Best Lightweight Transport Wheelchair Review 2023

Broadly speaking, you’ve got three wheelchair options to choose from, if you’re considering buying one:

At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference between these three. But, although they do share a number of features in common, there are some important differences. 

Far and away, the biggest difference is this:  A wheelchair can be powered by either the person sitting on it or by an assistant pushing from behind. A transport chair’s rear wheels are too small for the person sitting on the chair to reach, and so, must be propelled by an assistant pushing from behind. On the other hand, a rollator is a “swing” device that can be configured to serve either as a transport chair or a “wheeled walker,” which is extremely versatile and convenient.

There are also hybrid units available with interchangeable back wheels, so you can quickly and easily convert a transport chair into a standard wheelchair.  These are obviously a bit more expensive, but depending on your needs, can be well worth the extra money.

A lesser, but still significant difference between a transport chair and a wheelchair is the fact that transport chairs are designed to be very light and extremely portable.  As such, they’re not optimized for long-duration sitting, but quite well suited for short trips.  Obviously, the big advantage of the rollator is that you get the best of both worlds, but you’ll pay a premium for the versatility.

In looking at transport chairs, in particular, the most important features are:

Those are the features we kept at the forefront of our minds when evaluating the various options available.

It gives you the best of all worlds, and almost every aspect of the model is either adjustable or customizable on order. Here are just a few of its features:

Best of all, it weighs just 33 pounds, which makes it easy to collapse and load it into your vehicle to take it with you wherever you go.  The rear wheels have enough tread on them to allow it to handle most outdoor terrains, making this one of the most versatile chairs on the market today, and in our view, the best lightweight transport wheelchair being sold today.

There’s a catch though.  This is far and away the most expensive chair on our list, costing several times more than our other top contenders.  As such, it’s not for everyone.  If you only need a wheelchair or transport chair for occasional use, this model simply offers more features than you need.  On the other hand, if you know you’re going to need a chair for the long term, why not get one that maximizes your comfort?

Drive Medical is an industry powerhouse, offering some of the best-rated transport wheelchairs on the market today.  As you’ll see as you continue reading this review, they utterly dominate our list of best chairs, with the Fly-Weight 19BL being one of a number of superb models the company offers.

Despite weighing in at just 19 pounds (which makes it the lightest transport wheelchair on our short list), it can support up to three hundred pounds of weight.  No other chair we reviewed is easier or more convenient to move from one location to another, and it’s small enough that it can fit inside the trunk of most full-sized cars.

In terms of functionality, it’s a fairly basic design, so you don’t get a lot in the way of extras or creature comforts, but it offers a smooth ride over indoors and can handle flat terrain outside. 

It’s not as versatile as the Elite Care model that ranked higher, but if you’re just looking for a simple, convenient transport chair for occasional use and short-duration sitting, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better model than this one.

Our transport wheelchair review list wouldn’t be complete, and we’d be doing you, the reader, a disservice if we didn’t include the ProBasics lightweight aluminum transport wheelchair for your consideration.

If you’re on a budget, this chair is amazing because it’s so versatile.  You can configure it to serve as a “wheeled walker” (rollator) for those times when you don’t need a transport chair, and with a few minutes to reconfigure it, it becomes a fully functional hospital transport wheelchair too.

The only potential drawback to this particular design is that the seat width is a bit on the small side, so it caters to a somewhat smaller group of potential customers than the other chairs on our list. But if the 15” seat width and 250-pound weight limit aren’t deal breakers for you, then you’ll find that this sturdy little device is incredibly handy to have around, and is very easy on the budget too! 

One of the most affordable transport wheelchairs on the market today.  Recommended.

If you’re looking for an awesome, reasonably-priced transport chair that will allow you to enjoy the great outdoors, while still handling like a dream inside, then look no further than the Nova HD.

With a seat height of 20”, seat width of 21.5” and a seat depth of 15.5” it can accommodate most users and body types. Even better, despite its relatively light weight (27.75 pounds), it can support an impressive 400 pounds.

While all of that is outstanding, the things that make this such a great transport chair for outdoor use are:

In addition to all that, it’s crafted from high-grade aluminum and boasts a swing away footrest that makes it a simple matter to get into and out of the chair.  While not, strictly speaking, a bariatric model, its extra-wide seat and impressive carriage capacity make it suitable for a wide range of users.

Best of all?  It won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  If you don’t need or don’t want to spend a ton of time outside, then this one isn’t for you, but if you find yourself missing the sunshine, this one’s not to be missed.

Medline is one of the most respected companies in the industry, and they consistently get great transport wheelchair reviews from their customers.  Although they offer a wide range of products, we view this model in particular as a standout for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s surprisingly lightweight, at 33 pounds, especially given that it can support an impressive 450 pounds of weight.

With 12” “no-flat” wheels, swing-away footrests, surprisingly comfortable padded armrests and a breathable nylon seat, it’s the perfect transport wheelchair with large wheels for short trips and short-duration sitting.

This model is every bit as good as all of Drive Medical’s other products.  Its small, 17” wide seat makes it ideal for children and youngsters, and yet it’s sturdy and durable enough to support up to 300 pounds of weight, so this one will serve you (and them) well into their teen years and beyond.

The Trailblazer Drive aluminum transport wheelchair is a low-cost, bare-bones design, but you’re getting a quality piece of equipment. It’s extremely lightweight (just 19-pounds), which makes it exceptionally easy to transport, and the locking wheels and built-in nylon safety belt will provide safety, security, and peace of mind.