last is a meaningless question, because it really depends on usage.

Questions you should ask your vendor

You have done your preliminary research and more or less know what you want. Now it is time to call up the vendor(s) to check for price. Other than price, what other questions should you be asking?

By asking the right questions, you will understand exactly what you are paying for, especially the level of after-sales service provided.