Choose The Right Battery For Your Wheelchair

If you have just entered the world of motorized wheelchairs, you are probably quite confused when it comes to the different electric wheelchair batteries that are on offer. If this is all new to you, you may be wondering whether it is even important which battery you use. Can there really be major differences in how they operate? Well, the answer is yes! So much so that if your choice of battery may have a specific bearing on things like whether or not you can take your chair onto an aeroplane!

Know Your Wheelchair Before You Buy A Battery

As motorized wheelchairs can be quite expensive, you want to make sure that you are running them on something that is of a suitable quality. After all, the reason they are a great deal heavier and slightly more cumbersome than manual wheelchairs, is to make allowances for the motor and battery operation. Ask yourself these questions before buying a new battery:

  • How high are the levels of maintenance for each battery?

  • Do you have a rear wheel, mid wheel or front wheel model?

  • Which make or brand of battery will run best on your wheelchair?

As this is such a vital part of the effective running of motorized wheelchairs, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not do some research into electric wheelchair batteries.

Get To Know Wheelchair Batteries

  • Different From Car Batteries - Firstly, it is necessary to understand how this type of battery functions. They differ from car batteries, in that they are usually charged once a day, and are then responsible for running for hours. Cars, on the other hand, predominantly need their batteries just to get their engines fired up.

  • Options Available - So let's have a brief look at the different options available. The cheapest option is the “wet” battery. The way in which this battery makes electricity is by producing a chemical reaction between sulphuric acid and lead. While these batteries are lighter in terms of weight, they require a lot more maintenance. This is because they need to be filled quite often with distilled water. They are not allowed on aircrafts, as they are typically known to leak quite a bit.

  • The other two available options are gel and AGM electric wheelchair batteries. While these two are both quite expensive, they have major advantages:

    • The first of these is that they do not leak. This means that it is safe to travel anywhere with them.

    • They also do not require any maintenance, which leads to a lot less hassle than their “wet” counterparts.

    • You should be able to purchase the right battery online, as well as read different reviews on specific products. There are many businesses that specialize in this, as well as things like mobility scooter batteries, and are willing to advise you on the best options available. You can thus make an informed decision about how your chair runs. Have a good look at the various options on offer, so that when it comes to purchasing your electric wheelchair batteries, you can feel empowered in your choice.