Knowing how to measure for a wheelchair means checking two things: the person who will sit in it and the places it has to go. A chair wider than a doorway will not pass through it, and a seat that does not match the person’s body affects comfort, posture and every transfer in and out. This guide walks through each measurement on a manual wheelchair specification, using figures from real product descriptions, and explains what to check in the home and the car.
The wheelchairs Allcare Warehouse lists are all manual chairs, from folding transit models to heavy duty and tilt-in-space chairs, and the Liverpool showroom team can talk through the options. Seating, legrests and other add-ons sit in the mobility accessories range.
Key Takeaways
- Measure the person seated, and have an OT or physiotherapist confirm the fit.
- Seat width drives overall width, and overall width decides which doorways the chair clears.
- Seat depth, seat height and footplate angle adjust on some models but not others.
- Self-propelled and transit chairs differ mainly in rear wheel size and who does the pushing.
- Check the maximum user weight, the chair’s own weight and how it folds before choosing.
Who should take the measurements
Learning how to measure for a wheelchair at home helps narrow the choice, but the final fit is a job for a health professional. Healthdirect’s mobility aids page lists occupational therapists, physiotherapists, registered nurses, GPs and specialists among those who can prescribe mobility aids, and says it is important to use the right aid for your condition and have it fitted safely. Measure with the person sitting on a firm chair, wearing the clothes they usually wear, and write each figure down next to the matching line on the product specification.
How to measure for a wheelchair seat
Three figures describe the seat, and each is matched against a measurement of the person sitting down.
Seat width
Wheelchair seat width is compared with the widest part of the person when seated, usually across the hips or thighs. It is also the figure that sets the chair’s overall width. The Glide 1 Wheelchair shows how closely the two move together: seat widths of 400, 430 and 460 mm give overall widths of 610, 640 and 670 mm. The Glide One Arm Drive Wheelchair comes in 400, 430 and 460 mm seat widths, and reinforced frames such as the Glide 3 Heavy Duty Wheelchair are built for bariatric users.
Seat depth
Seat depth runs from the backrest to the front edge of the seat, and it is compared with the length of the person’s thigh when seated. Many chairs in the range list a 400 mm depth, but some adjust. The Breezy Basix Wheelchair adjusts from 400 to 460 mm and the Rubix Wheelchair from 410 to 480 mm, which helps when a person sits between sizes.
Seat height
Seat height affects transfers, reaching the floor with the feet and getting under a table. Listed heights include 480 mm on the Neos Wheelchair and 510 mm on the Glide 1, while the Breezy Basix adjusts from 430 to 500 mm and the Rubix from 420 to 510 mm. A cushion sits on top of the seat, so add its height when you check the final sitting position.
Back height, armrests and footrests
Back height decides how much of the trunk is supported. Most standard chairs here list between 400 and 460 mm, while the Breezy Relax Wheelchair has a height adjustable backrest from 500 to 650 mm, a removable headrest, tilt from minus 2 to 20 degrees and recline to 40 degrees for people who need postural support.
Arm height appears on most specifications, typically between 210 and 265 mm. Desk armrests on the Neos and Vito Plus Transit Wheelchair let the chair be pushed close to a table, and many models have removable or swingback armrests, which a therapist may want if side transfers are planned.
Footrests are usually swingaway and removable. The Breezy Basix and Rubix adjust the footplate angle, several models add heel straps or heel loops, and an elevating legrest with adjustable angle and length is available separately, ordered for the left or right side.
Measure the person first, then the house, then the car, and only then the chair.
Self-propelled or transit wheelchair
Healthdirect describes manual wheelchairs as chairs you can wheel yourself or that someone else can push. A self-propelled chair has large rear wheels with pushrims the user can reach. A transit wheelchair is built for a carer to push and has smaller rear wheels. The Breezy Relax shows the difference within one model: the self-propelled version has 24 inch rear wheels and the transit version 16 inch. The Vito Plus Transit adds attendant hand brakes for more carer control.
Some people can only propel with one arm. The Glide One Arm Drive Wheelchair has dual pushrims on one side, and the Action 3 Lever Drive Wheelchair is driven with a push forward, pull back motion of one hand, with the drive on the left or right.
Weight capacity and the weight of the chair
Most descriptions give a maximum user weight. In this range it runs from 100 kg on chairs such as the Glide 1 and Neos to 170 kg on the Rubix and 180 kg on the Glide 3 Heavy Duty Wheelchair. Choose a chair rated above the person’s weight. Then look at the chair’s own weight, because someone has to lift it: listed net weights run from 7.9 kg for the Neos to 22 kg for the Breezy Relax.
Doorways, hallways and the car boot
Compare the chair’s overall width with every doorway it must pass. Measure the clear opening, the gap left with the door fully open, between the door leaf and the frame. For reference, the Livable Housing Design Standard sets 820 mm as the minimum clear opening for entrance and internal doors in the homes it applies to, and older homes can be narrower. Overall widths in the range run from 570 mm on the narrowest Glide 1 Transit to 690 mm on the Neos. If there is a step, the inner width of a portable ramp matters too: the wheelchair ramps range includes bi-fold ramps with a 720 mm inner width and a roll-up ramp at 760 mm.
For the car, measure the boot opening and floor, then ask for the chair’s folded size. Quick release rear wheels on the Breezy Basix, Rubix, Concorde and Neos make storage and transport easier, and the Neos and Vito Plus fold their backrests down. Not every chair folds: the Glide Ward Wheelchair has a non-folding frame for hospital ward use.
Cushions and comfort
A seat cushion is part of the measurement as well as the comfort. Healthdirect’s pressure ulcer advice says treatment may involve changing position regularly or using a special cushion, so ask the therapist which level of support the person needs. The wheelchair cushions range runs from foam cushions for low risk users to air and fluid cushions such as ROHO and Jay models for moderate to high needs. Our pressure cushion mistakes guide covers how to use them, and the electric vs manual wheelchair guide explains the wider choice for NDIS participants.
Have your measurements ready? Call the team to compare them against the wheelchair specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these wheelchairs meet an Australian Standard?
Some descriptions say so directly. The Glide 1 Wheelchair and Glide 1 Transit Wheelchair are both described as tested to and conforming with AS/NZS 3695:2009. If a standard matters for your funding body or facility, ask which models state compliance before you decide, and keep the product description with your paperwork.
Is there a wheelchair set up for an amputee?
The Glide Amputee Wheelchair has a rear amputee axle setting, as does the Breezy Basix Wheelchair. A stump support that attaches through the existing legrest mounts is sold separately, with adjustable pad height and a choice of lengths, ordered for the left or right side. A therapist can advise whether the axle setting is needed.
Can a wheelchair lap belt be used to stop someone getting out?
No. The Wheelchair Lap Belt description says it helps with positioning and safety but is not to be used as a patient restraint. It comes in velcro, nylon buckle and car buckle versions. If someone is at risk of sliding or getting up unsafely, raise it with their health professional rather than relying on a belt.
What tyre options are there?
Many chairs in the range use solid tyres. A solid polyurethane replacement tyre is also listed as maintenance free, with fine air cells that give a ride similar to a pneumatic tyre and a ribbed tread for grip. It comes in 20, 22 and 24 inch by 1 3/8 inch sizes.
From measurements to a shortlist
Once you know how to measure for a wheelchair and have a page of figures, the specification sheets do most of the narrowing. Cross off anything too wide for the tightest doorway or rated below the person’s weight, then compare the chairs that are left on adjustability, propulsion and weight. Take that shortlist to the person’s OT or physio, and ask which models can be seen before anything is ordered.
Related services
Call 1300 767 777 to talk through your measurements, or visit the Liverpool showroom at Shop 7 inside Northumberland Arcade, 230 Northumberland Street, Liverpool, and ask which wheelchairs are on display.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.