You may have difficulty choosing the right wheelchair from among the many different types and models that are available today. With only a few options of wheelchairs available in the marketplace, however, it is incredibly important to understand the differences between products in order to best choose the right wheelchair for you. The three major styles are manual wheelchairs, motorized wheelchairs and heavy duty wheelchairs. We'll look at these types and other considerations to think about when selecting a wheelchair.

As the name implies, manual wheelchairs require a manual operation to oprate. Such wheelchairs are most appropriate for home use, particularly where a flat surface exists to make movement easy. These wheelchairs do not work well unless on a smooth surface.

Most people will need a motorized wheelchair to handle difficult terrain, and even to handle most trips outside the home. For ease of movement these chairs are powered by one or two batteries. Many wheelchairs have a range of 20 miles on a fully charged battery, more than enough for a person to go to stores and handle other errands before running out of power.

However, a normal motorized wheelchair isn't sufficient when the user must negotiate really rough terrain. A reliable heavy duty wheelchair will be necessary for that. These wheelchairs can handle any kind of terrain because of their reinforced frames and tough tires. Because these wheelchairs are lighter they have unprecedented mobility.

Lighter wheelchairs like these offer greater mobility than ever before.

It's important to think about what purpose you will be using your wheelchair and to do some research on the types of wheelchair that suite your needs before purchasing one.