Best Wheelchair Battery

Best Wheelchair Battery

How do I find the best wheelchair battery?

The best wheelchair battery is one that fits your wheelchair properly and also works with your lifestyle and the way that you use your wheelchair.

Wheelchair Battery Sizes

In terms of physical size, it is obviously critical that a battery is able to fit into the battery space provided by your wheelchair. The capacity size of a battery, usually expressed in an ampere-hour (Ah) rating, defines the distance you will be able to cover in your wheelchair on one battery charge. The actual distance you will be able to travel depends both upon the battery's capacity and upon the amount of power that your power chair uses in addition to other factors such as terrain and temperature.

The size of battery that you need depends upon how you use your power chair. Do you need to travel long distances every day? Do you often travel over soft carpeting, grass, gravel, or rough terrain? If these or other uses that are taxing to a wheelchair battery sound like what you do on a daily basis, you will want to consider getting a battery with a larger capacity.

Typical Wheelchair Battery Sizes and Capacities

Electric wheelchair batteries are grouped by their size in terms of physical dimensions. The main four battery sizes are: the U1 battery (7 3/4" long, 5 3/16" wide, 7 5/16" high), the NF22 battery (9 7/16" long, 5 1/2" wide, 8 15/16" high), the group 24 battery (10 1/4" long, 6 13/16" wide, 8 7/8" high), and the group 27 battery (12 1/16" long, 6 13/16" wide, 8 7/8" high). The U1 battery size typically has a capacity of 30-40 Ah which translates to a range potential of 10-12 miles per charge. The group 27 battery, the largest of the bunch, correspondingly has a larger range, being capable of providing your wheelchair about 18-22 miles per charge.

Types of Lead-Acid Batteries

You may find that you have a choice in the type of deep-cycle lead-acid wheelchair battery that you can purchase. The wet-cell lead-acid battery type is less expensive and has a larger power capacity per charge. However, wet-cell batteries have increased environmental concerns and maintenance requirements associated with them. They have a higher risk of leakage as well. The gel-cell lead-acid battery type is generally recommended by wheelchair manufacturers. Gel-cell batteries do not require maintenance and cannot spill chemicals. They are approved for transportation on airplanes while wet-cell batteries are not. The best wheelchair battery type depends upon how you use your electric-powered wheelchair.