We’ll start by presenting you with a broad overview of the different segments of the outdoor market and introducing you to the best of best from each category. Here they are:
The Takeaway:
1. General Purpose: Magic Mobility Frontier V6 All Terrain
2. Tracked All Terrain: Action Trackstander Wheelchair
3. Hiking: Outdoor Extreme Nomad Powerchair
4. Beach (Powered): Outdoor Extreme Beach Cruiser
5. Beach Manual: Vipamat Hippocampe All Terrain Wheelchair
6. Indoor-Outdoor: Pride Mobility’s Jazzy 1450 Power Chair
7. Manual All-Terrain: ORC Off Road Wheelchair
Is your mobility issue keeping you from enjoying the great outdoors as you once did?
If so, this–our latest roundup review–is going to give you lots to smile about. It’s going to open the world back up to you in ways you never dared or hoped to imagine.
There’s a lot to this review because outdoor wheelchairs can take various forms depending on what type of terrain they’re optimized for use on and how precisely they are meant to be used.
In the sections that follow, we’ll be taking a deep dive into every aspect of this topic and introduce you to some truly one-of-a-kind mobility aids.
Unlike some other roundups we’ve done, this topic is so vast in its scope that it would be impossible to name one “best.” Instead of trying to do that, we’re going to get more granular and introduce you to several of the best wheelchairs for outdoors in 2023, based on several broad classifications.
Our hope is that once you identify exactly what you’re looking for and how you plan to use it, this extensive review will help you zero in on exactly the chair you want.
If all that sounds good to you, let’s jump right in and take a closer look at the outdoor wheelchairs on the market today.
Best Off Road All Terrain Wheelchairs for Outdoors 2023
Selection Criteria
Our selection criteria vary slightly from one type of all-terrain wheelchair to the next, although there are a few factors in common. We’ll outline what we were looking for in broad terms, just below. It’s an important detail because everyone’s definition of “best” will vary. If your selection criteria differ from ours, obviously your top picks in each category might also be different.
Common Factors
Common factors across all the chairs we reviewed include:
In addition to those things, we also placed some importance on post-sales support (customer service).
Other Factors to Consider for Different All Terrain Wheelchairs
Then, in looking at the different types of outdoor wheelchairs, we focused on the following:
Outdoor Wheelchair Types & Categories
Broadly speaking, we group outdoor wheelchairs into three categories:
Light Outdoor Duty
Light Outdoor Duty chairs include the two non-rickshaw-style chairs found in the manual section, the two manual beach chair models we’ll discuss later on, and all the chairs on the indoor/outdoor product list.
These chairs tend to have a somewhat more limited range than other chairs on our list, and while some are capable of handling challenging, diverse terrains, YOU become the limiting factor. Specifically, the limits of your strength and stamina.
The chairs in the indoor/outdoor section tend to have a decent range. But because they’re designed for dual use, they tend to be somewhat less capable at handling the most extreme terrains, which require tires that are not suitable for indoor use.
Medium Outdoor Duty
Medium Outdoor Duty chairs include the rickshaw-style chairs on the manual list, the general purpose outdoor chairs and the motorized beach chairs. Generally speaking, these mobility devices have better range, and are capable of handling more challenging terrains, but tend to be somewhat narrow in focus (beach chairs) require third-party support (rickshaw-style chairs), or are not optimized for extreme conditions (general purpose chairs).
Extreme Outdoor Duty
The Extreme Outdoor Duty chairs, as the title suggests, can handle pretty much anything you can throw at them. You’ll find these chairs in the hiking section and the tracked wheelchair section.
All Terrain Wheelchair Tires – General Notes
Generally speaking, the big thing to look for in all terrain wheelchair tires (off road wheelchair tyres for you Brits!) is tread (beach wheelchairs being the exception, which is why we mention them separately).
More Tread, the Better
The more tread, the better, because as with mountain bikes, ATVs, and other off-road vehicles, more tread gives you more gripping power, and that, combined with a powerful motor is what will help you chew through even the most challenging outdoor terrain.
Aftermarket Wheelchair Tires
For the most part, the tires that come standard on off-road wheelchairs of any type are perfectly fine. Although if you’re a diehard outdoorsman, you may have a specific type of tire in mind that’s more optimized for exactly how you plan to use the chair.
If so, you’re in luck, as there are a number of companies that sell aftermarket wheelchair tires, so you can always get exactly what you’re looking for. Here, for example: All-Terrain Medical Wheelchair Tires
Note: This is but one of a great number of sources for wheelchair tires!
A source for tires is a good resource to keep handy too, because sooner or later, the ones that came with the wheelchair when you bought it are going to wear out and need replacing!
Drivetrain
Related to the topic is the matter of drivetrains and how these impact the performance of a wheelchair. Here, there are four possibilities to consider (technically five, but we’ll leave tracked wheelchairs out of this part of the discussion).
Motorized (Non-Tracked) Wheelchair Drivetrain
In terms of motorized (non-tracked) wheelchairs, you’re looking at either:
This matters for a number of reasons which we’ll summarize in the table below:
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Handling/Drivetrain |
Front Wheel Drive |
Rear Wheel Drive |
Mid Wheel Drive |
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Price | Medium (better at handling tight corners, but turning in confined spaces can be challenging) | Largest (Very difficult to maneuver in tight spaces) | Smallest |
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Terrains and Inclines | Better at handling inclines, and in general, at chewing through rugged terrain since all the power is in the front. | Tend to be less efficient and less stable on uneven terrains. Anti-tippers are a must! | Can have a tough time on soft/sandy terrains because the largest tires are directly under the user. Prone to front end snags on rough terrain. |
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Handling at Speed | Less stable at higher speeds. May fishtail when executing turns at higher speeds. | Tend to be more stable at higher speeds | More stable at higher speeds and better overall handling (at any speed). |
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Smoothness | Tends to offer a relatively smooth ride outdoors | Tends to offer a relatively smooth ride outdoors | These chairs tend to have smaller tires, and with six points of contact, the ride tends to be rougher. |
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Other Notes | Most front wheel drive chairs allow you to maneuver quite close to work surfaces | Offers the best overall balance between maneuverability and ride quality | More intuitive operation |
Four-wheel drive chairs tend to be somewhat more expensive than the other options mentioned in the table, and offer the best of the best in terms of performance, and their ability to handle rough terrain. They tend to be about average in terms of turning radius, and although they offer an incredibly stable ride, it’s not always the smoothest.
Beach Wheelchair Tires – General Notes
Beach wheelchair tires are easy to spot. They’re almost cartoonishly large and don’t have treads. They’re designed to glide over the sand rather than dig in and plow through it, which would be counterproductive and largely ineffective in a beach setting.
Note that it is possible to convert most wheelchairs (manual or powered) for use at the beach. This is a good option if you only plan to visit the beach on rare occasions, and if you’re enough of a DIYer to reconfigure your wheelchair when and as needed.
If that’s something you’re interested in, you can check out conversion kits here: Wheeleez Conversion Kits
Now, let’s have a closer look at each of the chairs in each of the categories mentioned above.
Best Wheelchairs for Outdoors (General Purpose)
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
16”, 18”, 20”, 22” or 24” configurations available
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Seat Width:
16”, 18”, 20”, 22” or 24” configurations available
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Seat Width:
Custom
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Seat Height:
17”
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Seat Height:
19” - 21”
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Seat Height:
16”
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Chair Weight:
260 pounds
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Chair Weight:
280 pounds
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Chair Weight:
Varies, depends on the extras you add
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Max. Supported Weight:
400 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
300 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
250 pounds
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Extras:
Adjustable everything, which is something Magic Mobility is known for!
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Extras:
Tons of high value options and add-ons available, including seat lift packages, headlights, and more, making this a great all terrain hunting wheelchair
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Extras:
Everything about this chair is custom. You can build exactly what you want, including getting a chair that offers up to 200 miles of range!
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- An incredibly versatile, capable chair that can handle just about any off-road terrain. Good range at 21 miles per charge.
- Pricey.
- Incredibly rugged, with 4 medium speed motors and a chain drive. Up to 55 miles on a single charge!
- Incredibly expensive, but you get what you pay for. Heavy. Doesn’t support as much user weight as some of our other top picks.
- Customizable everything. Top of the line everything.
- Disappointing max user weight. Depending on how many extras you add, it could wind up costing more than your car.
As the title of this section indicates, these chairs are not recommended for indoor use in any capacity. In some cases (mostly due to turning radius), operating these chairs in indoor environments might not even be possible.
If you can only afford to buy one motorized wheelchair, and you need something for both indoor and outdoor use, none of the models mentioned here would be good choices for you. But if your budget will allow you to buy a chair exclusively for enjoying the great outdoors in, then you’ll find a lot to like here in our list of the best wheelchairs for outdoors.
Our Pick: Magic Mobility Frontier V6 All Terrain
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a full-featured, robust mixed-use general-purpose mobility aid.
Runner-Up: Bounder Off Road All Terrain Wheelchair
Recommended For: Outdoor use and can tackle a wider range of outdoor terrains, but can be used indoors in a pinch.
Bounder makes a whole range of incredible products, including a top-notch bariatric all-terrain wheelchair, but the model we’re looking at in this instance is the Bounder Plus with the HVLP OR package (High Volume, Low Pressure Off-Road Package).
This configuration is pricey, but my goodness does it offer spectacular performance. Its solid steel construction makes it a heavy chair, which does impact its portability a bit, but you can get around that by investing in a lift.
In no particular order, here are the things we were impressed by:
Of course, it does come with a significant downside in the form of price. You don’t get a chair like this for a song though, so that is to be expected. Still, if you’ve got the money and plan to spend a lot of time in the great outdoors (especially if you’re a hunter), we recommend it without reservation! The best long-range outdoor power wheelchair on our list.
Outrider Horizon (Electric Handcycle)
Recommended For: An outdoorsman looking for a spectacular “go-anywhere” vehicle…if you can afford it.
Outrider doesn’t make wheelchairs or mobility aids. They make adventure vehicles that people with mobility issues can use. This American company doesn’t mass produce these, either. Each one is a custom job, and you can design exactly the sort of adventure vehicle you want.
If you want high-tech gadgetry added, you can do that. If you want four battery packs and a 200-mile range, you can do that, too. Given its extreme maximum range, armed with some solar panels to facilitate recharging, this could conceivably be used as a cross-country wheelchair.
While most mobility aids tend to draw design cues from ATVs or even riding lawnmowers in some cases, the Outrider Horizon draws its inspiration from the mountain bike, recreating it as a mountain trike, then putting a motor on it and giving it steroids.
This thing is a beast, and as such, it’s not recommended for everyone. There are a couple of reasons for this. First and foremost is the staggering price of these units. With all the bells and whistles, a fully decked-out Horizon could wind up costing you more than the car you’re currently driving, and the money you’d spend here might be enough to make a worthy down payment on your next house.
That alone is going to put it out of reach for a lot of people, but honestly, unless you’re a diehard adventurer, this is probably more chair than you’ll ever need in your life. They’re incredibly fun, rugged, versatile machines, but the overwhelming majority of the public isn’t going to use even a fraction of this chair’s awesome capabilities.
We love it, but those two things taken together are why it didn’t rate higher on our list of best outdoor power wheelchairs. Even so, it’s an undeniably amazing piece of high-performance equipment, and it deserves your attention even if you plan to do little more than salivate at the thought of owning one. Truly outstanding and a one-of-a-kind outdoor motorized wheelchair.
X8 Extreme 4×4 Power All-Terrain Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone who wants or needs a rugged outdoor-only mobility device and can afford it.
Winner of the best “active” wheelchair for the elderly in another roundup review, the inclusion of the Extreme x8 all-terrain wheelchair on this list gives Magic Mobility the distinction of dominating this category with two entries (this and the Frontier V6).
It’s a beast of a chair, capable of going just about anywhere, and at a reasonably fast clip, to boot, with a top speed of just over six miles per hour. It’s built to last and can support up to 400 pounds of user weight, which is impressive.
Unfortunately, it only managed to rank fourth here because it’s got two drawbacks, one relatively minor and one that might give some people pause.
The minor drawback is its horrendous 53” turn radius, which can sometimes make navigating around obstacles problematic and maneuvering in tight spaces a virtual impossibility. Still, with planning, and given that this is a model designed to be used in the great outdoors, that’s not a deal breaker.
In some ways, its vast adjustability works against it though, and you’ll note that this chair does have a significant learning curve associated with it.
We love tech, so that’s not a problem for us, but it could be for some, which is why it’s not ranked as high on our list as it could be. As long as you don’t have a problem mastering new tech and you can plan around the big turning radius though, this is an excellent (if pricey) model to consider—a solid, reliable all-terrain power wheelchair.
Titan Hummer XL / Titan4 Scooter
Recommended For: Anyone who’s interested in a (relatively) low-cost outdoor mobility aid for light to moderate duty.
While not as capable at handling the roughest terrains as some of the other models we’ve talked about here, there’s a lot to like about the Titan Hummer XL, also called Titan 4.
It looks more like a stripped-down golf cart than an ATV, so the aesthetic may be off-putting to some, but it’s actually a surprisingly capable machine.
Here are the things that impressed us most about this model:
On top of that, one of the “extras” you can get for it is a pull-behind, locking “scooter coach.” While this add-on will increase the price of the vehicle by five hundred bucks, it also gives you the ability to pack in up to five hundred pounds of gear to wherever you’re going, which in our view, makes it pure awesome in terms of outdoor capability.
Because of its vast (potential) storage capacity, it’s an excellent all-terrain motorized wheelchair. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely worth a second look!
Best Tracked All Terrain Wheelchair in 2023
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
18” and 20” configurations available
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Seat Width:
16”, 18”, 20”, 22” or 24” configurations available
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Seat Width:
N/A
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Seat Height:
25”
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Seat Height:
23”
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Seat Height:
N/A
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Chair Weight:
440 pounds
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Chair Weight:
400 pounds
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Chair Weight:
1350 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
400 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
400 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
1000 pounds
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Extras:
Seat belt extension, battery charger, cup holder, attendant controls, cover, carrier, flip up footrest, fishing rod holder, added seat cushions, Oxygen tank holder, saddlebags, and more (even a snow plow!)
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Extras:
Both this model and the Trackstander are offered by the same company (Action Trackchair) and both offer the same impressive array of extras.
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Extras:
The biggest extra to talk about here is the fact that this is the only tracked chair you don’t have to transfer into. Just wheel your “regular” wheelchair onto the platform, bolt on, and go!
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Awesome chair. With enough cash, you can configure it into just about anything. The only tracked wheelchair that can stand you up on demand.
- Be prepared to spend a ton of money. Top speed just 3 miles per hour. Modest ten-mile range on a charge.
- Less expensive than the Trackstander, but every bit as capable. If you don’t need the standing feature, then this is the model you want.
- Even though it’s cheaper than the Trackstander, this model still carries a hefty price tag. Same modest top speed as the Trackstander, and same somewhat underwhelming range.
- A small, incredibly innovative company, and the father of the tracked wheelchair. Lots of fun extras on offer. Gas powered, not battery.
- Heavy. This thing is larger than most other track chairs, owing to the fact that you can wheel your “regular” wheelchair into it. Its massive size requires specialized equipment to transport.
Our Pick: Trackstander Wheelchair
Recommended for: Anyone who has a mobility issue and wants standing functionality will love this chair, again, if you can afford it.
The Trackstander, and its sister chair, the Action Trackchair are truly in a class by themselves. Sure, the Trackstander can go anywhere, but all tracked wheelchairs can make that claim. The thing that truly sets this model apart though, is that it’s a “standing wheelchair,” which is to say that at the touch of a button, it can stand you up.
That’s obviously not recommended while in motion, but if you suffer from a severe mobility issue and are unable to stand unassisted, then this ability gives you a level of freedom that other chairs simply can’t match.
That, combined with the fact that it looks like a tank on wheels makes it an awesome track wheelchair for veterans and other wounded warriors, giving them a huge boost in mobility, independence, and confidence.
Just about everything about the chair can be modified and adjusted to maximize your comfort, the seat can angle forward by five degrees and backwards by up to twenty degrees, and the chair has a zero-degree turning radius (i.e.., the ability to turn in place). On top of that, the arms can flip up independently for easy access into and out of the chair.
We have two issues with the design. Neither of them is a deal breaker for us, but we understand that not everyone will see things the way we do, so we wanted to be sure to bring them to your attention.
The first one thing we were somewhat underwhelmed by is the fact that the top speed of the Trackstander is just three miles per hour. While that’s not horrible, we were expecting more. Combine that with its modest ten-mile range on a charge, and it’s a bit underwhelming on that front.
Second, while the Trackstandar has TONS of awesome upgrades and accessories on offer, you’ve got to pay for those add-ons separately, on top of the already steep price of the chair itself.
Let us be clear: We love every single one of the accessories available. For goodness sake, you can even put a snow plow on the front end of this monster, which is little short of amazing. We just wish that at least some of the upgrades were included in the base model.
In spite of these limitations, we feel that this model is well deserving of top honors here on the strength of its top-notch design, versatility, and the fact that it’s the only chair in its class that offers standing functionality, which is an enormous win for anyone who suffers from a serious mobility issue.
Runner-Up: Action Trackchair
Recommended for: Anyone who can afford it, except those who want the standing function, in which case, the Trackstander, or the Falcon variant are the ones you want.
The Action Trackchair is another tank track wheelchair, and a close cousin of our top pick, the Trackstander. The two tracked wheelchairs are based on the same core technologies, but there are some subtle differences between them.
For a start, the Trackstander isn’t offered in as many seat width configurations, and the Action Trackchair has a wider range of tilt motion, able to tilt both forward and backward by as much as twenty degrees.
Otherwise, though, the two chairs are functionally similar, with the big exception being that the Action Trackchair doesn’t offer the standing function. This adds considerably to the price of the Trackstander, so unless you specifically need that functionality, this is the model you want.
It’s worth noting too that choosing the Trackchair over the Trackstander will save you several thousand dollars, which you can spend on upgrades. And as we mentioned earlier, this is where these two chairs really shine. They have more extras and add-ons than we’ve ever seen offered by any other company.
Our earlier statements about this hold true here as well. We have decidedly mixed feelings about the company’s approach to extras. On the one hand, these chairs are super expensive, and it seems that at least some of the extras could have been included in the hefty price of the base model.
On the other hand, though, by offering each extra as a separate purchase, it gives you enormous flexibility to construct exactly the chair you want and sees you paying only for the enhancements you’ll actually use.
Like the Trackstander, the Action Trackchair has a top speed of 3 miles per hour and offers about ten miles of range on a single charge. We regard this as underwhelming, although there are other track chairs on the market that offer even less range, so it’s hardly a fatal flaw.
The bottom line is, if you have the money to customize the chair exactly how you want it, and you don’t need the standing feature, this is the model you want. Highly recommended.
Ripchair 3.0
Not for the faint of heart. Unless you’re a diehard adventurer, this is going to be far more chair than you’ll ever need.
Okay, let’s just get this out of the way first. This is probably the closest thing to a tank that most people will ever get to drive. It’s a gas-powered brute (something of a departure, since every other powered chair we talk about in this review runs on batteries) which leaves all the rough terrain electric wheelchairs in the dirt.
Howe and Howe Technologies is a tiny company, but in the mobility world, they are a powerhouse and the father of the track chair. This product is totally unique. There’s literally nothing else like it on the market today.
Each one is custom-built on a construction-grade suspension system and transmission. Its rubberized treads can tackle any terrain you can throw at it, and its 5-gallon gas tank gives you enough fuel for about eight hours of driving fun. Plus, there’s room in the cargo rack on the back to store additional gas to keep you running as long as you need to.
It gets better. This brute has a top speed of ten miles per hour, and unlike other track chairs, there’s no seat. It’s designed such that you simply lower the access ramp, wheel your “regular” wheelchair onto the platform, bolt on, and go. No need to transfer out of your standard wheelchair and into this one.
On top of that, the company offers a good selection of high value enhancements and add-ons, ranging from heated handle bars to a rifle rest or fishing pole holders, to an even bigger, more powerful engine that can nudge the top speed up to 17 miles per hour. Oh, and of course, like all track chairs, it can turn on a dime too!
In terms of raw power and capability, this is the ultimate chair. Again, it’s more of a tank than a tracked wheelchair. Unfortunately, you’ll pay a hefty premium for all that power and awesomeness, which is its major drawback.
Even though we rated it third overall in terms of tracked wheelchairs, in terms of fun, nothing else comes close. If you have a mobility issue and have money to spend, this is hands down the chair you want. It doesn’t matter where you want to go: Through deep snow drifts, marshlands, beaches, rough, forested or rocky terrains, or anyplace else you can imagine, this monster will get you there and get you there in style.
Rocket Mobility’s Tomahawk Tracked Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone who wants a tracked wheelchair, doesn’t have a ton of money to spend, and is willing to take a chance on a new company.
This is the cheapest all terrain power wheelchair with tracks on the market today, and that alone makes it worth a second, or even third look. That said, you can pick up virtually any other type of off-road wheelchair for a cheaper price, but it’s still probably going to be out of reach for many.
It’s a basic, no-frills model. Unlike the chairs we’ve talked about so far, there are no extras on offer here. Although, a committed DIYer could no doubt rig or engineer a few of their own “enhancements” to the core model.
The only thing we’d caution here is that Rocket is a very new company. They haven’t been around for terribly long, and of course, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be around in the future. While we haven’t heard about any customer service complaints leveled against the company, the fact is, they’re a bit of an unknown quantity.
That’s not (necessarily) a reason to pick a different model, but it is something to be aware of when weighing your options.
Ziesel Ground Squirrel
Recommended For: Strictly a plaything for the super-rich. It’s versatile and capable, but only a tiny fraction of the population can realistically afford one.
Of all the rough terrain wheelchairs we talk about in this article, the Ziesel (German for “Ground Squirrel”) is the most expensive. Each unit is hand-built and shipped to you from Tyrol and offers spectacular performance and legendary German engineering. This is as much a mobility device as it is a work of art.
If the RipChair 3.0 is analogous to a tank, the Ground Squirrel (off-road) is like a weird cross between Dr. X’s wheelchair, a snowcat and a mountain goat. Its rubberized all terrain wheelchair tracks can get you anywhere you want to go and can do so at an impressive 18 miles per hour, to boot!
It’s a high-tech wonder, and you’ll find a 5” LCD screen on the armrest next to the joystick controller that gives you the status of every aspect of the machine’s operation.
Even better, the company can build yours to your exact specifications, including any extras and enhancements you want, drawn from their extensive collection of possibilities.
The Ground Squirrel is an undeniably awesome product. Who wouldn’t want access to such a stunning, German-engineered mobility machine? But, be prepared for some major sticker shock if you send the company a note expressing interest in buying one. In some parts of the country, you could buy a foreclosed home for less than you’ll spend on the Ground Squirrel.
Recommended, but only for those with money to burn.
What’s This I Keep Hearing About Omega Track Wheelchair?
In short, it’s a decent chair when it works, but unless you’re mechanically inclined and like to tinker with your equipment, we don’t recommend it.
Building Your Own Track Drive Wheelchair
Given the incredibly high price of the tracked wheelchairs on the market today, many people have written in to ask if it’s possible to build their own.
The short answer is that yes, it’s very possible.
Here are a couple of videos of people showing off their home-built track chairs:
Be warned, however, that this is a major project, and you’ll need a fully stocked workshop to do it justice. Of course, the upshot is that when you’re done, you’ll have the perfect tracked wheelchair for you, but understand that getting to the point of having something both functional and refined is going to take lots of time and effort.
Best Wheelchair for Hiking in 2023
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
Available in 18”, 21”, and 24” configurations
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Seat Width:
17”
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Seat Width:
17”
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Seat Height:
22”
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Seat Height:
12” (not as bad as it sounds!)
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Seat Height:
18.3”
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Chair Weight:
260 pounds
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Chair Weight:
260 pounds
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Chair Weight:
44 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
350 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
240 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
220 pounds
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Extras:
A moderate number of extras on offer
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Extras:
Can be fully customized at the time of order.
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Extras:
A surprising number of extras on offer and can be ordered in any color.
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- An incredibly well-built, rugged machine that can take you just about anywhere
- None (Pricey).
- An exceptionally well-built, go-anywhere adventure vehicle.
- The fact that it’s British-made and imported makes it expensive. Single battery range is 15 miles, but additional batteries can be added to extend this.
- Rugged and durable. A simplistic, but highly attractive, innovative design.
- None. This chair can take you anywhere you want to go and have the strength to get to!
Many people consider “rickshaw-style” wheelchairs (like the top three models in the manual wheelchair section, which we’ll go into detail about below) to be a form of hiking wheelchair, but we object to that classification.
In our minds, intrinsic to the definition of a hiking wheelchair is that you’re able to traverse the trail under your own power. That’s the exact opposite of what rickshaw-style wheelchairs are. While it’s true that their design will easily allow you to cover a wide range of challenging terrains, it’s also true that they require the presence of one or more “Sherpas” to haul you over it.
That doesn’t sound much like hiking to us, which is why we didn’t include any of them on this list.
Having said that, every outdoor enthusiast with a mobility issue should be aware of the fact that while there are almost never restrictions on what kinds of mobility devices are allowed on private land, some public lands do have restrictions on motorized wheelchairs or certain classifications of them. Contrast that with the fact that we haven’t found a single instance of restrictions placed on manual wheelchairs.
Generally speaking, it shouldn’t be an issue, but it pays to check to see what, if any restrictions might be in place before planning your outdoor adventure. If the places you’re likely to go hiking have restrictions, then we’d recommend giving the rickshaw-style chairs in the manual section a closer look, because all but one of the models in this sub-section are motorized.
Our Pick: Outdoor Extreme Nomad
Recommended For: Not designed for casual use, but meant for those who want to push themselves to the limit, step off the trail, and truly experience the wilds.
The Nomad was specifically designed for hiking trails. If you’re looking for a motorized all-terrain wheelchair to enjoy the great outdoors in, then this is the one you want.
Built out of sturdy aircraft aluminum, and featuring heavy-duty anti-tip wheels, this rugged machine more than lives up to its name, allowing you to tackle most any type of terrain (including slopes up to twenty degrees) with ease.
While it’s not as zippy as some other all-terrain motorized wheelchairs (top speed of just four miles per hour), if you’re hiking, you probably aren’t in that big of a rush, so its relatively modest speed isn’t that big of a drawback, and you can enjoy up to eight hours of hiking fun before you’ll need to plug in somewhere, or break out the solar panels for a recharge.
While the Nomad doesn’t offer a lot in the way of extras, the ones that are available are all high value, and include:
This last is especially interesting, allowing you to take the equipment with you that relies on electricity to run, powering it from your chair (although this will, understandably, begin to reduce the distance you’ll be able to travel before a recharge becomes necessary).
When you place your order, you can specify which side you’d like the joystick and control panel mounted on and select from one of more than six thousand color options, allowing each person who owns one to truly customize their ride.
Once you get the chair, you’ll find that the foot plate is adjustable, so you can tweak it for a perfect fit, and when you get to wherever you’re going, or if you decide you need a break, the Captain’s chair reclines, allowing you to get comfy for a bit before continuing your journey.
It’s a solid, capable piece of engineering with a lifetime warranty on the frame, and the impressive tires (Carlisle 20″x1 O”x8″ 2-5 psi (Rear), 2-ply Turf or Smooth tire options, Burris 12″x8″x6″ 8psi (Front), and heavy duty stainless front and rear hubs even make it suitable for a day at the beach if you’re so inclined.
Other than the fact that it’s a bit on the pricey side, this chair has no weaknesses. If you buy one, you’re going to love it.
Runner-Up: Magic Mobility’s Boma 7
Recommended For: This is not a casual or even moderate-use chair. It’s designed for adventurers who want to go where there are no roads.
Magic Mobility’s Boma 7 is similar in some ways to Outrider’s Horizon (mentioned earlier in this review). It’s an adventure vehicle, one part four-wheeled mountain bike, one-part go-kart, and 100% fun.
The variant we’re looking at is a go-anywhere all terrain electric wheelchair, but the adventure bike can be ordered in manual “handle bar” configuration, allowing you to power it via lever action, rather than pedaling. This, of course, requires a fair bit of upper body strength, but if you’re up for the challenge, either option will serve you well.
The Boma 7 is even street legal if you include the optional light kit, and there are enough extras and options on offer that allow you to custom-create exactly the adventure vehicle you’re looking for.
One thing we were underwhelmed by was the modest fifteen-mile range, but that’s with a single battery. If you want to extend it, it’s easy enough to order yours with multiple batteries and a corresponding increase in range.
Our two favorite aspects of the Boma 7 are these:
If you were inclined to, you could configure your Boma-7 with enough batteries to boost the range, get a Bobcat trailer, stash some solar panels in it for charging and other gears, and use this impressive machine to travel across country. That trip obviously wouldn’t be for the faint of heart, but it is an adventure vehicle after all….
Highly recommended! The only drawback, as with many of the chairs we’re looking at in this piece, is the price.
Mountain Trike
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a great manual hiking chair. One of the most versatile, robust manual chairs in its class.
The Mountain Trike all terrain wheelchair is an interesting addition to our list of finalists for a couple of different reasons.
First and foremost, it’s the only manual (self-propelled) wheelchair to make our short list of hiking wheelchairs, which speaks volumes about its quality.
Second, the fact that it can go toe to toe with and rank right in the middle of a list made up of powered wheelchairs is nothing short of amazing. This wheelchair is truly something special.
Although it’s called a trike, it’s actually a five-wheeled chair, with two small anti-tipping wheels in the front for added stability going downhill, two large wheels in the center, and one smaller one in the back. The real innovation, however, comes in the form of the lever-action propulsion system.
You’re no doubt familiar with moving about in a “regular” self-propelled wheelchair. You grab the wheels and push. Yeah, there’s none of that here. Instead, you grip the levers and push in a motion that’s somewhat akin to rowing, albeit at a different angle.
Most people who use self-propelled wheelchairs have good upper body strength. If you didn’t before you start using the Mountain Trike, you will in short order. It gives you a fantastic, low-intensity workout!
We love this unconventional approach. It will take you a few minutes to get used to it, but once you’ve mastered the basics of moving and steering, we think you’ll be hooked. Before you know it, you’ll be gliding near-effortlessly across most types of terrain.
The main wheels are 24” in diameter and look like mountain bike tires, giving this amazing chair the ability to go just about anywhere; but that’s just the beginning. The Mountain Trike also offers great shocks, hydraulic disc brakes and a padded bucket seat to keep you comfortable on-road or off.
There’s enough adjustability here to accommodate users up to 6’4” in height, although note that it’s got a relatively low maximum user weight of 220 pounds.
Not only can you order the Mountain Trike in any color you want, but the company also offers a surprising number of extras, including:
In short, this is one of the best, most capable self-propelled wheelchairs we’ve ever seen. You’re gonna love it.
Viking 4×4
Recommended for: Anyone on a budget who’s looking for a go-anywhere power chair.
There are two reasons that the Viking 4×4 off road power wheelchair didn’t rank higher on our list. First, we don’t know much about Observer Mobility, the company that makes it. As such, we’re treating it as an off-brand with an unknown customer service and support history.
Second, one of the key things we look for in a hiking chair is portability, and although the Viking is a beast in terms of performance, it’s heavy and not very portable. If you have a full-sized SUV, you can (maybe) cram it in the available storage space. Failing that, you’ll need a ramp and a pickup truck, or a lift mechanism to take it with you.
Once you get it where you want to go though, it’s an incredibly capable machine, capable of handling just about any type of terrain, and even able to navigate steep slopes that other models can’t touch (rated for slopes of up to 36 degrees)!
It’s got a top speed of about 4.5 miles per hour (7.5 km/h), and the seat has a built-in “gradienter” which always keeps you fully upright, regardless of the unevenness of the terrain you’re traveling over, and with deep-tread 15.75” x 3.35” all-terrain tires (beach tires also available as an optional purchase), you can go just about anywhere.
We found the range (19 miles) to be a bit underwhelming, but on balance, we have to admit, we were impressed with this machine. The only real drawbacks we see are the two mentioned at the very start. Getting post-sales support might be a bit tricky, and be prepared to get a workout loading and unloading unless you’re going to invest in a lift or a ramp!
Terrain Hopper
Recommended for: Anyone who can afford it, plus the lift, truck, or van to get it from one place to another (and the extra battery to extend its range).
One of the big things we look for in terms of a great hiking wheelchair is portability, and unfortunately, the Terrain Hopper doesn’t deliver on that front. It’s not very portable, so if you decide that this is the model you want, know upfront that you’re going to need to get a lift or a ramp and a truck to haul it from one place to another.
On the other hand, it’s such an interesting electric all terrain wheelchair that we didn’t feel our list in this category would be complete if we didn’t include it. Portability issues aside, it really does have a lot going for it!
Actually, the company makes two different models, the Overlander 4ZS, which is the one we were most interested in, and the mini, which is a smaller, but no less capable version of the same basic chair.
The Overlander is essentially a four-wheel-drive ATV for people with mobility issues. Its all-terrain tires are capable of handling just about any terrain, and this one even outperforms the Viking (mentioned above) in terms of slope handling, able to traverse slopes of up to forty-five degrees, which is nothing short of amazing.
You can order this vehicle with “on-road” tires, although it seems to us that doing so would be a disservice to the machine. Still, the option is there if you want it.
There are a couple of interesting aspects to the design. First, it takes driver safety even more seriously than most, offering a roll bar that surrounds the driver, and a four-point harness safety belt.
There are two pre-programmed modes of operation: a max speed of 4 miles per hour for treacherous off-road terrains, and a faster, looser 12 mph max speed for flat terrain where you don’t have to worry as much about obstacles. We like this very much, as it makes the machine more versatile and user-friendly (no chance of forgetting where you are and gunning the engine, which could result in an accident).
It’s also got two different steering mechanisms. You can use the ATV-style handlebars or the joystick controller. Even better, you can seamlessly switch from one to the other as driving conditions change.
In addition to being offered in a dizzying array of color options, there are a number of appealing add-ons and extras, including additional lights, an upgrade to a manual or electric rotating seat for easier transfers into and out of the chair, an adjustable footrest for added comfort, monster wheels, and even a winch and cable if you want or need it (one-ton towing capacity).
The only thing we’d change is, given that this machine is so rugged and capable, we’d love to have seen a roomy storage compartment for gear. It’s a small thing and easy to overlook, but that’s one improvement we’d be thrilled to see.
We regard the Terrain Hopper as equal parts work and play. Sure, you can take it off road and enjoy a hike, but this vehicle has more going for it than just good times. It is (or can be) a true workhorse if you need it to be. It’s expensive, but we were impressed.
Best Power Beach Wheelchair in 2023
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
Available in 18”, 21”, and 24” configurations
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Seat Width:
24”
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Seat Width:
Available in 18” and 21” seat configurations
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Seat Height:
22”
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Seat Height:
22”
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Seat Height: |
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Chair Weight:
260 pounds
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Chair Weight:
240 pounds
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Chair Weight:
240 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
350 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
350 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
300 pounds
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Extras:
A moderate number of extras on offer
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Extras:
A surprisingly robust collection of fun extras.
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Extras:
A modest selection of leisure-oriented extras and enhancements
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- An incredibly well-built, rugged machine that can take you just about anywhere
- None (Pricey).
- Robust, although probably better suited for adventurers than those looking for a leisure chair.
- Manufactured by a smaller company – may struggle to deliver world class customer service beyond their Florida HQ.
- A well-made product offered by a respected, Florida-based company. This one is better suited for those looking for a leisure cruiser, rather than an adventure chair.
- Manufactured by a smaller company – may struggle to deliver world class customer service beyond their Florida HQ.
You can tell a beach wheelchair from other types of outdoor wheelchairs at a glance, because their defining feature is their almost comically large tires. These are necessary, given the unique challenges of traversing sandy terrain, and this is the reason we created a separate category specifically for beach wheelchairs.
Note that most of these are motorized. While navigating sandy terrain in a manual wheelchair, even with the appropriate tires is certainly a great way to get your exercise (or, if you have an assistant with you, a great way for him or her to get plenty of exercise), motorized variants will dramatically increase your range and allow you to get where you’re going without exhausting yourself, which is a good thing in our book.
Our Pick: Outdoor Extreme Beach Cruiser
Recommended For: People looking for an already polished beach wheelchair that’s ready to roll. If you want a highly customized chair, this is probably not your cup of tea.
Unless you skipped straight to this section, you probably remember seeing the name “Outdoor Extreme” earlier in this massive article. You remember correctly! Elsewhere, in the “hiking” category, Outdoor Extreme took top honors for their “Nomad” all-terrain wheelchair.
While the Nomad is certainly capable of getting you from point A to point B on the beach, the company makes a rugged wheelchair optimized for beach use, bearing the accurate, if unimaginative name “The Outdoor Extreme Beach Cruiser.” Like the Nomad, it takes top honors in its category.
Functionally, the Beach Cruiser and the Nomad are quite similar, and the Beach Cruiser has the same modest group of useful upgrades and add-ons available that its sister chair offers.
Of course, there are big differences in styling and the fact that the Beach Cruiser is optimized to withstand the corrosive effects of the sun, sand and salt water, featuring a corrosion-resistant, powder-coated frame and stainless-steel hardware.
Also, note that the Beach Cruiser does have one “extra” add-on not offered with the Nomad. Specifically, a colorful beach umbrella that can be mounted on the back of the Beach Cruiser to provide some much-needed shade, whether moving or parked to enjoy the scenery. It’s an exceptional chair, and you won’t be disappointed.
Runner-Up: Beach Mobility’s Nomad
Recommended For: Adventurers and people looking for a go-anywhere design that can also handle a day on the beach. Probably too much of a chair for the casual beachgoer.
Beach wheelchairs, especially motorized ones, tend to be niche products. Because of that, most of the major manufacturers of mobility aids have tended to steer clear of the market, so you won’t find the usual collection of heavy hitters here.
This has created a rich opportunity for smaller manufacturers, who have rushed to fill the niche with an array of interesting, well-designed products, and the Nomad, offered by Beach Mobility, is no different. (Note: Not to be confused with the Nomad offered by Extreme Mobility!).
This design is less of a cruiser and more of an adventure chair. Instead of offering leisure add-ons and extras like an umbrella or canopy, you’ll find options like a rifle or pistol rack, fishing rod holder, a camo seat upgrade option, and the like. Note that you can also buy an umbrella clamp, so you can add one if you want one, but you’ll have to look elsewhere to get the umbrella itself.
Despite the fact that the Nomad is offered by a smaller company, the design is quite refined, having been built and sold for more than a decade.
It features cutting-edge tech, and you can order yours with a phone holder, power buddy and a USB port if the urge strikes.
It does have one potential weakness, however. We’d expect an adventure chair to have a better range, and unfortunately, this one’s limited to about four miles on the beach before you’ll need to recharge.
If you venture off the beach, you’ll be able to get a little more mileage out of it, but it’s still not great.
Fortunately, there’s ample room for storage, so it’s no special difficulty to stash some solar panels for recharging on the back and keep right on enjoying the day.
The only other word of caution we’d offer is this: although the company has a solid reputation, they’re small, and smaller companies sometimes struggle to deliver world-class post-sales support to far-flung customers. If you’re in or near Florida, you’ll have no problems whatsoever. If you live farther afield, just be aware that they’re a smaller firm.
If you’re looking for a motorized beach chair that’s more than just a cruiser, this is the one you want.
Beach Powered Mobility’s Beach Cruiser
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a well-rounded, robust beach cruiser with a moderate selection of extras. It’s a fantastic middle-of-the-road option.
This beach cruiser is offered by another small, Florida-based company. It’s functionally similar to Beach Mobility’s Nomad, but where that chair is targeted more toward adventurers, this one is definitely a leisure cruiser. In our view, its best features include:
We love the under-seat storage and are happy to see it here. Most wheelchairs offer storage on the back of the unit, which is the logical place for it, but of course, in that location, most often, you’ve got to get up from the chair to access whatever it is you’re storing.
That can be challenging enough for someone with a mobility issue, but when you’re on wet, sandy, uneven ground, it can be a virtual impossibility. Kudos to Beach Powered Mobility for offering convenient, easy-access storage!
Also, this one has a top speed of six miles per hour and a range of up to ten miles. While ten miles is fairly modest by the standards of many outdoor wheelchairs, in most cases, beach cruisers don’t need a lot of range, so most people will find this to be perfectly acceptable.
It’s also cheaper than our top pick, so if you’re looking for a good cruiser, but can’t afford Extreme Mobility’s model, then this is an excellent second choice (again, the more adventure-oriented will probably want to gravitate to the Nomad Beach Cruiser, described above).
AJ’s Beach Cruzr (By Hotshot Products)
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a robust, one-of-a-kind motorized beach wheelchair, as opposed to a mass-produced, mass marketed product.
So, you’ve never heard of Hotshot Products? We hadn’t either until quite recently. As far as we can tell, this is strictly a garage operation, so it’s a tiny company, but they’re committed to making great quality products, and the fact that this little company holds two spots on our list in this category speaks volumes.
All of their machines are hand-built, but because this is a smaller outfit, the production values aren’t as high as they are with products offered by bigger companies. These things look homemade because they are homemade. That doesn’t make them bad (not by any means!), but it is something to be mindful of.
Where beach chairs are concerned, we place a somewhat stronger emphasis on post-sales service and support, and as much as we love this company and their products, we’re mindful of the fact that a small outfit like this isn’t going to have much in the way of capability to handle post-sales support, which is why Hotshot didn’t rank more highly on our list.
Having said that, you’ll find the Beach Cruzr to be a very capable machine, rugged, and more than up to the challenge of getting you anywhere on the beach you want to go.
It’s got a top speed of six miles per hour and a range of about fifteen miles on a charge, which is more than adequate to meet the needs of most beachgoers.
Unfortunately, you don’t get a lot in the way of extras, although there are some pleasant surprises built into the chair itself, including the reclining seats and independently adjustable arm and footrests. Still, as we mentioned, this isn’t a big company, so we weren’t expecting too much in the way of extras and add-ons.
For the money, this is an incredibly capable little chair, and we consider ourselves lucky to have stumbled across it. Although it ranked a modest fourth on our list, we’re proud to name the Cruzr as the best value in its class. Even if you decide to go in some other direction, we think you’ll agree, AJ’s Cruzr is well worth a second look!
Beach Cruzr 4 2 (By Hotshot Products)
Recommended For: A niche product specifically designed for two people to ride together. If that’s what you need, this is the powered beach wheelchair you want.
The second of Hotshot Products to make our list in this category, we were thrilled with this model because it’s exactly the kind of innovation we’d expect to see from a small, hungry company in the industry.
It’s essentially a rolling loveseat, designed for beach use. A wheelchair built for two! Spec-wise, it’s functionally similar to the Cruzr we talked about above, but in duplicate. The one thing we were a bit disappointed in here was that the total weight is fairly modest for two.
As long as you’re both fairly lean, it won’t be an issue, but if you’re big and tall, you’ll probably struggle to get two people in the thing.
Even so, as a concept, it’s pure brilliance, and we wouldn’t consider our list to be complete without giving it a mention. It’s clearly not for everyone, but for the “right” user (or couple), this is pure heaven!
Note: Both the Cruzr and the Cruzr 4 2 use standard Rolleez beach tires, so when yours eventually wear out, it’s easy to get replacements that are guaranteed to fit. Kudos to Hotshot products for coming up with a fantastic design. We love it!
Best Manual Beach Wheelchair Options 2023
As we mentioned at the start, manual beach chairs have some serious drawbacks to them, mostly in that either you or your trusty assistant are going to get a real workout if you plan on traveling any distance at all over sandy terrain.
On the other hand, this is a great example of the idea that how you plan on using the chair becomes a major factor in what model you gravitate toward. If, for example, you plan on staying at a seaside resort, and will be going no farther than from the hotel to the adjacent beach, a manual beach wheelchair is a much more cost-effective option.
In that case, we’d recommend checking out either of the following models:
Our Pick: Vipamat Hippocampe All Terrain Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone who wants a specialized chair for a time at the beach but doesn’t want to spring for a motorized model.
The French-made Hippocampe is an exceptional all terrain folding wheelchair that has won numerous awards for its fun, modern styling and versatility.
While it was designed as an all-terrain chair, there are a number of options and add-ons you can buy, including balloon wheels for the back (replacing the chair’s standard double wheels) which make it ideal for a day at the beach. It’s incredibly portable and will fit in the trunk space of most full-sized sedans, and you’ll have no difficulty fitting it into any SUV or truck bed.
Even better, despite being made of hollow stainless steel tubing, the Hippocampe all-terrain wheelchair weighs in at a modest 37.5 pounds. While it’s a simple matter to find transport chairs that are significantly lighter, they can’t even begin to match the sheer versatility of the Hippocampe.
The chair can be ordered in a variety of sizes, from child to adult, and to provide optimal comfort, the armrest height can be adjusted (they also swivel outward to make it easy to get into and out of the chair), as can the back and headrest. In addition to that, the headrest is somewhat articulated, allowing you to pivot it forward or backward to whatever position feels the most natural to you.
Comfort-wise, the seat is well padded and, given that it was designed to be used primarily around water, padded with thick hydrophobic foam. Its design allows it to either be pushed or pulled (rickshaw style). While it might be theoretically possible to self-propel it with its default double wheels in place, that’s pretty much an impossibility with the beachgoing balloon wheels, so you will need an assistant to help get you where you want to go.
You’ll probably have to have it shipped in from Europe because few American distributors carry them. And so, you’ll want to be sure to order all the add-ons and extras you want at the time of purchase, such as:
You can also choose between two colors, rose (which is actually closer to a shade of pink) and light blue.
The company makes it extremely easy to get exactly the chair you want via their online customization tool, which can be found here: http://www.vipamat.com/configurateur.php
Well worth checking out.
Runner-Up: Rolleez All Terrain Beach Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone who loves spending time at the beach but can’t afford a powered beach chair.
With its oversized wheels (larger in the front than in the back), the Rolleez All Terrain Beach Wheelchair looks like something straight out of a cartoon. Despite its appearance though, this is a serious piece of mobility equipment optimized for a day at the beach.
It’s got a simple, functional design, is modestly priced, and comes with its own umbrella to keep you in the shade and ride or relax in style. Plus, its wide design ensures that you won’t risk tipping over on the sometimes-treacherous sand.
With massive 19.3” front wheels and 11.8” rear wheels, the Rolleez can glide effortlessly over the sand. Although as with all beach chairs, there’s no way to self-propel this model, so you’ll need the strong arms and back of a trusty assistant to help get you where you want to go.
It’s offered in a staggering variety of upholstery and color options and includes two extras besides the umbrella mentioned above: a safety belt and a mesh storage bag which affixes to a generously sized storage compartment behind the seat.
Basically then, this chair has everything you need to enjoy a fun afternoon at the beach, other than a power supply. As long as you’ve got a helper close at hand though, you’ve got that covered too!
While none of the chairs we’re talking about in this roundup review are inexpensive, this one is surprisingly modestly priced. So, if money is an issue, it’s an outstanding option, and well worth a look.
Best Indoor Outdoor Wheelchairs 2023
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
24”
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Seat Width:
19.5”
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Seat Width:
20.5” to 23”
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Seat Height:
20.5” to 22.5”
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Seat Height:
23” to 25”
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Seat Height:
18”
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Chair Weight:
247 pounds
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Chair Weight:
219.5 pounds
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Chair Weight:
158 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
600 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
400 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
300 pounds
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Extras:
Offered in two colors (red or blue)
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Extras:
Offered in red, blue, or gold
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Extras:
Impressive 25” turning radius, anti-tip wheels, no-tool disassembly for transport, 125-degree reclining seatback, adjustable headrest
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Front wheel drive and 14” drive wheels make it surprisingly capable outdoors, especially on sloping terrain. 26.5” turning radius is decent.
- Top speed of just 4 miles per hour. 1.5” ground clearance makes it a poor choice for travel over rough terrain.
- Lots of adjustability options for optimal comfort.
- Relatively poor turning radius (42”) may pose a challenge for people with smaller homes and navigation through tight spaces.
- Exceptionally well designed and offered by a respected brand known for producing durable, long-lasting equipment.
- Noisy recharger. Several user complaints about the LED indicator lights being too bright.
Indoor-outdoor electric wheelchairs have to serve two masters by design, and the requirements for operation in the two settings couldn’t be more different. It’s far easier to create a wheelchair (whether powered or manual) that can handle well indoors, so all of these perform well on that front.
Unfortunately, some of the design choices necessitated by designing a chair for indoor use make these somewhat less robust and capable when it comes to handling the full range of outdoor terrains. As such, the models you’ll find here are fine for a day at the park or puttering around your lawn and garden, but don’t perform as well on challenging terrains as models you’ll find in other sections of this review.
Advantages & Disadvantages
There are advantages and disadvantages to owning a chair in this category.
On the one hand, if you don’t plan on outings that require you to tackle challenging terrain, these chairs are versatile enough that you can get by with one model instead of two, and that saves you money.
On the other hand, if you are a diehard outdoorsman, the savings you realize by buying one of these will be paired with at least some disappointment, as these models just won’t be able to take you everywhere you’d like to go.
Let’s take a closer look at our winner and the other top contenders in this section:
Our Pick: Pride Mobility’s Jazzy 1450 Power Chair
Recommended For: Anyone in need of a well-priced indoor/outdoor mobility aid.
The particular model we looked at here is actually a bariatric chair, which won inclusion for its shockingly modest price, paired with solid capability.
You can, of course, purchase a non-bariatric version of the same model, but what caught our attention is that in most cases, you pay a hefty premium for the bariatric variant of any particular model. While there is some price difference here, we were stunned to find such a high performance bariatric chair offered at this price.
The main tires are big, robust, and have enough tread to carry you over most of the terrains you’re likely to find in and around your property, and it can handle sidewalks, parking lots and paved outdoor spaces with ease.
It’s also got a 26.5” turning radius, which makes navigating tight indoor spaces a snap.
Unfortunately, most indoor-outdoor chairs don’t come with a wide range of extras and options, and this one is no exception. Even so, you’ll find the chair to be both comfortable and capable. It doesn’t recline, so it’s not a great chair for napping, but there are a number of adjustable features including:
A safety belt is included (about the only extra on offer), and the controls are simply intuitive, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time learning to maneuver.
The only major drawback here is that with just 1.5” of ground clearance, this model will struggle a bit on uneven terrain. Nevertheless, its powerful motor and robust drive tires will handle well on slopes, and the chair comes with small anti-tipping casters on the front for when you’re going downhill.
A well-designed chair that’s capable of light to medium outdoor duty, offered by one of the major players in the industry. Highly recommended.
Runner-Up: Drive Medical Sunfire General HD Power Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone who places a premium on comfort, and who wants a solid, reliable machine for use both indoors and out.
Drive Medical is one of the biggest players in the mobility industry, and although they didn’t take top honors in this category, they distinguish themselves by having two of their models featured in our list of finalists, including one that gets a special nod as offering the best overall value in this category (the Titan, referenced below).
The Sunfire is a superb model, most notable for its comfort and adjustability. The Captain’s chair swivels and offers an infinite number of recline positions to a maximum of 45 degrees, making it a good chair for short naps. You’ll also find the following adjustment options:
Put all that together, and you have a chair that you can fine-tune for maximum comfort.
Even better, you can order yours with an upgrade that will allow the leg rests to elevate, making this model even more like a recliner on wheels.
This is a rear-wheel drive model, and although it supports impressively sized 13” drive wheels, it’s somewhat less capable than our top pick at handling sloping outdoor terrains. However, it’s perfectly adept in maneuvering over most of the terrains you’ll likely find at the park or in your backyard.
With a top speed of 5 miles per hour and a maximum range on a charge of 15 miles, it’s adequate for most light duty outdoor uses.
The one thing we were disappointed by here (and the main reason this model placed second) is the fact that the turning radius is fairly poor at 42”, which makes it hard to use in tight spaces, and may knock it out of the running for people who live in smaller homes or apartments.
Nonetheless, if you’ve got a larger home or have a Spartan décor scheme so that you minimize tight spaces and corners, this is an exceptional model, offered at a great price. Recommended.
Drive Medical Titan Front Wheel Drive
Recommended For: Users who love the outdoors and would not mind the heavy weight of the chair.
Drive Medical makes some of the best indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs in the industry, and although the Titan ranks middle of the pack, we’re proud to award it with the title of best value in its class. (This model also placed well in our recent roundup of the best wheelchairs for the elderly.
It’s a front-wheel drive model, and as such, tends to handle well on sloping terrain. That, combined with its impressive 25” turning radius makes it a versatile chair, both indoors and out. Its top speed is a modest four miles per hour, which isn’t great but should be fine for most casual outdoor uses, and its maximum range on a charge is 15 miles per hour.
There are plenty of chairs offering vastly more range, but again, for light to moderate outdoor duty, that should be enough to serve most people well.
Like the Sunfire, the Titan places great emphasis on comfort. The Captain’s chair swivels and reclines, and most of the features on the chair are adjustable, allowing you to tweak settings to your heart’s content to optimize your comfort.
It’s incredibly intuitive and easy to use, which is why it won high marks on our roundup of the best wheelchairs for the elderly.
One thing we’ll note is the fact that it’s quite heavy, but fortunately, thanks to a cunning design, the chair is easy to disassemble into smaller pieces, which makes transporting it an easier proposition than you might think.
Overall, this is a superb choice for anyone looking for a versatile indoor-outdoor chair, but who also needs to watch their pennies.
Excel All-Terrain Outdoor Self-Propelled Wheelchair
Recommended For: If you’re looking for a single chair to fulfill both an indoor and an outdoor role, and you don’t mind a manual option, this is a good choice.
Excel is to England what Pride Mobility is to the United States. They’re one of the major players in the mobility industry in that country, and the Excel all terrain wheelchair is an exceptional manual option for those looking for an indoor-outdoor chair.
Obviously, the limitation here is that it’s self-propelled, so you’re going to need some upper body strength or an assistant with a strong back to help you navigate challenging outdoor terrains.
With the tires that come standard on the Excel G-Explorer, you can go just about anywhere. If a mountain bike can traverse it, this chair can traverse it, too… if you’ve got the muscles to get you up and over the terrain, of course.
Essentially, this chair is a four-wheeled version of a mountain bike when you’re outside and pulls double duty as an exceptional “regular” wheelchair when you’re indoors.
The only real drawback here is that it’s relatively small, with a maximum seat width of just 19” and supporting a maximum user weight of a modest 250 pounds. These limitations will in no doubt be deal breakers for bigger, taller users, but if you can fit in it, it’s an exceptional manual option.
Note that Excel makes a wide range of outstanding wheelchairs that we’ll cover in a separate article.
Whirlwind Roughrider
Recommended For: Anyone who can fit into one, given its relatively narrow seat width and low maximum weight limit.
The RoughRider began life as a kind of Open Source project designed to bring a rugged, all-terrain wheelchair design to people in Third-World countries at a reasonable cost. They’re now being sold in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Even better, you can order one with a seat width as small as 12.5”, making it an ideal pediatric chair.
The design has been continually tweaked and improved since it was first introduced in the 80’s and is probably one of the most refined and practical wheelchair designs available today. The guiding principles behind the chair’s architecture are durability and simplicity, and honestly, there’s’ a lot to like here.
Operationally, this model works just like the “regular” wheelchairs you’ve seen, and probably used in the past, but at a single glance, you can tell there’s something different about this model, starting with those all-terrain wheels that look as though they belong on a mountain bike.
We honestly like almost everything about this chair. It’s got an exceptional ergonomic design, a bucket seat to prevent the user from sliding out if the chair stops suddenly, machine washable upholstery, quick release wheels, anti-tippers standard, and an adjustable rear axle that allows you to adjust the center of gravity of the chair for optimal balance.
Our only quibble is the same complaint we had about the Excel G Explorer. The modest maximum user weight and seat width selection means that as amazing as this chair is, it’s not going to be a viable option for bigger, taller folks. That’s a pity, because it’s one of the best made chairs in the industry.
Best Manual Wheelchair for Rough Terrain 2023
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Our Pick
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Seat Width:
Custom (17.5” standard)
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Seat Width:
Available in 16”, 18” and 20” configurations
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Seat Width:
Available in 14”, 15”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” and 20” configurations
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Seat Height:
Custom
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Seat Height:
21”
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Seat Height:
Custom
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Chair Weight:
Custom
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Chair Weight:
45 pounds
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Chair Weight:
19.5 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
Custom
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Max. Supported Weight:
300 pounds
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Max. Supported Weight:
300 pounds
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Extras:
These are hand-built, not mass-produced chairs. You can get pretty much anything you want on them by working with the builders
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Extras:
Three types of tires offered (indoor, outdoor, and beach) depending on how you plan to use it. Not much else in terms of options.
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Extras:
No extras, but just about every aspect of the chair can be custom-configured at the point of sale.
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Rugged, one of a kind chair that can get you anywhere you’d like to go.
- None. For a totally custom chair, it’s cheaper than you might imagine!
- Highly adjustable, allowing you to customize the headrest and footrest height. Extremely portable and user friendly.
- None.
- An awesome, conventionally-styled wheelchair optimized for outdoor use.
- None.
There are plenty of manual wheelchairs for outdoor use on the market, but honestly, the only reason we’d recommend buying one is if you can’t afford a motorized version.
Using a wheelchair indoors for any length of time requires tremendous upper body strength but using one outdoors on anything but flat terrain is orders of magnitude more difficult. If you have an all-terrain manual wheelchair, you’ll definitely experience a period of pain as your body acclimates itself to the rigors of using it.
Even if you have a trusty assistant to power your all terrain push wheelchair, your range will be understandably much more limited compared to the range you’ll get out of literally any outdoor-capable motorized wheelchair, and that’s going to limit your options.
That said, if you’re really interested in physical fitness, or if money is an issue, there are some good manual all terrain wheelchairs on the market.
Our Pick: ORC Off Road Wheelchair
Recommended For: Diehard outdoorsmen. This is a fully customizable beast--not your casual outdoor-use chair.
The ORC (which stands for Off Road Chair, and not the fantasy creature from Tolkien’s books) is flat-out amazing, and easily our top pick for the best off-road manual wheelchair on the market today.
It does bear some similarity to the Mountain Trike in that it has three wheels (although on the Mountain Trike the third wheel is in the back, and on the ORC it’s in the front), and that it utilizes levers for self-propulsion, but the ORC went several steps further, and the designers have really created something unique and wonderful here.
For one thing, the levers are only one means of propulsion. Like a conventional wheelchair, you’ll find handles on the back of the seat, allowing an assistant to push you if you require some assistance getting up or over a particularly challenging bit of terrain.
On top of that, the front end is designed so that a “Sherpa” can pull you from the front to help navigate especially challenging terrains, and this extended strut also pulls double duty as a convenient place to rest your feet while you’re traveling.
That gives you three different possible means of locomotion in a single chair, and on level ground or indoors you could even simply grip the wheels and push yourself forward that way (outdoors there’s almost no practical reason not to use the levers though).
Equipped with 24” racing tires, 02 Shox, and Sturmey Archer drum brakes and hand-crafted from T6 aluminum, the mighty ORC can take you anywhere you and your trusty assistants have the strength to go. It’s an amazing piece of craftsmanship, and if you decide to get one, you’ll have something that’s truly one of a kind. We couldn’t give this chair a higher recommendation. You’ll love it.
Runner-Up: GRIT Freedom Chair
Recommended For: Anyone with sufficient upper body strength to properly use it.
The MIT-designed GRIT actually comes in three variants: The 3.0, the Hemi, and the Forward. We’re looking at the flagship of the bunch, the 3.0 (the other two being very slight variations of the theme).
In many respects, it’s the close cousin of the ORC, which took top honors in this section of our roundup review, but there are a few differences that are noteworthy.
The first and most significant is that this is a mass-produced chair, which makes it more accessible and less costly. That said, it does sacrifice customization options. You can order the ORC pretty much any way you want it. Here, you get a fairly narrow menu of options.
Also, like the ORC, it’s a three-wheeled craft, with the third wheel out front to absorb some of the shock of traveling over rough terrain. Its design provides for three means of locomotion:
This makes the chair wonderfully versatile. The levers are designed so they can be removed on the fly and tucked in next to your thigh on the seat beside you. With the levers out of position, you can use the chair just like you would a conventional wheelchair, which is ideal for indoor use.
With the levers in place, gripping them near the top maximizes your torque, allowing you to increase speed quickly and maneuver easily over uneven terrain and sizeable obstacles. Gripping the levers low is ideal for cruising along flat surfaces.
While there aren’t many options and add-ons available, the company does offer three different types of tires (indoor, outdoor, and beach), allowing you to customize it for how you’ll use it. We recommend getting all three, so you can swap them out as needed.
If you’re looking for a great outdoor chair but can’t afford the totally custom ORC, this is a superb, cost-effective option. Highly recommended.
Top End Crossfire All Terrain Wheelchair (Best Value!)
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a great outdoor wheelchair you can use inside in a pinch.
Across the internet, the Top End Crossfire all terrain wheelchair reviews are glowingly positive. Everybody agrees, this is a magnificent self-propelled all-terrain wheelchair. And it’s offered by Invacare, one of the major players in the mobility aid industry in the US. You might be wondering then why it only ranked third in our list of finalists.
It’s a fair question, and for the record, we agree, the Top End all terrain wheelchair is top notch, representing, in our view, the pinnacle of conventional wheelchair design, optimized for outdoor use. Embedded in that sentence though, is the reason it placed third. The two chairs we ranked higher are both decidedly unconventional designs, and in our view, much more versatile because of it.
We recognize, however, that not everybody will want, or even like an unconventionally designed wheelchair. If you’re one of those, then the Crossfire all terrain wheelchair is the model you want.
Just about every aspect of the chair can be customized to your taste and preference at the point of sale (seat height, seat width, seat depth, seat to floor height, back height, upholstery options, etc.), so you can get a chair that’s a perfect fit for you, which is awesome.
Be sure you take exacting measurements before you order though, because once you get the chair, you’ll find that it’s not really all that adjustable and if your measurements were imprecise, you’re going to be in for a disappointment.
Despite the fact that it doesn’t offer anything in the way of “extras” or add-ons, the chair itself is a wonder, IF you’ve taken the time to measure yourself properly. Equipped with sturdy mountain bike tires (24” or 25” diameter, another thing you can configure at the point of sale), it can carry you over just about any type of terrain.
Again though, you (or a strong-backed assistant) provide the locomotive power, so you truly are the limiting factor here. Unlike the lever-action chairs we described above, it all comes down to how much upper body strength you’ve got.
The levers on the models we rated higher serve to magnify your own strength. Here, it’s just you and whatever muscle power you can bring to bear to get you from point A to point B. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re going to love this chair.
We think it’s a superb model, but again, it just lacks that “something extra” that our top picks provided, which is why it wound up in the middle of the pack. Still, for the right user, it’s solid gold.
Black Diamond Trailrider Off-Road Wheelchair
Recommended For: Anyone with a severe mobility issue and friends who can help take them anywhere they want to go.
We regard the Black Diamond and the Joelette (below) as superior niche products. They’re pricey (both are imported from Europe) and their highly specific “Rickshaw-style” design won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’re looking for a rugged outdoor chair that’s distinctive and unique, then the Black Diamond might be perfect for you.
The first thing you’ll notice about the chair is that it’s only got one wheel. While it’s manually powered, it must be either pushed or pulled (or both) by one or more “Sherpas” who will convey you wherever you want to go.
The Rickshaw is an ancient form of locomotion, so in that respect, the Black Diamond’s design is both well-understood and incredibly intuitive. That said, Rickshaws are an uncommon sight in the US, and so chairs based upon them are rarely seen. If you buy one, expect to be stopped frequently as people gather ‘round to ask you questions about it.
Its main strengths and advantages are:
The design is such that up to three “Sherpas” can assist the person sitting in the chair; one behind pushing, and either one or two pulling from the front.
It’s an interesting chair, and offers a unique riding/traveling experience. However, US users are likely to feel somewhat left out of the process, since there’s really nothing for the rider to do except just sit there.
Even so, for the right user, this could be the perfect form of locomotion.
Joelette Wheelchair
Recommended For: People with severe mobility issues who need (and have) trusty assistants at the ready to help get them where they want to go.
The Joelette is functionally similar to the Black Diamond but is slightly more expensive. It also offers more adjustability options to maximize user comfort, and is, in our view, the better looking of the two rickshaw-style designs we’ve mentioned in this section of our roundup review. So, if aesthetics matter, and you’ve just got to have a chair like this, the Joelette is probably the one you want.
Its key features include:
On top of that, unlike the Black Diamond, this model offers a surprising number of medium-value extras and add-ons, such as arm extensions, a four-point harness to replace the standard seat belt, the headrest (as mentioned earlier), embroidery on the storage bag, a foot pump, and a bottle holder, side handles, and more, giving you a number of ways to enhance the equipment so it’s exactly how you want it.
If you have friends or family to help get you from place to place, and you’ve got the money to spend, this is an excellent model to consider.
All Terrain Power Wheelchair Manufacturers in 2023
Since we’ve mentioned both manual and powered wheelchairs in various places in this document, we’ll summarize the manufacturers here, and note what types of products they offer, so you’ve got all the resources you need to find the perfect chair for you in one place.
Note that this list isn’t all-inclusive – we’re focusing only on the manufacturers who made our list of finalists in various categories.
Best Wheelchairs for Outdoors Conclusion
Still with us? Wow, what an epic roundup! As we said at the outset, this topic is simply too large to name one “best,” but we hope that by presenting you with the best wheelchairs for outdoors, broken into a number of logical segments you’ll be able to more easily zero in on exactly the kind of multi terrain wheelchair you’re looking for and find the perfect model for you, your lifestyle, and how you plan on using it.
We also hope that as you read through this review, we shed some light on just how vast and varied the adventure segment of the wheelchair market truly is. There are tons of great options out there, and a number of highly innovative (and completely custom) models to choose from.
The ultimate question then is, which one of these is right for you?
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- Magic Mobility’s V6 Frontier Off Road Powerchair User Manual.
- Top End Crossfire All Terrain Wheelchair, Spinlife.
- Magic Mobility, Official Brand Website.
- Analysis and Optimization of All Terrain Wheelchair, ResearchGate.
- 5 Good Reasons to Get an Indoor Wheelchair, Passionate People.