Fold Up Electric Wheelchair

Folding Is Only Half the Job

Watching a fold up electric wheelchair collapse into a neat package is satisfying. Then comes the part that brochures tend to gloss over: somebody has to pick it up and put it in the car. That lift, repeated at the supermarket, the hospital car park and the end of every day out, is what many owners find hardest, and it is the part worth planning most carefully.

This guide concentrates on getting the chair from the pavement into the vehicle and back again. It looks at whether one person or two will do the lifting, how to measure a boot properly, lifting techniques that reduce strain, and the equipment that takes the lift away altogether when it is no longer realistic.

Who Will Actually Be Doing the Lifting?

Start with the person rather than the chair. A fit adult who lifts the chair occasionally has very different needs from an older partner lifting it several times a day, or a user who loads it alone after transferring into the driver’s seat.

A One-Person Lift

If one person will usually load the chair, the weight of the heaviest single piece matters more than the total. Ask the seller for that figure rather than the overall weight, and try lifting a demonstrator to boot height yourself. A chair that feels manageable once in a showroom may feel very different at the end of a tiring day.

A Two-Person Lift

Where two people are usually available, a heavier, sturdier chair becomes more practical. Look for solid handholds at both ends of the folded frame, so each person has something secure to grip, and agree in advance who counts down and who guides the chair into the boot.

Can a Folding Powerchair Dismantle Into Lighter Sections?

Many folding powerchairs allow quick removal of the battery pack and footplates to reduce the heaviest piece before lifting into a car. The battery often lifts out first, and on some models the seat, footplates or armrests come away too. Each removal makes the main frame lighter, but it also adds steps and loose parts that need a place in the car.

Work out which pieces you would actually remove each time. If you always take the battery out, practise that release until it is quick. If the footplates must come off, check they will not slide about in the boot. A small bag or crate for loose parts stops them rattling or going missing.

How Should You Measure a Car Boot for a Folded Powerchair?

You should measure the car’s boot opening aperture and load-lip height rather than relying on the vehicle manufacturer’s advertised litre volume. Measure these instead, with a tape and ideally the chair’s folded dimensions from the seller:

• the height of the boot opening at its lowest point, usually under the rear window;
• the width of the opening between the light clusters or boot seals;
• the depth from the boot lip to the back of the rear seats;
• the height of the boot lip above the ground, which is how far the chair must be lifted;
• whether the parcel shelf removes and whether the rear seats fold flat.

The lip height is often overlooked. A high lip means lifting the whole weight higher, while a low, flat floor lets you tip the chair in and slide it. If you are choosing a new car as well as a chair, our guide to cars that suit wheelchairs covers the features worth looking for.

Safer Habits for Lifting a Folding Power Chair

General manual handling advice applies here, and a few habits make a real difference:

• Park where there is room behind the car to stand square to the boot.
• Take off anything removable before lifting the frame.
• Hug the frame in against you and turn with your feet, never at the waist.
• Rest the chair on the boot lip first, then slide it in rather than lifting it all the way.
• Stop and rethink if the lift makes you hold your breath or strain.

An old blanket or a boot liner over the lip protects the paintwork and makes sliding easier. Some owners keep a small non-slip mat in the boot so the folded chair does not shift on corners.

Loading in Awkward Places

Home driveways are forgiving. Busy car parks are not. When the space behind the boot is short because another car is parked close, it can help to unload the chair at the kerbside first and then park, or to ask for a bay at the end of a row. On a slope, turn the folded chair so it cannot roll away while you open the boot, and apply any brakes before you fold.

Rain makes handholds slippery and hurries everyone along, which is exactly when strains happen. Keep a towel in the car to dry the handles, and do not let the weather rush the routine. If the chair has a cover or a bag, putting it on before lifting can keep the boot drier, although it can also make the frame harder to grip, so try both ways.

Finally, think about the return journey. A chair loaded easily in the morning may have to come out again in a dark car park after a long day. A small torch or a boot light makes it easier to see catches and release levers.

What Options Exist When Lifting a Wheelchair Becomes Impractical?

When manual lifting becomes too strenuous, you can install a boot hoist, use access ramps or switch to an ultra-lightweight travel chair. Several types of equipment take the weight instead.

Boot Hoists

A boot hoist is a small crane fitted inside the boot. The chair is attached to a strap or hook, and the hoist raises it and swings it inside. Hoists suit people who can guide the chair but should not lift it, and they are normally fitted by a specialist installer.

Ramps

Some people drive or push a chair up a pair of ramps into a larger boot or van. This needs a vehicle with enough headroom and a stable, level place to park. Our page on car wheelchair ramps explains the main types.

External Carriers

A carrier on the tow bar or rear of the car holds the chair outside, leaving the boot free. Lifting is minimal, though weather protection and security need thought. See our guide to a wheelchair carrier for a small car if your boot is tight.

Keeping the Chair Secure on the Journey

A folded chair left loose can slide into the rear seats or, in a sudden stop, move with real force. Wedge it against the seat backs, use luggage straps or a boot net where possible, and keep the battery secure and upright if the manufacturer recommends that. Check nothing is pressing on the joystick, which is often the most fragile part of the chair.

If the chair or its battery will travel by taxi, bus or train as well as in your own car, the NHS guidance on driving and using public transport is a helpful overview of the support available, including the Motability scheme.

Try It with Your Own Car Before You Commit

The most reliable way of choosing a foldable electric wheelchair for car use is to load a demonstrator into the car you will actually use. Ask the supplier whether a home demo is possible, and whether they will let you practise folding, splitting and lifting it without being hurried. Take your time, try the lift more than once, and let the person who will lift most often have the final say.

If weight is the sticking point, compare with a model sold as the lightest folding electric wheelchair options, bearing in mind that very light chairs may trade away some comfort or battery capacity.

A Lift You Can Repeat Every Day

The right collapsible electric wheelchair for travelling by car is one whose heaviest piece suits the person lifting, whose folded shape fits the boot with room to spare, and whose loading routine you can repeat on a cold, wet evening without dreading it. If that is not possible, a hoist, ramp or carrier can take over. Plan the lift as carefully as you plan the chair, and car journeys become something to look forward to again.