Garry Peterson
As the owner of a small medical supply store in the rocky mountains in Colorado, I have the unique pleasure of helping our seniors. Every day, I meet people who have gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations, brought up families, nurtured their pets and worked hard making a living. They stop by my little store and often stay for a while to chat and offer me some sage advice culled from years of experience. I love to hear how things used to be, what schools looked like almost a century ago and how there was almost no technology to be found besides that one phone in the post office, shared by everyone in town. And then, invariably, the conversation comes back to the reason they came, this time turning to me for advice on the products they need to manage the changes that come along with old age.
Now these people, usually coming to get products for themselves or their spouse, don’t know anything about medical supplies and equipment; most of them just ask me questions like, “what’s the best wheelchair you carry?”
Recently, I’ve gotten so many questions about wheelchairs that I thought I’d share my go-to answer, in the hopes that it may help someone else who is on the market for a new manual wheelchair.
In all honesty, I only want what’s best for my beloved customer. That’s why I love to recommend the Excel K3 Lightweight Wheelchair by Medline. Of course, there are many other great manual wheelchairs, made by top of the line manufacturers such as Drive, Invacare and Roscoe Medical; however, there are a few outstanding things about the Excel K3 Basic Wheelchair that makes it better than the rest.
Firstly, in my opinion, every wheelchair has to be durable and safe, but at the same time the weight of the wheelchair is extremely important. Lots of times, the patient themselves are the ones taking it in and out of the trunk of the car, and a chair that is heavy can be very strenuous or even be too heavy to pick up to begin with. With product weight being so important, the lightweight feature of the Excel K3 Wheelchair is one of the main reasons I love and recommend it.
Depending on the exact size you get, it weighs about 34 pounds without the leg rests. When taking the chair in and out of the trunk, general practice is to remove the leg rests, (which is super easy to do) so you will only be left with about 34 pounds to lift. Although that might not be a piece of cake, compared to other wheelchairs it is significantly easier.
Of course, if that is still too heavy for you, you’ll need to look into transport chairs. Just remember that transport wheelchairs, while they may be a lot lighter, can only be navigated by a caregiver, so it’s not necessarily the right option for people who are still able to – and want to – get around independently.
Another thing I love about the K3 wheelchair is the wide variety of choices offered. It comes in many different sizes, thus providing the perfect fit for any size user, and it also comes with the option of removable or fixed desk length arms, as well as the choice of elevating leg rests or swing away leg rests.
There are many other great features that this comes with, including the upholstery that is made of durable nylon, the padded armrests and calf pads, and the lifetime warranty on the frame. It is also made of high quality materials and is extremely easy to maneuver and push.
In my humble opinion, a sturdy safe wheelchair that is lightweight (such as this one) is the way to go. If you disagree with me, feel free to stop in my store and let me know what you think. But if I’m busy with a customer, please don’t disturb; after all, my customers are the most important thing in my store… yep, even more important than the K3 Lite Wheelchairs!
