A standing wheelchair lets a person who uses a wheelchair rise from sitting to standing and sit back down again without leaving the chair. There is no transfer to a standing frame and no one needs to lift. The chair holds you at the knees, chest and waist while you stand.
Choosing one comes down to four questions. How does the chair move day to day? How do you want to rise? Is standing safe for your body right now? Where will the chair live and travel? The figures in this guide are typical ranges for each type. Each product page on our standing wheelchairs page gives its own weight rating, seat sizes and chair weight, and the product page is the one to trust for any particular chair.
Why people stand
Sitting all day puts steady pressure on the same areas of skin and keeps the hips and knees bent for hours. Standing changes that. Permobil, the RESNA position papers and the clinicians who prescribe these chairs point to the same list of reasons people use a standing program:
- Pressure relief. Standing moves weight off the seat and back, which lets blood flow return to the skin there.
- Range of motion. Standing stretches the hips, knees and ankles, which can help slow tightness and ease spasms.
- Bones. Putting weight through the legs is one of the few ways a person who does not walk can load the leg bones.
- Bladder and bowel. An upright body lets gravity help with emptying the bladder and moving the bowel.
- Breathing and circulation. Standing gives the lungs more room and gets blood moving through the legs.
- Everyday life. You can talk face to face at eye level, reach a kitchen cabinet, work at a counter or a whiteboard, and take part in things that happen standing up.
The research on each benefit varies in strength, and results depend on how often and how long a person stands. RESNA's 2024 review with the Clinician Task Force found that a standing device you can move around in helped most with daily activities, and that starting as soon as possible after losing the ability to walk gives the most benefit. In Permobil's 2023 survey of power standing chair users, 80% said their quality of life was higher with the standing function than without it.
How long and how often
The research Permobil's 2023 white paper draws on proposes about 40 minutes of standing, five times a week, for most of the benefits above, and about 60 minutes, four to six times a week, for bone health and mood. The same survey found that the standing times clinicians gave their clients ranged from 12 minutes twice a day to more than 3 hours a day. People who stood more often reported more benefit. Your therapist sets the right amount for you, and it is fine to split it into shorter stands through the day.
Talk to your clinician first
Standing puts load on the body that it may not be used to. Before you choose a standing chair, ask your doctor or physical therapist whether standing is safe for you and how to build up to it.
- Bone strength. Standing makers warn that severe osteoporosis can make standing harmful. A bone density scan may be part of the check.
- Tight joints. Strong contractures at the hips or knees can stop the body from straightening safely. Some tightness does not always rule standing out, and standing early can help keep joints from getting tighter. Your therapist measures how far your joints move and sets the chair to match.
- Blood pressure. Some people feel dizzy or lightheaded when they come upright, especially after a spinal cord injury. Craig Hospital advises coming up gradually and says an abdominal binder and compression stockings help. Permobil notes that some people feel less dizzy rising from a laid back position, while others do better with a quicker sit to stand. Stop and sit back down if you feel faint.
- Skin. The body can slide against the seat and back as the chair rises and lowers, and that sliding can harm the skin. Your therapist checks for rubbing at the knees, back and seat, and for pain at the knees and feet from the support pads.
Build up slowly
Many people start with short stands, often only partway up, and add time and height as the body adjusts. Many power standing chairs let you stop at any angle on the way up. Always fasten the knee support and the chest strap before you rise, set the brakes on a manual chair, and stand only on firm, level ground.
Choose how the chair moves
| If you | Look at |
|---|---|
| Push yourself and have good arm strength, and want the lightest chair with nothing to charge | A manual standing wheelchair. |
| Push yourself or have a caregiver push, and want to rise at the press of a button | A semi-electric standing wheelchair. |
| Need a power chair to get around, or want to move while standing | A full electric standing wheelchair. |
Manual standing wheelchairs
A manual standing wheelchair is pushed by hand like any manual chair. To stand, you release levers on the armrests and gas springs help lift you as you push up with your arms. The springs are matched to your body weight, so you still need some arm and trunk strength to rise and to sit back down under control.
- Weight. Manual standing chairs commonly weigh about 40 to 60 lbs., which is heavier than an everyday manual chair because of the standing frame.
- No battery. There is nothing to charge and less to service.
- Standing still. You stand when the chair is parked with the brakes on.
Semi-electric standing wheelchairs
A semi-electric standing wheelchair is pushed by hand, by you or a caregiver, and a battery powered actuator raises you to standing when you press a button. It suits a person who can propel a chair but does not have the arm strength to push up to standing, or a caregiver who wants a smooth, controlled stand. The battery only runs the stand, so one charge usually lasts many stands.
Full electric standing wheelchairs
A full electric standing wheelchair is a power chair with a standing seat. One joystick drives the chair and raises you to standing. Some models let you drive slowly while standing, so you can move along a counter or across a room at eye level. Some also add power recline and power elevating legrests.
- Weight. With batteries, a power standing chair can weigh 250 lbs. or more. It needs a ramp or a vehicle lift to travel, and it does not fold the way a light chair does.
- Range. Check the range per charge on the product page against how far you go in a day.
- Standing sequence. Most chairs rise sit to stand. Some higher end power chairs can also lie back first and then rise, which can suit a person with tight hips or low blood pressure. Your clinician can tell you which sequence fits your body.
Get the fit right
A standing wheelchair has to fit your body in two positions. The knees must line up with the chair's knee support and pivot, or the body slides and rubs as the chair rises. That makes seat depth and leg length more important than on an ordinary chair.
- Seat width. Measure across the widest part of the hips or thighs while seated, and match it to the seat widths on the product page.
- Seat depth. Measure from the back of the hips to the back of the knee. The chair should be set so the knee support meets the front of the knee.
- Lower leg. Measure from the back of the knee to the heel with the shoes you will wear, so the footplates carry your weight when you stand.
- Supports. Every standing chair uses a knee support, a chest strap or chest support, and a seat belt. Check that they adjust to your size.
- Sliding. Some power standing chairs are built to keep the seat and back moving with your body as you rise, which cuts down on sliding and rubbing. Ask about it if your skin is fragile.
Your therapist or a seating specialist can take these measurements for you. The product page lists the seat sizes each chair comes in.
Check the weight rating
Every standing wheelchair has a user weight rating, and it must cover your full body weight. Standing chairs are commonly rated about 250 to 300 lbs. The springs and actuators that lift you are sized to that rating, so do not go over it.
Where the chair goes
- Doorways and turns. Measure the narrowest doorway and hallway at home and check the chair's overall width on the product page.
- Ceilings and counters. You will be taller when you stand, so check the spots where you plan to stand.
- Travel. A manual chair can often go in a car with the wheels removed. A power standing chair needs a ramp and a van, or a vehicle lift.
Medicare and insurance
Medicare does not currently cover the standing feature on a wheelchair. In 2023 it began covering power seat elevation on some power chairs and said it would consider standing systems at a later date. Permobil's white paper says funding and insurance are frequently mentioned as barriers to getting a power standing chair. Some private plans, state programs, veterans benefits and charities do help pay for standing chairs, so it is worth asking. Hieline sells direct and does not bill Medicare or any other insurance, so the price you see is the price you pay.
Buying from Hieline
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
Many standing wheelchairs are built to your size and cannot be returned. Each product page says whether that chair can be returned under our returns policy. Take your measurements and check them against the seat sizes and weight rating on the product page before you order.
How to decide
- Ask your doctor or therapist whether standing is safe for you and how to build up to it.
- Decide how the chair moves: you push it, a caregiver pushes it, or it is a power chair.
- Decide how you rise: levers and springs, or a button.
- Measure seat width, seat depth and lower leg length, and match them to the seat sizes on the product page.
- Check the weight rating against your body weight.
- Measure doorways and plan how the chair will travel.
Start on our standing wheelchairs page, or use Help me choose there to narrow it down in a question or two. If you are still weighing a standard power chair, read the power wheelchair buying guide.
