A bariatric transport wheelchair may be just what you need if you are overweight and either can not walk or have severe difficulty walking. There is no shame in it — after all, when life throws you lemons you make lemonade, right? A normal bariatric wheelchair would be all right if you have no difficulty working an electric wheelchair or one where you propel yourself by pushing the wheels, however there are just some medical conditions and situations where you just can not do that.

Some medical equipment suppliers or wheelchair sites may label bariatric transport wheelchairs as heavy duty wheelchairs — this is normal and they are the same. Your typical bariatric or heavy duty chair can hold over 400 pounds, though some of the more expensive models can go above 500 pounds. The prices of the chairs are directly related to the quality and the amount of weight they can hold. But, it’s still recommended that you shop around as much as possible to get the best price you can, even if your insurance is covering a good amount of the cost.

The decision on whether to rent or buy a wheelchair is your own, but if you only expect to need its assistance for a few months a rental may be better. Renting is cost efficient and wheelchair rental companies are very sensitive to your needs and will try to accommodate your needs and wants as best as possible.

However, if you are going to be using the bariatric transport wheelchair for an extended period of time it is better to purchase one. There are several web sites online that sell various types of wheelchairs — just keep in mind that they can also be called heavy duty wheelchairs. Look at the weight limit as well as dimensions of the chairs, and absolutely make sure there is some sort of warranty. A wheelchair without a warranty is a gamble that you don’t want to take, and having to buy a whole new chair because one broke can be costly.

Check reviews for any models you are interested in. If you find a particular chair on a website that you think you would like but it does not have any reviews, do an extra search for reviews on that model. It’s disappointing and a hassle if you purchase a chair that you think will be perfect and in reality it is not as great as it seems. Also be wary of prices that seem too good to be true. It’s possible to find out if a web site is reputable or not through yet another search — but it’s better safe than sorry.

Purchasing a bariatric transport wheelchair is a big step, don’t make a mistake and get a model that will not work well for you.

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