The average width of a wheelchair in the UK is 25 inches, or 635mm. Although there are a wide variety of sizes of wheelchair, depending on the specific manufacturer and the type of wheelchair and its use.

Sometimes the width of a wheelchair can be affected by the addition of accessories or modifications to the basic wheelchair that can add millimetres or even a couple of centimetres to the overall width of the wheelchair.

Why is it important to know the width of a wheelchair?

Knowing the width of a wheelchair can be important for planning the use of the wheelchair and ensuring that the model that you are intending to use will fit adequately in the space in which it is intended to be used.

Many people, who live in relatively small living areas may need a narrower width of wheelchair to enable a turning circle that will fit within the allowable area in their home.

Spaces like kitchens or garages, or even halls and bathrooms can be quite narrow and therefore this will restrict the movement capabilities of a larger width wheelchair and a narrower width wheelchair will need to be found as an alternative to a standard width model.

For a standard width wheelchair to turn through a complete 360 degrees, the space required will be 1500mm x 1500mm. this allows the full rotation of the wheelchair without it hitting an obstacle, however there will need to be a tolerance over and above this to allow for safe and comfortable operation of the wheelchair.

Why are some wheelchairs wider than others?

The specific width of a wheelchair can depend on many factors, not least the manufacturer of the wheelchair and the type of user and situation the wheelchair was designed for.

Foldable travel wheelchairs will naturally be lightweight and have a generally narrower width than a standard fixed wheelchair to enable the folding and storage of the wheelchair into a convenient size and shape to allow for easy storage and transportation when not being used.

The smaller with of the more portable models of wheelchair may cause an inconvenience to some users, particularly if they need a wider wheelchair to accommodate their size and weight in safety and comfort.

However, there are combinations of folding and travel wheelchairs that do have additional width, it is just a case of researching manufacturers and models to find the right combination for personal requirements.

Are wider wheelchairs more comfortable?

Although a standard wheelchair with its quite generous space allowance can be more comfortable for some users, it’s also true to say that some users prefer a narrower seating width to benefit from a feeling of closer support in the seat and a feeling of a more responsive ride.

Much of this actually comes down to personal tastes and preferences, but there are also many practical considerations that can dictate the specific width of a wheelchair and which width is the most appropriate for an individual user.

Sometimes a wheelchair user may have additional pieces of equipment, usually but not limited to medical equipment and devices that is best positioned to the side of the wheelchair user and therefore affecting the useable width of the seat.

Clothing and accessories may also take up the effective with of the seat in terms of the useable space and therefore a narrower width of wheelchair will become uncomfortable of there is additional equipment or accessories taking up the available space.

How can you try the width of a wheelchair?

The vast number of manufacturers and retailers of wheelchairs will have a facility for you to return a wheelchair if it is not the right width for your personal needs, once it has been purchased.

That said, it is very important to correctly measure the dimensions of the available space in the home or professional environment to ensure that you have selected the right model at the point you are purchasing.

Alternatively, many mobility retailers will also have a physical shop or mobility warehouse where a range of wheelchair models can be tested and seen first-hand to ensure suitability.

Obviously, it is not possible to arrange returns of a purchase that has been well used and not in a new condition, so it’s important to do your research ahead of your purchase.

Why are there so many widths of wheelchair?

Wheelchairs fall into many categories, for example there are self-propelled models, attendant propelled, power wheelchairs, sport wheelchairs and foldable travel wheelchairs.

The sheer breadth of these categories and their own specific use requirements will mean that the width of the wheelchair will be variable to some degree.

Over and above this, is the individual manufacturer and the choices they have made in determining the ideal width of the wheelchair to satisfy the demands of who they see as their ideal customers and market regions.

That said, in truth there is not a huge variance of size of wheelchairs and many will fall into what would be described as a standard size variable, that being around the 635mm or slightly more or less.

The important thing is the do the homework and research ahead of purchasing to ensure that the width of wheelchair you choose is appropriate for your own personal requirements.