Power chairs
Your first month with a power chair: driving, charging and confidence
Everyone bumps a door frame in week one. By week four, most people are wondering why they waited.
By David Ellison
Senior mobility editor · Updated
Week one: slow speed, open space
Set the speed to its lowest setting and practice in an empty room, a quiet driveway or an empty parking lot on a weekday morning. Practice going straight, gentle turns, stopping on purpose, and backing up slowly while looking over your shoulder.
The joystick is proportional — small movements, small results. Most beginners push it too far. Rest your forearm on the armrest and use your fingers, not your whole arm.
Week two: doorways and tight spots
Line up straight with a doorway before you get there rather than steering through it. In elevators, drive in forward and back out, or back in if there's room to turn. Put a mark on the wall at home where you should start your turn into the bathroom.
Battery habits that add years
- Charge every night, even if you only used it a little. Lithium batteries don't need to run down first.
- Don't leave it charging in freezing or very hot places.
- Turn the chair off before plugging in the charger.
- Watch the range indicator on a real outing before you trust a published range.
- If it will sit unused for weeks, store it charged to about half and top it up monthly.
Weeks three and four: out in the world
Go up ramps straight, never at an angle, and lean slightly forward. Come down slowly, still straight. In crowds, go slower than walking speed and give people time to notice you. Curb cuts are your friend — plan routes around them.
Know how to free-wheel
Every power chair has a lever to disengage the motors so it can be pushed by hand. Have someone show you where it is on day one, and practice it once. It's what saves the day if the battery ever runs flat away from home.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor, physical therapist or occupational therapist about what's right for you.