The 5 Best Beach Wheelchairs [Ranked]
Beach wheelchairs are mobility devices for those suffering from medical and mobility impairments.
It allows impaired individuals to enjoy beach access while adapting to their specific medical limitations.
Rolling beach wheelchairs are generally designed to transition their users from hard surfaces like the parking lot onto the beach and into the water.
They are ideal for people with special needs, disabled children and anybody with a mobility issue that requires a handicap aid to navigate on the soft surface of sand.
Some beach wheelchairs like the Hippocampe actually float.
There are several best-selling beach wheelchairs on the market- lets take a look at them and see how they compare.
Contents
Comparing The Options
- ACCESSIBILITY: 12" Balloon Tires roll easily over soft sand or rough surfaces.
- ACCESSIBILITY: Extra Large 16" Balloon Tires roll easily over soft sand or rough surfaces.
- For use on sand, gravel, grass, and other uneven terrains
- 250 lbs. weight capacity, Total weight only 60 lbs, seat width 18"
The Hippocampe Video Review
Beach Wheelchairs VS All-terrain Wheelchairs
Generally beach wheelchairs are all-terrain devices that are resilient to tipping over, providing strong security from incredibly thick tread tires. They're frequently complemented by beach carts- which are great for transporting towels, toys and folding chairs to the waterfront.
Beach wheelchairs are often considered a specialized subcategory of all-terrain wheelchairs.
All-terrain wheelchairs are more rugged and sporty wheelchair options that enable their users to traverse more difficult outdoor terrains.
All-terrain wheelchairs will enable you to navigate over a variety of different obstacles including sand. While beach wheelchairs themselves are solely suited to navigating sand.
One of our favorites, the Hippocampe, is a highly adjustable and adaptable unit that includes armrests, headrests a push bar and it floats, as well.
What are customers saying?
- One user writes of volunteering at different beach events for Americans with disabilities and noting how difficult it can be to push an adult in a beach wheelchair.
- One of the primary complaints that sometimes plagues these mobility devices is that they can be incredibly hard to push when the user is seated inside of them.
- An incomplete quadriplegic describes using the adjustable Mobi rolling beach wheelchair to enjoy the beach at Wildwood Crest, Jersey Shore.
- He describes being able to ride waves and immerse himself completely inside of the ocean water- and he doesn't just mean sitting in a few measly inches, but instead actually being inside the ocean itself.
- In his case, it does require two people to kind of pull him along on especially soft sand- a rope attaches to the front of the wheelchair and the person will pull that while someone will also push on the chair from behind.
Final thoughts
If you are in the market for a handicap wheelchair for the beach, it's a good idea to do your research to find the best model for you.
If you need something especially rugged, these all terrain options below could be a good fit.
Besides the comparison table at the top of the page, we included some additional information on different models below:
| Beach Wheelchairs | Price | Dimensions (LXWXH) | Weight | Floats? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | The Hippocampe All Terrain Beach Wheelchair | $$$ | 48 X 22 X 20 inches | 31 lbs | Yes |
  | The MJM All Terrain Beach Wheelchair | $ | 43 X 47 X 48 inches | 95 lbs | No |
  | The Aqua Creek Beach Access Wheel Chair | $$ | 21 X 34 X 25 inches | 160 lbs | No |
Other things to consider- do you want a beach wheelchair that floats? Perhaps you not even need to buy one- many area beaches provide rentals. If you frequent the beach and ocean often, a sturdy beach wheelchair, whether it's motorized or hand-powered, can be a solid purchase option.
Some especially crafty individuals have figured out how to make beach wheelchairs on their own. If you are not particularly handy, it's probably best not to build your own beach wheelchair, but instead investigate purchase options online.
