Choosing Between Front-Wheel, Mid-Wheel, and Rear-Wheel Drive Powerchairs

Comparing the different types of wheelbases in a powerchair

Identifying the ideal powerchair for your unique lifestyle can be challenging with the technicalities surrounding the powerchair market. Powerchairs are specially designed to accommodate different lifestyles, from an active life outdoors to grocery shopping in tight aisles. Wheel drive placement directly affects the manoeuvrability, stability and turning radius of the powerchair; therefore, the configurations of a powerchair would cater to different individuals according to their mobility goals. The key difference between a front-wheel, mid-wheel and rear-wheel drive powerchair is the placement of the largest motorised wheel on the powerchair, which in turn would affect the centre of gravity of users in relation to the largest wheel. 

To best optimise your lifestyle and independence, we will dive into the advantages and considerations of each wheelbase to facilitate an informed decision-making process when navigating the powerchair market. 

Front-wheel drive powerchair

In front-wheel powerchairs, the drive wheel is placed on the front. Consequently, the user’s centre of gravity sits behind the larger wheels. Front-wheel drive powerchairs prove to particularly excel at driving over obstacles from the front because the large drive wheels are the first to come into contact with the object. 

Advantages

• Particularly useful indoors when navigating through tight corners at 90 degrees. 

• Allows you to drive closer towards objects such as desks and cabinets because the castor wheels are located at the back of the powerchair which avoids obstructing your path.

• As a good guide, powerchairs can go over obstacles with a height below the centre of the wheel. A larger front wheel would allow the powerchair to go over more obstacles from the front. 

Considerations

• Front-wheel drive powerchairs tend to exhibit less stability when travelling uphill compared to rear-wheel drive powerchairs. 

• It can be the least intuitive powerchair to learn because front-wheel drive powerchairs tend to ‘fishtail’ as the rear castor wheels occupy space. Users would need to account for the rear castor wheels when manoeuvring. As a result, front-wheel drive powerchairs might not be the best option for individuals with cognitive difficulties. 

Our recommendations

Powerful outdoor performance with 950 W motors and a 37-mile range: Meyra Optimus2 Powerchair

For a versatile standing powerchair to be used both indoors and outdoors: Permobil F5 Corpus VS Standing Powerchair

For maximum mobility options such as head-tilt, lie-flat recline and movement when elevated: Quantum 4Front2 Powerchair

Mid-Wheel drive powerchair

In a mid-wheel drive, the centre of the drive wheel lies about below the user's centre of gravity. 

Mid-wheel drives are designed to be an advantageous hybrid of rear and front-wheel drive powerchairs. The castors provide anterior and posterior stability while the mid-wheel creates a tight turning circle, creating a powerchair with steadiness and manoeuvrability. 

Advantages

• The design of a mid-wheel drive results in the smallest turning radius among the three types of powerchairs. Mid-wheel drive wheelchairs can complete a 360-degree turn because the turning axis sits in the middle of the powerchair.

• Support from the front and rear castor wheels provides great stability.

• As the centre of mass sits below the user, many users find mid-wheel drive powerchairs to be the most intuitive to learn.

Considerations

• Castors can be small and might get stuck on rough terrains and ramps, leading to the suspension of the powerchair. Mid-wheel drive powerchairs are excellent performers indoors and on smoother grounds. 

• Mid-wheel drive powerchairs without an excellent suspension system are not ideal for users prone to skin breakage or injury from bumps. Users would feel a bump three times when three sets of wheels pass over an obstacle, compared to twice with front and rear-wheel drive powerchairs. Users can consider high-end mid-wheel drives with individual suspension on each wheel to counter bumps.

Our recommendations

Conveniently compact 52 cm base coupled with a tight turning circle for indoor manoeuvrability: The Quickie Q300 M Mini

Versatility for both indoors and outdoors while providing the option to tilt forwards: Permobil M3 Corpus Powerchair

Basic mid-wheel drive powerchair with great value for cost: Pride Jazzy Select 6 Powerchair 

Rear-wheel drive powerchair

Lastly, rear-wheel drive powerchairs have drive wheels located behind the user’s centre of gravity. A rear-wheel drive powerchair is ideal if you prioritise stability outdoors over manoeuvrability in tight spaces. 

Advantages

• Best straight-line performance as the powerchair naturally travels straight.

• The best outdoor performance among all types of wheel drives as the castor wheels are less likely to get stuck and rear-wheels provide great stability over rough terrains.

• Offers the best torque and anterior stability travelling up slopes which can be especially favourable for users with outdoor hobbies. 

• Some rear-wheel drive models have a foldable feature rarely provided in front and rear-wheel drives. Foldability allows users to reduce the weight of the powerchair when travelling with their powerchair.

Considerations 

• Rear-wheel drive powerchairs have the largest turning radius among the different types of powerchairs. A large turning radius requires more space for the powerchair to turn, making the powerchair trickier to manoeuvre in small spaces. 

• Might limit the range of motion for the legs as the castor wheels occupy some space at the bottom of the powerchair. 

Our recommendations 

Exceptionally lightweight at 14.5 kg and foldable for utmost convenience: Quickie Q50 R Carbon Powerchair

Cost-effective and manoeuvres in all directions with the Japanese-designed Omni wheels: WHILL Model C2 Powerchair

Extremely compact and exceptional range of 31 miles: Invacare Aviva RX40 Powerchair

Niche wheelbases: Four-wheel drive powerchairs and transformable powerchairs

While the majority of the powerchair market consists of front-wheel, mid-wheel, and rear-wheel drive powerchairs, there are niche powerchair categories users can consider if they are seeking particularly unique features. The Magic Mobility Extreme X8 Off-road Powerchair is a sturdy four-wheel drive powerchair with all wheels equally big and powered by a motor. The Extreme X8 has chunky tyres for outstanding traction outdoors and individual suspension to provide stability. Although an unrivalled option for off-road use, the extreme X8 is a heavy-duty powerchair which would prove challenging to manoeuvre indoors. Alternatively, the Rascal Rhythm SL Powerchair is a distinctive powerchair that can switch between a rear-wheel and a front-wheel drive. Users can enjoy the benefits of rear and front-wheel drive with the transformable Rascal Rhythm SL Powerchair. We recommend testing different powerchairs to evaluate the right model suited to your mobility goals. 

Find the right powerchair for you

The performance of a powerchair is influenced by several factors; for the best experience with a powerchair, it is beneficial to consider your living environment, hobbies, medical condition and previous experiences with a powerchair. 

Speak to us or arrange a consultation to visit our Chessington showroom to explore your options from a wide range of manufacturers and find a mobility solution that makes you, or a loved one, feel most confident and independent. If you are unable to travel to our Chessington showroom, we will provide home consultations and product demonstrations in London and South East England; test drive the different wheelbases and discover a front-wheel, mid-wheel or rear-wheel drive powerchair tailored for your lifestyle.