Five years back when my mom suffered from a paralysis attack, which rendered her lower body useless, we never knew about these electronic wheelchairs. I will tell you what a life would be for a person who is disabled for movements. For weeks, she went physiotherapy so that she could regain some energy and strength for the legs. There was some improvement when at least she could stand with the help of some walking aids.

But even then, movements are big problems for people with movement disabilities. They have to remain downstairs and have to ask help for each and everything they need: whether a glass of water or medicines. They may alternatively make it to the fridge slowly to get the water themselves. But to move using the traditional walking aids is a pain as it exerts pressure on other parts of your body.

Ever since these electronic wheel chairs came into existence, the problems of almost every person with movement disorders is solved. They are no more dependent on anyone for their personal needs: taking water, preparing a cup of coffee, or taking out a book from a bookshelf. Some electronic wheelchairs also help you go to your restroom without anyone holding your hands.

Keeping in mind the different needs of the disabled, many companies that cater to people with disabilities are creating and continuously improving their products. This enables the disabled person to do his tasks himself which in turn introduces self confidence in the person. These wheelchairs or powerchairs as they are referred to, come in a variety of designs that not only provide for looks, but also for different needs of different people.
The companies engaged in manufacturing devices for the disabled perform a lot of research before creating a product. Even after creating the product, they put it to a number of tests before they get certified and reach the market. Each electronic wheel chair is tested for all kinds of possible accidents as well as ease of operating: bumps, absorbing shocks without losing control, turning 360 degrees in a small space, and type of surfaces that the wheelchair can handle.

Before we take a look at the different models available in the market, let us know what the experts recommend while buying an electronic wheelchair. As you will be spending most of your day on the wheel chair, you need to buy a chair which allows you change the settings: both seat as well backrest as required. You cannot sit all the day in the same posture. Then there should be a provision for footrest. The wheelchair you buy should have adjustable foot rest as well as arm rest. You should also look for seat lifts. This helps you in reaching out for items that are placed on shelves etc without calling anybody for help. Also, the capacity of weight handling should be considered. The more weight a wheelchair can handle, the more durable it is.
There are many types of models that are available in the market nowadays: lightweight electronic wheel chairs, Heavy duty wheelchairs, wheel chairs for travelling outdoors, and electronic all terrain wheelchairs. These are just some of the famous models. We will discuss some of these in the following paragraphs.

Let us take a look at the famous lightweight electric wheelchairs. These wheel chairs have less weight so that you can carry it outdoors or use somebody to help you take the power chair upstairs. However, this does not mean that the weight capacity of these wheel chairs becomes low. You can still seat up to 300 lbs (150 kg) on these chairs.

Then there are wheelchairs that provide you with a central ball type wheel too. Many electric wheelchairs have two front wheels and one or two rear wheels. Most of these chairs are propelled using the rear wheels while the front wheel helps in changing the direction of the movement. The center balls shaped wheel allows you to control your movements even more.

Some other wheel chair manufacturing companies have come up with dual navigations. These wheels allow you to propel your powerchair using both rear and front wheels. While the rear wheels allow you achieve a speed of up to 6 mph (10 kmh), you can use the front wheels to control the movement of the electric wheelchairs. These motorized wheelchairs are useful for both internal and external roaming.

In some electric wheelchairs, the speed reaches up to 35 mph (50 kmh), which are really useful in playing sports. You need some exercise without further hurting your body. To let you play sports, the chairs are highly customizable: the back rest, the seat as well as the arm/foot rest. These sports are capable of handling any type of shocks without the riders loosing the control.

Then there are the all-terrain power chairs. These are electronic chairs that have wheels adjusted so that you can move around on any surface. Normally there is a central wheel ball also to offer more control. These chairs can be used to move around the rough surfaces, smooth surfaces as well as in muddy settings. Of course these chairs are a bit costly. But most online shops offer finance options so that money is not an issue in obtaining the best chair.