Best Wheelchairs for Elderly Australians: A Practical Guide

If you are reading this, someone has probably started saying no to things. A shopping centre, a market, a grandchild's school concert. Not because they cannot walk at all, but because they cannot walk that far, and nobody wants to be the reason everyone stops for a rest.

A wheelchair for that situation is not a sad thing. It is the thing that gets the day back. Most people who buy one here still walk perfectly well around the house.

By the end of this you will know which of the four types suits your situation, what the weight difference actually feels like when you are lifting it into a boot, and how to measure for the seat width. No jargon.

The four we stock, side by side

Our picks, by situation

Best all round: Lightweight Aluminium Wheelchair, 46cm Seat

$449. The chair we point to first. Aluminium, so it is 13.8kg rather than 15.5, the footrests swing away so transfers are easier, and the backrest folds flat for the boot. If someone is getting out a few times a week, this is the one that keeps getting used. GST-free. See it here

Best on a budget: Standard Steel Wheelchair, 50cm Seat

$349. Steel instead of aluminium, so it is nearly two kilos heavier and noticeably cheaper. The seat is 50cm, wider than standard, which suits a larger frame or a winter coat. A sensible first chair if it lives in the boot and comes out once a week. GST-free. See it here.

Best for travel: Travel Wheelchair, 41cm Seat

$359. Eight kilos, and narrow enough for many plane, train and coach aisles. It comes with a carry bag for check in. If the reason you want a chair is holidays and airports, this is the one to look at. GST-free. See it here.

Best for longer days: Deluxe Aluminium Transporter, 45cm Seat

$499. The armrests flip up so you can slide across sideways instead of standing and turning, which matters a great deal if transfers are getting harder. Padded seat and back, seat belt, and rear wheels that pull off without tools so it packs smaller. GST-free. See it here.

Two things worth getting right before you order

Seat width

Sit on a firm dining chair and measure across the widest part of your hips, then add two to four centimetres for clothing. Most people land on 46cm, which is the standard. Go to 50cm if you measure wider or wear a bulky coat. The 41cm travel chair is deliberately narrow, so only choose it if you measure comfortably under it.

Who is doing the lifting

All four of these are attendant chairs, which means someone pushes. That person also lifts the chair in and out of the car. Fifteen and a half kilos and eight kilos are very different jobs done twice a day. If the person pushing has their own sore back or shoulder, weight matters more than any other feature on this page.

Folding, lightweight and transit wheelchairs: what the words mean

Shops use a handful of names for the same few chairs. Here is what each one tells you.

Transit wheelchair means a chair someone else pushes. All four of ours are transit chairs, sometimes called attendant chairs, so the brakes are on the handles where the person pushing can reach them.

Folding wheelchair covers almost every manual chair, including all four of these. What matters is how narrow it folds and how heavy it is to lift.

Lightweight wheelchair has no fixed meaning, so look at the number. Ours run from 8kg to 15.5kg.

If the person pushing will lift it into a car most days, start with the weight column. If the person sitting is over 100kg, start with the last column, because that rules out two of the four.

Common questions

Can I push myself in these chairs?

No. All four are attendant chairs, which means someone pushes you. The rear wheels have no hand rims to grip. If you want to move yourself around independently, you need a self propelled chair, which has larger rear wheels with rims.

How do I know what seat width to order?

Measure across the widest part of your hips while sitting on a firm chair, then add two to four centimetres for clothing. Most people fit the standard 46cm. Wider frames or heavy coats suit the 50cm.

Will a wheelchair fit in an ordinary car boot?

Yes. All four fold, and three of them also have a backrest that folds down flat. The travel chair at 8kg is the easiest by a distance.

Are wheelchairs GST-free in Australia?

Yes, wheelchairs are GST-free, and the prices on this page already reflect that. There is no GST added at checkout.

Can I use NDIS or Support at Home funding?

Every chair here sits under $1,500, which means it counts as low cost assistive technology under the NDIS, so there is no quote or assessment to arrange first. Under Support at Home, equipment comes from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications budget, which is separate from your services budget.

Should I buy or hire?

If you need it for a few weeks after an operation, hiring often makes sense. If it is for regular outings from here on, buying is usually cheaper within a couple of months.

If you are still not sure which one suits, tell us the situation and we will tell you what we would choose. That is what we are here for.

What is the lightest folding wheelchair?

Of ours, the Travel Wheelchair, 41cm Seat, at 8kg. It folds and comes with a carry bag, which makes it the easiest to lift into a boot or check in at an airport. The trade off is a narrower 41cm seat and a 100kg limit, so measure first.

What is a transit wheelchair?

A wheelchair made to be pushed by someone else. It has no hand rims on the rear wheels, and the brakes sit on the push handles for the person pushing. All four chairs in this guide are transit chairs.