The right wheelchair lets a child get around on their own, keep up with friends and sit well all day. The wrong one can be too heavy for the child to push, too big to sit in properly, or outgrown in a year. Children's chairs are built for small bodies that keep growing, so they are chosen differently from an adult's chair.
Choosing well comes down to five questions. Will the child push the chair, or will someone push it for them? How much support does the child need to sit? How big are they now, and how fast are they growing? How light does the chair need to be? And how will it travel? This guide takes them in that order. Every chair on our pediatric wheelchair list gives its own sizes and figures, and the product page is the one to trust for any particular model.
Who helps you choose
A child's wheelchair is usually chosen with a team. The child's doctor starts the process and refers the family to a physical or occupational therapist, who evaluates how the child sits, moves and pushes, and takes the measurements. Many families also work with an assistive technology professional (ATP), who brings chairs to try and sets up the one you choose. You know your child's day better than anyone, so bring your questions about home, school and the car.
Start with how the child will use the chair
| If the child | Look at |
|---|---|
| Pushes the wheels on their own, or is learning to | A lightweight rigid or folding pediatric wheelchair. |
| Is growing fast and will use the chair for years | A chair with growth built into the frame. |
| Is pushed by a caregiver and needs to tip back to rest or shift pressure | A tilt in space wheelchair. |
| Needs the back to open out, for rest or care | A reclining pediatric wheelchair. |
| Is a baby or toddler who needs support, and the family wants a stroller | An adaptive stroller. |
Rigid or folding
Sunrise Medical sorts its pediatric chairs into four groups: folding, rigid, tilt in space and early intervention strollers. The first two are for children who push themselves.
- Rigid chairs. The frame does not fold. The rear wheels come off for the car, and on many chairs the back folds down. With fewer moving parts, a rigid chair is lighter and more of the child's push goes into moving forward.
- Folding chairs. The frame folds side to side, so the chair takes less room in a trunk or closet. A folding chair is usually a little heavier than a rigid one.
Keep it light
Weight matters more for a child than for an adult. Permobil's pediatric team points out that a child's chair can weigh as much as the child, and a chair that heavy is hard for a small child to push. The lightest rigid chairs on our list weigh about 11 to 14 lbs., a figure makers commonly give without the rear wheels. Folding chairs start at about 19 lbs. Tilt in space and steel chairs weigh about 29 to 32 lbs., and a steel reclining chair about 42 lbs. A cushion and back add weight too, so choose light ones from our pediatric seating list.
Plan for growth
Children grow fastest in height and leg length, which shows up in seat depth more than seat width. Many pediatric chairs are built to grow. On our list, a chair commonly grows about 2" in seat width and 2" to 5" in seat depth by moving parts on the frame or changing a few components, so one chair can last through a growth spurt. Each product page gives the widths and depths the chair comes in and how much it grows.
A chair should fit the child now. A chair that is too big for the child to grow into makes it harder to push and harder to sit up straight.
Tilt and recline
- Tilt in space. The whole seat tips back while the angle between the seat and the back stays the same. The child stays in position, rests and takes pressure off the seat. Tilt chairs are pushed by a caregiver.
- Recline. The back opens out while the seat stays level. It helps with rest and care such as changing, and the child may slide forward in the seat as the back comes up again.
Measurements to take
The therapist measures the child seated, usually in the clothes and on the cushion they will use. These are the numbers to compare with the product page.
- Seat width. Across the widest part of the hips or thighs.
- Seat depth. From the back of the hips to behind the knee.
- Seat to footrest. From the seat to the bottom of the foot, so the thighs rest level.
- Back height. Set to the support the child needs.
Rear wheel position matters too. Children push in many different ways, and moving the rear wheels forward or back changes how easily the chair rolls and how stable it feels. Your therapist or ATP sets it for your child.
Check the weight rating
Most pediatric wheelchairs on our list are rated about 165 lbs., and the range runs from about 120 to 250 lbs. Early intervention strollers carry a much lower rating, about 55 to 75 lbs. The rating includes the child and anything carried on the chair. Check the rating for the size you choose on the product page.
Riding in a vehicle
If the child will ride in a school bus or van seated in the wheelchair, choose the transit option when you order. A transit option is crash tested to the WC-19 standard and adds the tie-down points the vehicle straps attach to. Not every chair offers it, and on some it is tested for a narrower range of user weights than the chair's rating. Each product page says what it offers.
Insurance and funding
Most families fund a child's wheelchair through Medicaid or private insurance, which usually need a doctor's order and a therapist's evaluation first. Hieline sells direct and does not bill Medicaid, Medicare or any other insurance, so the price you see is the price you pay.
Buying from Hieline
Most pediatric wheelchairs are built to order to the sizes and options you choose on the product page. Shipping follows our shipping policy. Financing is available through CareCredit on purchases of $200 or more. Low price guarantee: find it advertised for less and we will work with you.
Returns
A chair built to the choices you make cannot be returned, so check each size and option against the child's measurements before you order. Chairs sold ready made can be returned new and unused within 30 days under our returns policy, less the restocking fee shown on the product page and the shipping costs our policy describes. Each product page says which applies.
How to decide
- Decide whether the child will push the chair or be pushed.
- For a child who pushes, choose rigid or folding, and keep the chair as light as you can.
- For a child who needs to tip back to rest, look at tilt in space. For a baby or toddler, look at adaptive strollers.
- Measure the child seated and check the seat widths and depths on the product page.
- Check how much the chair grows.
- Check the weight rating for the size you choose.
- Choose the transit option if the child will ride seated in the chair in a vehicle.
Start on our Kids' Mobility page, or use Help me choose there to narrow it down in a question or two.
