I had no clue, so I studied the comments attending the assorted chairs here at Amazon. From the resulting short list, I chose this one, hoping I made the right choice. Folks, I'm telling ya-- this thing is a beauty, both in terms of looks AND mechanical operation! The back and chair are seriously padded, for maximizing comfort. There's even a seat belt! The chair comes fully assembled, except for the footrests, which were in a smaller box. No instructions, but after looking at the stem connecting the footrest to the chair and the area where I knew each had to be attached, it became obvious how to join the two. No tools needed. Indeed, the manufacturer thoughtfully made it possible to slide the footrest stem into the main chair's stem in only one manner. Just pay attention to the curvey section on the footrest stem, match it with its counterpart, slide it in, adjust for height, then screw the black wheelie screw to affix it.

Less than a 5-minute job per footrest. So many thoughtful touches on this chair-- I discovered such treats while rolling the chair up and down our hallway as maiden test runs. So, to wrap-up:

* Lay the huge box flat, then pull out the chair
* Set the chair upright, pull on either side of it to open for seating position
* Pull up each side of the back, which will "snap" into place
* Open the smaller box to get to the footrests
* Take one footrest out of the plastic wrapping.
* * * Match its curve to the curve of one side of the chair.
* * * Unscrew the little black wheelie screw.
* * * Insert the footrest stem into the chair stem.
* * * Attach by re-inserting that black wheelie screw at the level desired. Done!
* Rinse & repeat for the 2d footrest.

I wheeled the finished product into our guest room, where my 88 year old mom now resides (courtesy of dementia in overdrive), and her eyes immediately lit up. Helped her get into the chair, and the huge smile confirmed super-comfort. Attached the seat belt, then took her for a ride around the neighborhood, with her 4-legged "grandson" on leash. Talk about a perfect Sunday! Once I got Mom resituated in the house, I took the chair out to my car. It's a SMALL ragtop sports car (Mitsubishi Eclipse) with a munchkin trunk, but because I could so easily collapse the chair AND fold its back down, it proved to be a no-sweat job actually getting it into that truck. Trust me-- THAT I did NOT expect!!

One word: fantastic!

(My Amazon Vine Membership played no role here. Found the product on my own, and paid for it out of pocket.)

My 91 year old Dad is slowly needing more assistance with mobility. This is the 4th transport chair we have purchased in the last 3 years, and I finally figured out the key elements needed in a transport chair....and this chair hits the mark! Here is the review I wish I had read 3 years ago, and I would not have made the previous purchasing mistakes. In order of importance, here is what makes this chair perfect. First, it has to have a manual brake lever. This is a must for safety, so that the chair is stationary/locked when the user sits down. My Dad's legs have gotten weaker, so he kind of "plops" into the chair. The first chair I bought only had hand brakes, but if I have to hold the hand brakes, I can't help Dad with his cane or lowering more easily into the chair.Secondly, it needs hand brakes; if I am encountering a slight decline (ramp) with him in the chair, I need to slow him down. Not having hand brakes isn't' safe. Third, the leg rest height off of the floor is adjustable in a manner similar to walking canes. I think there are about 5 holes to use for the adjustment. HIs legs are stiff and the second transporter had leg rests that were so high his knees were above his hips. Lastly, it needs to be light enough to haul it in and out of the car. Although this isn't as lightweight as two of my other transporters, it is still much lighter than a 40 lb. box of kitty litter and I have no problem getting it in an out of his trunk. A final feature which wasn't a requirement for my purchase, but one that has actually been great, are the large wheels. The big wheels make it travel over thresholds much more effortlessly, and I'm less fearful of "dumping" him as I push over an obstacle. My Dad also mentioned that is gives a smoother ride! This chair isn't the cheapest or the lightest, but it is hands down the best transportor I have found!

Generally I am very pleased with this product and so I should be after doing weeks of research to get the right one. However, one of the leg rests does not seat well. I am hoping this will change over time as I think it is primarily because there is too much paint (LOL) ... I think the arms on this are kind of high, but my passenger is not upset by them, and it is she who counts. When it comes to my turn to use something similar I will have a hard time.

As previously stated by a number of people the braking system (hand brakes) for which I paid extra (this unit with hand brakes cost more) are virtually useless. It could be that might be more effective with a lightweight passenger, but since the weight capacity is listed at 300 lbs (which means that maybe someone weighing 250 lbs ought to be OK) the brakes ought to be effective for the weight capacity listed. I wasn't expecting miracles but I was expecting the hand brakes to slow the thing down when needed. Since I move at the pace of SNAIL when I say "slow down" we are not talking by very much. LOL

It is really hard to find a product that is light weight and yet wide enough to accommodate someone comfortably. In many places this was listed as a 20" unit. I bought it "HOPING" it would be 20 inches, but knowing that it likely would not be.

Nevertheless, it has done the job intended and even one step further, as one night it was the stand-in for seating at a restaurant and my passenger was not uncomfortable.

It's my belief that of all the products out there if you have a passenger who is is 200-250 pounds and want a quality crafted item, even with the drawbacks, this one is the way to go. It folds well and is light weight enough to lift into the trunk of the car. Foot rests are a pain but no more than any others would be LOL

Please don't let my use of only 4 stars dissuade you from considering this chair. For our use, this is a solid 5 star. We use it to transport my mother-in-law when we have to take her somewhere in the car. For that purpose it is great. This is a light-weight chair and the handles fold down making it easy to put into and take out of the car trunk. The larger wheelchair with driver wheels was a problem (make that a real problem) getting into and out of the trunk. I particularly appreciate the chair's balance in regards to my ability to put my foot on one of the lower posts in the back and tilt the chair back, raising the front wheels to pass over an obstruction such as a door's threshold.

Therein is the reason for the 4 stars - never let a person with stability issues try and use the chair as a walker. Without someone sitting in the chair, putting your weight on the handles can easily cause the chair to tip backwards uncontrollably. In our case, that is not an issue.

The other features of multiple breaks, locking on the wheels and separate hand brakes, and the sculptured handles are quite nice and will be appreciated by all who are caregivers. Finally, my MIL finds the chair to be more comfortable than the larger wheelchair.

I've seen others make comments about pricing. At the time of this writing, the Amazon price is very good. I've waited about a year to get enough experience w/the chair before writing this review.

I haven't gotten to use it much yet. Will come back and revise review... But don't hesitate to buy this... well designed... well thought out... good quality... BUT... armrests are a bit high and can become a bit uncomfortable after a while... remedy by sitting on a thick foam pad/cushion! Fairly Lightweight- Compact/Portable- Heel Straps- Footrests are Length Adjustable- Easy and Quick On and Off!- Handles Fold Down... Fits Easily in a Shopping Cart Lengthwise or Width-wise... Will post pictures later so you can see what I mean but consider finding THIS TOTE (I got mine at WalMart)... (everything Mary - Rolling Sewing Machine Tote - Style # EVM7550 - UPC 0812259034817 - they have different styles but these are the dimensions you want... 17.5 L X 9 W X 13.5 H as listed on the tag...) it fits between the handlebars or under the seat like it was custom made for this chair! BUT! YOU have to engineer a way to attach it... it is NOT made for this application and does not fold for transport... I recommend nylon straps, like from ratchet straps... and rivet or grommet thru this Tote going completely around the Tote! Then attach with clips/clasps like from dog collars or key chains... I have the tote for putting dog in on walks when pushing mom in chair if dog tires... top folds in leaving open for pet... but can used for clothes-water-anything...
9-29-17... Update... After using this for some time, I have to say that I'm still impressed and has worked well... You have to be very careful rolling over bumps and imperfections or you can very easily spill your rider, but I understand this is usual for transport and wheelchairs... you must turn around and pull the chair over obstructions, or tilt the chair back to raise front wheels then once past obstructions raise rear wheels over... anyway... handles are a bit sloppy, meaning that they have quite a bit of free play but this doesn't affect functionality.Pushes well, folded and empty until needed. Quick setup and takedown... All in all I'm still very pleased... will try to get back with pics and or video...