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Folding chairs taking up less space is a bit of a misconception depending on what peoples circumstances are. If you haven’t already done so I would recommend you read the following article on my website and the other “advice” type articles as they’re all good for buying your first wheelchair.

http://ahiruzone.com/archives/52

If you get another cheap folding chair like the one you were intending to get you will ultimately be very limited in what you can do. Keep your eyes peeled on Ebay as more often than not there are generally a few good rigid chairs there that will fall into your price range.

I agree with Sophie. I\’ve got a rigid chair, but once the wheels are taken off and the back is folded down, storage is easy. If your bed is high enough up off the ground, you could even hide it under there.

Also, my suggestion for a new chair would be (along with ebay), to try one of those stores that sells wheelchairs and all the other associated bits and pieces. Often they have second hand chairs for sale.

I agree with Sophie. Go on ebay, scout thrift stores but try to get a good chair. I got my Kuschall wheelchair for $35 in thrift store.
I used sometimes a store wheelchair and those things would be so heavy and limited, one couldn’t even do a wheelie.
And rigid wheelchairs, without wheels, are not that big at all for storing.

Thanks for the advice - I’ve put in a bid for a lovely-looking rigid chair on Ebay, so fingers crossed…

/me crosses fingers and toes for you :)

Hi Ann

How did that bid go? I’ve just been on ebay and spotted this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sports-wheelchair-Lightweight-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ260526946563QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Health_Beauty_Mobility_Disability_Medical_ET?hash=item3ca89db903 I don’t think it’s top quality but if it goes for somewhere near the current price (£100, no bids) then I think it’s an OK first chair. But make sure it’ll fit you before you place any bids, there is no point paying even a penny for something you can’t use.

That’s a nice looking chair, although very narrow. 15″, that’s what *I* use, and I’m quite narrow hipped :)

Take a look also at kijiji - that’s where I got my old but good Baracuda for 100 bucks (about 50 GBP).

Agree, a small rigid with a low back is easy to store with the wheels removed.

I always get the impression that folding chair users are temporarily disabled or just not into real wheeling.

Further to my earlier post about the ebay chair, If you do decide to go for it be careful because I’ve just noticed that the seller has only 9 feedback and all of those are as a buyer rather than a seller. That chair does look almost a bit too good to be true if it really is brand new at that price. So if it would fit you (Sean is right that 15 inch width is small, I have a 16 inch and wouldn’t go smaller) see if you can pay cash and collect in person (London, UK) as there is far less chance of things going wrong that way.

I checked out the site that is linked on the ebay page and it seems to be a new start-up company that hasn’t sold much yet. They’re asking £800 for the same chair on there, so maybe it’s genuine and they just want to get some publicity. Or maybe not.
Either way I’d to speak to someone/go and see it first or go for cash on delivery to be double certain. The oddest thing is they only seem to be offering it in only one size, even from they’re main website.