Why Lightweight Electric Wheelchairs Are Gaining Global Popularity

Lightweight electric wheelchairs have progressed in recent years to cease being a niche product to becoming a mainstream option among users all over the world. In Tokyo, London and New York, the number of older and immobilized people moving away to lighter models of chairs is increasing as more seniors and the mobility impaired abandon the heavy steel chairs. What is propelling this international change? What is actually driving this global shift? At Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co., Ltd., we manufacture aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, as well as magnesium power wheelchairs. Below are four reasons why lightweight electric wheelchairs are gaining popularity across international markets.

Aging Populations Demand Easier Transport

The world is ageing at an alarming rate. The number of 60 or older people in the world will be 2.1 billion by 2050. With the increasing number of seniors living independently, they require mobility devices that can operate without the help of caregiver. An 80-year-old cannot lift a 35-45 kg steel wheelchair into car. Power wheelchair made of carbon fiber, which weighs less than 18 kg, is not. The lightweight chairs allow the seniors to carry their own chair, ride taxis, ride the train, and remain active without depending on others. The North American, European, Japanese, and Australian markets all have aging population that is increasing at a very high rate, which highly values this independence.

Air Travel and Multi-Modal Transport Require Portability

Consumers all around the world are traveling more than ever, through air, train, and cruise ship, as well as by rented car. Conventional wheelchairs with heavy wheels are travel nightmares. They are heavier than airplanes, they need special treatment, and cannot be lifted on rental cars. Electric wheelchairs are travel-friendly and lightweight (particularly carbon fiber). They comply with the IATA battery requirements, fit into a small package, or fold, and have little weight that can be handled by an individual. A senior is able to fly to family, get on a train to a hotel and still have his or her wheelchair at the destination without having to pay extra weight charges and use the services of a porter. This is a travel friendly design that is leading to its adoption in Europe and Asia Pacific where multi modal journeys are the new reality.

Smaller Homes and Apartments Need Compact Storage

The global rate of urbanization is rising. The number of individuals residing in apartments, condos and small houses where space is every square meter has increased. There is a wheelchair in a hallway which blocks with a rigid steel wheelchair. A folding lightweight wheelchair fits in a closet, under a bed or behind a door. Our aluminum and carbon fiber power wheelchairs are only 30-40 cm wide, which is narrow enough to fit through the narrow areas. This small storage is not a luxury to the seniors in the Tokyo apartments, Hong Kong apartments, or London apartments, it is a necessity. Lightweight chairs also help in the prevention of wear on floors and carpets, which is another advantage of both renters and homeowners.

Better Battery Technology Reduces Weight

The single biggest enabler of lightweight electric wheelchairs is lithium battery technology. Older lead acid batteries added 15-25 kg to a chair just for power. Modern lithium batteries provide the same or greater range at one third the weight. The carbon fiber power wheelchair offers a combination of an ultra-light frame with a small size lithium pack that provides a range of 20-30 km with overall weight under 18 kg. This loss of weight opens a new possibility, chairs which can be carried up and down the stairs, lifted into buses, and hatched in overhead luggage.. Lightweight electric wheelchairs are now affordable to more users around the world, owing to the ever-lowering cost of lithium batteries.

Summary

Lightweight electric wheelchairs are becoming popular around the globe due to the increasing number of aged populations that demand easier transportation, portability is required by travelers, small urban homes can only be served by compact designs and the advancement in battery technology has made lightweight designs practical and affordable. At Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co., Ltd, we produce carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium and steel power wheel chairs in our 20,000 m2 plant. Our 60 frame processing machines and 4 assembly lines provide users with lightweight mobility around the globe. Today, contact us to become a part of the world-wide trend towards lighter, more portable electric wheelchairs.