In our previous article we detailed some of the biggest advantages that manual wheelchairs have over electric wheelchairs. After all, they’re easy to push, they don’t have to be charged up, and they’re certainly a lot lighter and less bulky when you want to drop one in a car.

So it’s time to find that perfect manual wheelchair for you, right, since manual wheelchairs are obviously better than electric ones? Not so fast. While most everyone who needs a mobility aid can benefit from a manual wheelchair, it can be hard to beat an electric one in certain circumstances. Let’s take a look at a few advantages that electric wheelchairs have over manual ones.

Electric Wheelchairs Do The Work

The most obvious reason that electric wheelchairs beat manual ones is that they do all the work it takes to get someone from place to place. While many people could get themselves around with a manual wheelchair, there are some hills and inclines that are hard for just about everyone.

Of course, there are quite a few people who simply don’t have the arm strength or ability to use their hands that it takes to work a manual wheelchair. Without a motorized wheelchair, they would always require someone to move them around, while an electric wheelchair gives them freedom that wheelchair-bound people from 30 years ago couldn’t experience.

Electric Wheelchairs Stop Accidental Rolling

Once a manual wheelchair gets rolling, it can be hard to stop. Whether it’s on a ramp or in San Francisco, a manual wheelchair can be prevented from rolling if you put the brakes on but are much harder to stop once they get rolling.

Electric wheelchairs, on the other hand, can be slowed down and stopped with just the movement of the joystick. The power that makes it go is also an excellent way of making it stop.

They’re More Sturdy

Weight can be one of the most daunting aspects of power wheelchairs, especially if you plan to take it anywhere. But that weight can also be a positive. Because the center of gravity is lower with electric wheelchairs, they’re much more difficult to tip over. This means that they’re more solid when it comes to front-to-back tipping and side-to-side tipping. Weight has its advantages.

They Offer Constant Power

If you’re at a park and in a manual wheelchair, you or the person pushing you has to take into account the trip back to the starting point. A person who has a lot energy at the start can get very tired moving a wheelchair around before too long. That means an exhausting trip back.

Electric wheelchairs, on the other hand, give you their full energy until they run out completely. No one is tired at the end of the park trip!

The fact is, both manual and electric wheelchairs have their place in the world. Depending on the reason you need a wheelchair in the first place, the choice might be obvious. If you’re looking for a power wheelchair that gets you where you need to go in style, check them out right here.