General Frequently Asked Questions about New Power Wheelchairs

If you are hoping to invest in a new power wheelchair, it is important to understand the unique features and capabilities of the different types of drives for power wheelchairs. This includes Front-Wheel Drive, Mid-Wheel Drive, and Rear-Wheel Drive. In this Q&A, we define the different types of drives and explain the benefits and functionality of the features.

Q: What are the different types of drives for power wheelchairs?

A: Front-Wheel Drive, Mid-Wheel Drive, and Rear-Wheel Drive.

Q: What is a Front-Wheel Drive?

A: Front-Wheel Drive is where the main drive wheel is the first point of contact on the ground. Front-Wheel Drive power chairs have great traction for climbing over small objects and work great outdoors. These units need a few more inches in general for turning than a Mid-Wheel Drive chair but do perform much better outdoors. These can also be used indoors.

Q: What are some of the popular models of Front-Wheel Drive Power Chairs that you would recommend?

A: Some Front Wheel Drive Power Chairs include: Jazzy Select, Elite HD, Permobil F3, Jazzy Select 14, Jet 3 Ultra.

Q: What is a Mid-Wheel Drive?

A: Mid-Wheel Drive is where the main drive wheel is at the center of the chair. On all Mid-Wheel drive units, you will have two caster wheels in front and two in the rear or the main drive wheels. Mid-Wheel drive units are the best for indoors due to needing the smallest amount of space to turn as compared to Front-Wheel Rear Wheel drive chairs.

Q: Are there any downsides of a Mid-Wheel Drive Chair in comparison to other options?

A: The downside to a Mid-Wheel Drive chair is that if you do take it on soft surfaces outside, the front caster wheels can dig into the ground and can cause the Main-Drive wheels to spin in place. This is not very common, but it has a better chance of getting stuck in a front or rear-wheel drive unit.

Q: What type of Mid-Wheel Drive Power Chairs would you recommend?

A: Mid-Wheel Drive power chairs are very common such as the following: Jazzy 600 ES, Quantum ilevel, Jazzy Air, Jazzy Air 2, Permobil M3, Permobil M300, Quickie QM710, Pronto (M51, M61, M91, M94, M41). Most units that have electric seat lifts will be a Mid-Wheel Drive designed for maximum stability. Mid-Wheel Drive chairs are also the easiest to load into a side door entry mobility van, due to the sharpest and tightest turning radius on all the power chairs.

Q: What is a Rear-Wheel Drive?

A: The Rear-Wheel Drive is a unit that performs best outdoors. One of the downsides is that it does not perform well inside. This unit can climb higher objects and tracks the best for outdoor use, but it does not turn smoothly like a mid or front-wheel drive unit. This would not be a unit you would want to use inside unless you have a large open floor plan. An example of a rear wheel drive would be a Quantum Rival, Quickie P222, Hoveround RWD.