Click to zoom1 / 10
Scroll or pinch to zoom. Drag to move. Press Escape to close.
Nova Steel Wheelchair with Vinyl Upholstery
$314.95
Starting price
Most items ship in 3 to 7 business days.
Both arm types detach for a sideways transfer and the desk arms reverse. The seat is flame retardant black vinyl, so a spill wipes off with a dry cloth, and it is $45 under our nylon chair at 16" and 18".
Weight capacity
275 lbs. to 300 lbs. by build, see the table
Seat widths
16", 18" and 20"
Seat heights
18" and 20", dual axle
Chair weight
36.7 lbs. to 37 lbs.
Overview
Removable arms and a vinyl seat that wipes clean Three seat widths, 24" self propel wheels, HCPCS K0001
The same removable arms as our nylon steel chair, with a wipe-clean vinyl seat and $45 off the price at the two narrower widths.
Built for real life
What stands out
●
Vinyl takes a spill
The seat and back are flame retardant black vinyl and a dry cloth deals with most of what lands on them. That is the case for this chair over the nylon version in a busy household or a shared chair.
●
Both arm types come off
Desk arms and full-length arms both detach from the frame, which is what lets a rider slide sideways onto a bed or a car seat.
●
Reversible desk arms
Turn a desk arm around and its taller back section faces forward, giving a rider something higher to lean on away from a table.
●
Dual axle positions
Moving the rear axle sets the seat at 18" or 20" from the floor.
●
24" rear wheels for self propelling
The rear wheels carry handrims, so a rider with working arms and shoulders can move the chair themselves.
●
Easy Adjust foot riggings
The footrests swing out and lift off without tools, which clears the front of the chair for a standing transfer.
The Hieline Take
This line is on no page of Nova's website. It is in their printed 2026 catalog with a full spec table, and every build here has a Nova part number, a UPC and a price we can order against, which is why it is listed. If you want the version Nova show online, that is our Nova Steel Wheelchair, the nylon one.
The reason to choose vinyl is cleaning. A seat that gets wiped down daily, or a chair shared between people, is easier to live with in vinyl, and you save $45 at the 16" and 18" widths. The reason to choose nylon is heat and weight: nylon breathes and the chair is about 4 lbs. lighter. The 20" width here costs the same as the nylon 20", so at that width the choice is upholstery alone.
Straight talk
Is it right for you?
A good fit if you
- A household that wipes the seat down often, or a chair several people use
- A rider whose transfers are sideways onto a bed, a toilet or a car seat
- Someone who wants a removable-arm steel chair for $45 less at 16" or 18"
- A rider who pulls up to a table, which is what desk arms are for
Look elsewhere if you
- A rider over 300 lbs., or over 275 lbs. on a full-length-arm 16" or 18" build
- Anyone who sits in the chair for hours in warm weather, where nylon breathes better
- Someone who has to lift the chair alone and cannot manage about 37 lbs.
- Anyone who needs a seat wider than 20", which is our extra wide chair instead
- A rider who needs the back to recline
Specifications
FrameSteel, hammertone finish
UpholsteryFlame retardant black vinyl
ArmsDetachable and reversible desk arms, or detachable full-length arms
Front riggingSwing-away footrests or elevating legrests
Seat heights18" and 20", set by dual axle positions
Back height from seat15"
Rear wheels24", polyurethane, with handrims
Front casters8", TPR
Wheel locksHand lever locking
Adjustable footrestsYes
Adjustable front forksYes
Seat beltNot included
Back pocketIncluded
Latex freeYes
CleaningWipe with a dry cloth
Country of originChina
HCPCS codeK0001
Capacity, desk arms at 16" and 18"300 lbs.
Capacity, full-length arms at 16" and 18"275 lbs.
Capacity, every 20" build300 lbs.
16" chair weight37 lbs.
16" seat dimensions16" W X 16" D
16" width between arms16.75"
16" arm height from seat8.5"
16" overall dimensions23.5" W X 32" D X 35" H
16" folded dimensions12.25" W X 32" D X 35.25" H
18" chair weight37 lbs.
18" seat dimensions18.25" W X 16" D
18" width between arms18.75"
18" arm height from seat9"
18" overall dimensions25.5" W X 32" D X 35" H
18" folded dimensions13.25" W X 32" D X 35" H
20" chair weight36.7 lbs.
20" seat dimensions20.25" W X 16" D
20" width between arms20.75"
20" arm height from seat9"
20" overall dimensions27.5" W X 32" D X 35" H
20" folded dimensions13.25" W X 32" D X 35" H
Selected option
Manufacturer model5185S
Size and fit
Every size is listed here for reference. Choose your size in Ready to Buy above.
| Size | Configuration | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16" | Desk arms, swing-away footrests | 5165S | $314.95 |
| 16" | Desk arms, elevating legrests | 5165SE | $359.95 |
| 16" | Full-length arms, swing-away footrests | 5166S | $314.95 |
| 16" | Full-length arms, elevating legrests | 5166SE | $359.95 |
| 18" | Desk arms, swing-away footrests | 5185S | $314.95 |
| 18" | Desk arms, elevating legrests | 5185SE | $359.95 |
| 18" | Full-length arms, swing-away footrests | 5186S | $314.95 |
| 18" | Full-length arms, elevating legrests | 5186SE | $359.95 |
| 20" | Desk arms, swing-away footrests | 5285S | $359.95 |
| 20" | Desk arms, elevating legrests | 5285SE | $399.95 |
| 20" | Full-length arms, swing-away footrests | 5286S | $359.95 |
| 20" | Full-length arms, elevating legrests | 5286SE | $399.95 |
The Nova Steel Wheelchair with Vinyl Upholstery is covered by Nova Medical Products' own limited warranty. The coverage we have on record is below.
Metal frameLimited lifetime
Brakes5 years
Other metal and non-metal parts1 year
The owner's manual is the full warranty
The owner's manual for this product has its own warranty section, and that section is the complete statement of what Nova Medical Products covers, for how long, and what falls outside the coverage. Read it before you file a claim. If anything on this page differs from the manual, go by the manual.
Owner's manualReturns
This wheelchair may be returned within 30 days of delivery if it is unused and in the original packaging. Contact us before starting a return. See our return policy for complete details.
This wheelchair has a 20% restocking fee.
Return shipping to us is yours to arrange, and the shipping we paid to deliver it to you is deducted from your refund along with that fee.
If something goes wrong
Call us first at 1-855-HIELINE. We file the claim with Nova Medical Products for you and get the covered part sorted out rather than handing you a phone number.
Desk arms or full-length arms?
Desk arms are cut away at the front so the chair pulls up to a table or a desk with the rider's forearms over the top. They are also reversible, which raises the back section to lean on. Full-length arms run the whole length of the seat and give more support along the forearm, and they hold a cushion or a tray steadier. Both lift out for a sideways transfer.
Swing-away footrests or elevating legrests?
Swing-away footrests hold the feet at a right angle and swing out of the way for transfers. Elevating legrests do that and also raise the lower leg towards horizontal, which helps with swelling, a cast or a knee that does not bend. The option cards show the exact price difference for the width you picked, and elevating legrests make the chair longer when they are up.
Why is the capacity lower on the full-length-arm builds?
Nova's own 2026 price list rates the full-length-arm 16" and 18" builds at 275 lbs. and the desk-arm builds at 300 lbs. Their product catalog publishes a capacity row for the desk-arm builds and none for the full-length-arm builds, so the price list is where that figure comes from and we publish it rather than rounding it up to match. One row of Nova's own is inconsistent: they print 300 lbs. against 5161S, the 16" full-length build with swing-away footrests, and 275 lbs. against its elevating-legrest twin, so we publish 275 lbs. for both. If the rider is between 275 lbs. and 300 lbs., order a desk-arm build or call us first.
How is this different from your Nova Steel Wheelchair?
Same frame layout and the same removable arms. This one has vinyl upholstery, weighs about 37 lbs. and codes HCPCS K0001, and at 16" and 18" it costs $45 less. The other has nylon upholstery, weighs about 33 lbs. and codes K0003. Vinyl wipes clean, nylon breathes.
Why is this chair not on Nova's website?
Nova publish this line in their printed 2026 catalog and not on novajoy.com. Every build here carries a Nova part number, a UPC and a Nova price, and the catalog gives it a full spec table, so we list it. Nova's website shows the nylon version of the same chair.
Where does the 20" chair's overall height come from?
Nova's catalog table leaves that cell blank for the 20" build. Their own spec diagram for item 5285S prints an overall height of 35", which matches the 16" and 18" builds, so that is what we publish.
Do the photographs show the seat width and build I picked?
Not always, and it is worth knowing which way. Nova publish one photograph for several seat widths on this range: we checked the files and, for example, the 16" and 18" images are the same file byte for byte under two item numbers. The arm type in the picture may also not be the one you choose. The frame, the seat, the wheels and the finish are the same across the widths, and the measurements in the spec table are per width and come from Nova's own table. We attach a photograph to a build only where Nova publish one for it, rather than showing you a different chair and calling it yours.
Can I order a build that is not listed here?
No. Every build Nova price with a part number is listed here, and those are the builds we sell. Nova print "alternative configurations of wheelchairs can be dropshipped" against this range, and none of those has a part number or a price to order against.
Where do these measurements come from?
Every dimension on this page is read off Nova's own 2026 product catalog table for this model. Where Nova's website prints a slightly different overall width, usually about half an inch wider, we publish the catalog figure, because the catalog gives a full table per seat width and the website gives one. Nova also print a spec diagram for each chair, and we read every one of them against the table. Where a diagram prints a figure that cannot be right, such as a wider chair measuring narrower than a narrower one, we publish the table. Ask us if half an inch decides whether the chair fits a doorway.
Ready to Buy
Size
Pick the seat width first, then the build. Desk arms cut away at the front so the chair pulls up to a table. Full-length arms support more of the forearm. Both types lift out for a sideways transfer.
Configuration
Your total
$314.95
Secure checkout, SSL encrypted
