Remote Control Wheelchair

More Than One Way to Steer

Most powered wheelchairs are driven with a joystick on the armrest, operated by the person sitting in the chair. A remote control wheelchair adds another way to command the chair, either instead of that joystick or alongside it. The phrase covers several quite different ideas, and it is easy to assume a chair does something it does not. Before comparing products, it helps to separate the main types of control and understand what each one is really for.

This guide explains how the different systems work, who tends to benefit from them, where their limits lie, and the safety questions worth putting to any supplier. It does not replace a demonstration, because the feel of a control system is personal and hard to judge from a description.

How Does a Remote Control Wheelchair Work?

Every powered chair has a controller, a small computer that takes signals from an input device and turns them into instructions for the motors. The input can be a joystick, a switch, a head array, a sip-and-puff tube or a remote. A remote controlled wheelchair simply has an extra input that sends signals to the controller from somewhere other than the user’s armrest.

Handheld Wireless Remotes

Some chairs, particularly portable folding models, come with a small handheld remote that works a short distance from the chair. Depending on the model, it may drive the empty chair, fold or unfold it, or both. The typical use is practical rather than dramatic: bringing the chair to the bedside in the morning, moving it out of the way after the user has transferred to a sofa or car seat, or parking it in a corner.

Attendant Controls

An attendant control is usually a second joystick mounted on the back of the chair, often on the push handles, so a companion can drive while walking behind. It is typically wired rather than wireless, and a switch decides whether the user’s joystick or the attendant’s is in charge. Our guide to the attendant controlled electric power wheelchair explores this set-up in detail.

Smartphone and App Control

A growing number of controllers connect to a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. On some chairs, the app is mainly for checking battery level, changing settings or recording journeys; on others, it can also drive the chair using an on-screen joystick. What an app controlled wheelchair can do depends entirely on the controller and manufacturer, so ask for a list of functions rather than assuming.

Who Gains From Remote and Dual Control?

For users who can drive themselves, a remote for the empty chair adds convenience and independence. It means not having to ask someone to fetch the chair or move it after a transfer, which can make mornings and evenings smoother.

For users who cannot drive safely, or who tire during the day, a dual control wheelchair lets a carer take over when needed while leaving the user in control the rest of the time. This suits people whose abilities vary, such as those with fluctuating conditions, and families where a child or an older adult drives in quiet places but is guided in busy ones.

Carers benefit too. Driving a heavy powered chair from behind with a carer remote for a power chair is far easier than pushing it in freewheel mode, especially up ramps and over thresholds. It also lets the carer steer precisely in tight spaces, such as positioning the chair beside a bed, at a table or in a lift.

What Remote Control Cannot Do

It is worth being clear about the limits. A remote does not make a chair suitable for someone who has no safe way to control it, and it is not a substitute for supervision. Wireless remotes generally work only over a short distance and within sight of the chair, and they are designed for moving an empty chair slowly rather than driving someone around.

• Driving an occupied chair from a handheld remote while standing away from it is generally not what these devices are intended for; check the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Wireless links can be affected by distance, obstacles and interference, so there may be a delay or a dropout.
• App control relies on a charged phone, a working connection and, sometimes, software updates.
• Extra controls add cost and components that can fail, so servicing matters.

Safety Questions to Ask the Supplier

A good supplier will welcome detailed questions. Ask them to demonstrate each control mode and explain how the chair behaves if something goes wrong.

• What happens if the remote signal is lost while the chair is moving? Does it stop?
• How do you switch between the user’s joystick and the attendant or remote control, and can both be active at once?
• Can speed be limited separately for the remote or attendant mode?
• Is there an emergency stop that anyone nearby can use?
• Can the remote be locked to stop children or visitors moving the chair?
• Who can reprogram the controller, and are settings saved if the battery goes flat?

Also check how the chair’s brakes and freewheel levers work, and practise the routine with everyone who will use the controls.

Can You Fit Remote Control to an Existing Wheelchair?

If you already own a powered chair, it may be possible to add an attendant control or a compatible remote module, depending on the controller’s brand. This should be done by the manufacturer or an authorised dealer, as unofficial modifications can affect safety and the warranty. Browse our guide to accessories for electric wheelchairs to see what else is commonly added, and speak to an established electric wheelchair supplier about compatibility.

Indoors, Folding and Everyday Life

Remote functions are often most useful in the home. A chair that can be sent to a charging corner or brought to the bed after a night’s sleep takes pressure off both the user and anyone helping. For compact homes, see our page on the indoor power wheelchair for turning space and size. On portable models, a remote that folds the chair can remove the fiddly latches that some users find hard to reach, though lifting the folded chair still needs planning.

Living with a Wheelchair with Remote Control

Extra controls bring a few small routines. A handheld remote usually has its own battery or charging lead, so give it a fixed home, perhaps a hook by the bed or a pouch on the chair, where it will not be knocked off a table or lost down the side of a sofa. Ask whether a spare can be bought and paired, and how long that takes if the original goes missing. For attendant controls, check that the cable is routed so it cannot snag on door handles or catch in the wheels, and that the mounting can be swung aside when the chair folds or goes into a car. With app control, keep the phone charged, note which settings the app can change, and agree who in the household is allowed to alter them. Writing a one-page guide for occasional carers and respite staff avoids confusion when the usual helper is away.

Assessment, Rules and Support

If the user has complex needs, an assessment through NHS wheelchair services or a specialist occupational therapist can help decide which control method suits them best, now and as needs change. The NHS guide to wheelchairs and mobility scooters explains how to ask for one. Powered chairs used outdoors also fall under the government’s rules for mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, which apply whichever control method is used.

Before Choosing

• Which type of remote control do you actually need: handheld, attendant or app?
• Will it drive an empty chair, fold it, or help a carer drive with the user seated?
• How does the chair stop if the signal fails?
• Can the controls be locked, speed-limited and serviced locally?