Why Should You Invest in a Travel Wheelchair?
On first blush, a wheelchair might appear to limit your travel options. Regular wheelchairs are intended to provide assistance for people with mobility issues as they navigate everyday situations; like getting around the house, making a daily commute or performing chores. But when it comes to more adventurous activities – like going to Europe or on safari – regular wheelchairs fall short.
If you are planning a trip, a good travel wheelchair is a must. As the name implies, travel wheelchairs make travel, whether it be for an exotic vacation or day-to-day life, easier. If you’re itching to explore the world, a travel wheelchair is your best investment. Here are a few examples how you can benefit from these chairs.
Improved Functionality and Comfort
As previously noted, your standard, pharmacy-bought wheelchair is designed for basic transportation and needs. These chairs are commonly known as “transport wheelchairs,” and are not comfortable enough for all day use or strong enough to endure the rigors of travel. They simply aren’t made that way.
These chairs can also be bulky, hard to fold and difficult to store when not in use. They’re generally one-size-fits-all, meaning if you’re not comfortable in the chair, then there’s not a lot you can do.
Travel wheelchairs seek to remedy all of these issues. For starters, they’re lighter, usually maxing out at around 25 pounds. This allows caregivers the ability to easily maneuver and fold the wheelchair when not in use. Their comfort level is also much higher than standard transport wheelchairs as they have been specifically designed with the user in mind.
You can feel confident that a travel wheelchair built with the capability to traverse mountain trails has also been ergonomically engineered with your comfort in mind. Whether you’re going for a stroll around the neighborhood or on vacation in another country, a travel wheelchair will remain comfortable and easy to use, regardless of your surroundings.
Greater Reliability
It’s true: transport wheelchairs are cheaper than high-quality travel wheelchairs. This lower cost, however, usually leads to the aforementioned loss of comfort and ability to handle difficult navigation, not to mention the fact that these less durable chairs also tend to give out pretty easily. They just aren’t built to withstand the stresses that occur during travel. You definitely don’t want to be stranded in a foreign country with a broken wheelchair.
With a travel wheelchair, you can expect an extended lifetime of usage. These chairs are built to withstand harsh conditions in a variety of environments. Bumps and scratches might scuff up your chair, but they won’t hinder its ability to get the job done. Investing in a travel wheelchair means you’re paying for multiple years of usage – at a bare minimum – and could end up saving you money in the long run compared to the costs of continuously replacing less durable transport chairs.
See the World
Of course, the best reason to invest in a travel wheelchair is to do some serious vacationing. We encourage you to take a look at a few of our previous blogs which detailed how you can go about planning a vacation that meets your needs and some locations from around the world which are known for their accessibility.
As one of our clients explained, a good travel wheelchair can improve the lives of a whole family. After this client purchased a travel wheelchair for their son, they too began traveling the world with him. After 20 years of use, they’ve only had to purchase one replacement chair.
“My son, now 37, uses the chair for most of his activities and has traveled with us all over the world,” the client wrote. “We have been everywhere from Asia to Africa, Europe, Australia, America and to Tierra del Fuego from our home in Canada. The Pioneering Spirit not only made it possible for him to travel, but also made it possible for us too. We would never have traveled without him.”
Unlike other lesser wheelchairs, travel wheelchairs allow you and your loved ones to see the world together.