A frequent question that gets asked is how much do wheelchairs weigh? These types of questions are asked because the person that is either propelling the manual wheelchair or the person that may be tasked with pushing the wheelchair are curious as to what type of weight the chair is and how hard it will be to move it.
For those of us who are into sports with wheelchairs, the weight of the chair is very important and those wheelchairs are extremely light and built with state of the art technologies.
So, how much do wheelchairs weigh? The average manual wheelchair will weigh between 15lbs and 60lbs. The average electric wheelchairs can weigh from 50lbs with bariatric electric wheelchairs weighing as much as 200 pounds or more.
Why is wheelchair weight important?
The biggest importance is wheelchair weight is the lighter the wheelchair the easier it will be to propel. Whether that be manually by the person sitting in the chair or the person pushing the wheelchair from behind. It is also easier to maneuver the chair and turn around corners or up wheelchair ramps.
The wheelchair weight is also a big consideration for the person that has to transport the chair. if you have to lift the wheelchair by yourself weight is a big factor.
The Four Wheelchair Weight Classes
Below are the four wheelchair classes and their average weights.
| Type of Chair | Weight in-lbs. | Weight in kg |
|---|---|---|
| Transport wheelchair | 15 to 30 lbs | 6.8 – 13.6 kg. |
| Manual wheelchair | 35 to 40 lbs. | 15.8 – 18.1 kg. |
| Lightweight wheelchairs (Sports style wheelchairs)15 to 35 lbs. | 6.8 – 15.8 kg. | |
| Heavy-duty wheelchairs (Bariatric wheelchairs) | 30 to 90 lbs. | 13.6 – 40.8 kg. |
| Electric wheelchairs | 45 to 250 lbs. | 20.4 – 113.3 kg. |
Transport Wheelchairs (15 pounds – 30 pounds)
Transport wheelchairs are the lightest of the bunch are used only when someone manually pushes the person in the chair. These types of wheelchairs are not self-propelled and use small wheels on both the front and the back.
Typically the weight of a transport wheelchair is 15lbs. to 30lbs.
What are the weight factors of a transport chair?
- Wheels: The wheels on the transport chair are small compared to the standard manual wheelchair. This is one reason a transport chair is lighter.
- Fewer features: There are fewer features on the transport chair
- Short-term use: These chairs are used mostly for short-term uses like needing to be transported from the airport drop off to the gate, malls, and from a hospital, rooms to get discharged.
Manual Wheelchair: 35 Pounds – 45 Pound
Manual wheelchairs are the most popular types of wheelchairs out of the bunch. They are able to be propelled by the user or be pushed by someone else. These chairs have a weight between 35 pounds and 40 pounds on average.
These have a higher weight than a transport chair because they are built with stronger materials because they are used for more commercial type use.
They also may be heavier because of the accessories that are added to them after the fact. Wheelchair cushions drink holders, baskets, and more all will add weight to the wheelchair.
Lightweight Wheelchairs (Sport Wheelchairs) 15 Pounds – 35 pounds
Sport style wheelchairs are one of the lightest and strongest wheelchairs on the market. These chairs use the lightest and strongest materials to build these chars. These types of wheelchairs come in two different frame styles.
- Rigid frames: These are like the sports wheelchairs that do not have a lot of parts on them to keep weight down, they are easy to self-propel, and the front wheels are much smaller than most other wheelchairs. The back wheels are light and large for easy gripping and moving.
- Folding frames: These are typically used for older adults because they fold and are easy to transport for senior citizens. They are lightweight and easy to propel as well.
Heavy-Duty Wheelchairs (Bariatric Wheelchairs)
These heavy-duty or bariatric wheelchairs are the heaviest of the manual style chairs. They are built with the strongest materials and are mean to support heavier weights. These are typically for anyone who is over 300 lbs n weight.
They have wider seats and reinforced frames. These are not the types of chairs you would want to lift on your own into vans or other vehicles as they are very heavy compared to other chairs.
Lightweight Wheelchairs (Sport Wheelchairs) 15 Pounds – 35 pounds
Sport style wheelchairs are one of the lightest and strongest wheelchairs on the market. These chairs use the lightest and strongest materials to build these chars. These types of wheelchairs come in two different frame styles.
- Rigid frames: These are like the sports wheelchairs that do not have a lot of parts on them to keep weight down, they are easy to self-propel, and the front wheels are much smaller than most other wheelchairs. The back wheels are light and large for easy gripping and moving.
- Folding frames: These are typically used for older adults because they fold and are easy to transport for senior citizens. They are lightweight and easy to propel as well.
How much does an electric wheelchair battery weigh?
Wheelchair batteries can weigh between 10 at 18 pounds on average. Most batteries that are used in wheelchairs are lithium which is lighter and lasts longer than other types of batteries.
This is another reason that electric wheelchairs are heavier than manual wheelchairs. They have batteries, motors, breaking systems, joysticks, and more.
How much do bariatric power chairs weigh?
Bariatric power chairs are some of the heaviest of all wheelchairs. These chairs can weight from 200 pounds and up with a lot of models averaging 250 pounds or more depending on the features and technologies they are equipped with.
These chairs need to be loaded into vans by wheelchair ramps or lifts.
How much do wheelchair wheels weigh?
Wheelchair wheels typically do not add a lot of weight to the wheelchair.
Rear wheelchair wheels have an average weight of around 3.5 to 4.0 lbs. These are spoke-style wheels with a push rim made from aluminum.
Two rear wheels will have a weight of about 7 to 8 pounds.
Coaster front wheels are much smaller and weigh less than a pound and add very little weight to the wheelchair.
In Closing about wheelchair weight
As you can see wheelchairs weigh all different weights. But they are also made for different circumstances. Transport wheelchairs are really only used for shorter trips within buildings to get someone from point A to point B. Sports wheelchairs are just as light but are made for performance.
Electric wheelchairs are heavier because of the parts that are needed to automatically push the wheelchair.
Most standard manual wheelchairs are light enough for the average person to move freely while still being able to transport that chair in a vehicle and even take those wheelchairs on vacation when needed.
We hope we have explained and shed light on how much wheelchairs weigh.
