Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We purchased this for my 89 year old father who is losing strength in his legs and can't walk for long distances. He's in the early to middle stages of dementia and it's important for him to be included in regular activities like grocery shopping, trips to the movies, museums with the great grandchildren etc. because the varied input of places outside the home stimulate his mind and time with familiar folk helps him stay in a positive frame of mind. Since he can't navigate the motorized carts at the grocery store and you cannot rely on various other venues having wheel chairs for you to borrow, we decided to get something that we could easily bring along wherever he goes with us. This transport chair is perfect! It is MUCH lighter than any of the conventional wheel chairs I looked at when visiting a used medical equipment thrift store the next town over. And, after looking at various transport chairs available there and here on Amazon, it was clear that this chair is also quite a bit lighter than other transport chairs I considered. The difference in weight is important to me because I have arthritis in my lower spine and and hands, this limits the amount of weight I can lift - especially a lift & twist movement such as needed when pulling large items in and out of the trunk of a car. The substantial difference in weight between this very sturdy transport chair and regular wheelchairs (with the big wheels adding much to their total weight) is quite significant. I am grateful for the light weight every time I go to put this very sturdy transport chair in my car. Frankly, the light weight & sturdy construction alone were worth the investment in this chair, but it has other features that we've come to appreciate. One important feature of this transport chair, besides the light weight, is that it was engineered to fold up very compactly. This means it's easy to fit in the back seats or trunks of smaller cars, and be easily loaded/unloaded by smaller statured people (like Dad's home helper who is about 5' 2"). In addition, the steps for folding or unfolding it are simple and easy to do (even for those with arthritic hands like mine). I really have come to appreciate the obvious thought and care that went into designing this transport chair. Although we keep the manual tucked in the convenient pocket on the rear side of the seat's backrest (so it'd be easy to find when someone new is handling the chair, like family members taking Dad on a special outing or a substitute caregiver), most people never even bother to read even the simple instructions). For example, folding it up involves basically three basic steps: 1. Lift off the two foot rests, 2. Unlatch the "handlebars" (what you push the chair with) & fold them down, 3. Pull up the seat in the middle - one hand each on the front & back. To set it up is essentially the reverse. Since we got it several months ago, no one who has loaded in its compact state has had any trouble with figuring out how to set it up for usage, and having done that, had no trouble folding it up to stow in the car. There are other features of this chair that are important to know about. For example, the adjustable foot rests were included in the price we paid (unlike some of the cheaper, heavier transport chairs) - and do NOT just assume that heavier weight means sturdier!). Adjustability is very important, no matter the height of the person who will be seated in it. Another is the way the armrest angle off towards the front of chair. This feature allows you to roll the chair in closer to a table than other designs, which makes it much easier to reach your dinner plate, drinking glass and utensils at a restaurant. Once close in, set the easy to use foot brakes to keep the chair in place. That reminds me of some important safety practices that we always impress on anyone who's taking Dad out with his chair - and you might want to also, no matter what chair you choose: Always set the foot brakes when parking the chair (such as at a restaurant or the movies). Also, before someone gets in or out of the chair, make sure the brakes are set and that the footrests are swung back out of the way (on the sides of the chair.) I should point out that, as a transport chair, it is specifically designed for someone who will have an attendant of some kind to push him/her about at all times. This makes it's function different from a traditional wheelchair where the person in the chair can move themselves along using the circular grips on each wheel. It's an important difference in functionality that must be considered at the outset. If a transport chair is what you need, I can honestly say that we have been really happy with this transport chair and hope that this review makes clear the reasons why.