Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions we are asked most often about Strongback wheelchairs and transport chairs. Every figure below is taken from the Strongback Master Data Guide and is given in pounds and inches. If your question is not answered here, call us at 757-349-7790 or email usa@strongbackmobility.com.

Choosing a Strongback

Which Strongback wheelchairs and transport chairs are available?

Strongback Mobility sells six self-propelled wheelchairs and two transport chairs in the United States. Every one of them carries the patented Strongback backrest. The table below is the whole current range.

Weight in this table is the folded frame without wheels, footrests and anti-tippers, which is what you lift into a car. On the Excursion the 12-inch rear wheels are not removed, so its figure already includes them. Total weights are in the weight section further down.

What is the difference between a wheelchair and a transport chair?

A wheelchair has large rear wheels with hand rims, so the person sitting in it can push themselves. A transport chair has small rear wheels and no hand rims, so it only moves when somebody else pushes it.

The Strongback Comfort S, Comfort M, Comfort L, Comfort Flip, Heavy Duty and ErgoSteel are self-propelled wheelchairs. The Strongback Excursion is a transport chair. The quickest way to tell them apart on any chair is the metal ring on the outside of the rear wheel: if it is there, the chair is self-propelled.

If you are not sure which one you need, work through our Wheelchair Measuring and Sizing Guide or call us at 757-349-7790.

What weight capacity do Strongback wheelchairs support?

Every Strongback wheelchair and transport chair is rated to 300 lb, except the Strongback Heavy Duty, which is rated to 375 lb. Capacity is stated per ISO 7176-15.

Choose a chair whose rating sits above the user's weight with room to spare rather than exactly at it.

What is the difference between the Comfort Flip and the standard Comfort?

The Strongback Comfort Flip has armrests that fold up and back, which clears the side of the seat for sliding across to a bed, a car seat or a shower bench. It also has a shortened clothing guard, which makes that sideways transfer easier, and the raised armrests let you pull closer to a table.

Everything else matches the Strongback Comfort M: the same patented backrest, the same 18-inch seat, the same 24-inch rear wheels and the same 300 lb capacity. The standard Comfort comes in three seat widths; the Comfort Flip is 18 inches only.

Fit and measurements

How do I work out the right seat width?

Measure the widest point across the hips and thighs while seated, then allow roughly one inch of clearance on each side. Sit in a firm chair, not a couch, with both feet flat on the floor and the hips right back in the seat.

Strongback seat widths are 16 inches (Comfort S), 18 inches (Comfort M, Comfort Flip, ErgoSteel, Excursion M), 20 inches (Comfort L, Excursion L) and 22 inches (Heavy Duty). If your measurement falls between two sizes, take the larger one. A seat that is too wide lets the trunk lean to one side, which works against the back support the chair is there to give.

The full method is in our Wheelchair Measuring and Sizing Guide.

What is the overall width, and will the chair fit through my doorway?

Overall width is the widest point of the chair measured across the outside of the rear wheels, and it is not the same as seat width. It is the figure that decides whether a chair passes through a doorway.

To check your own home, open the door to 90 degrees, measure the narrowest clear opening, and compare it with the figure above. Bathroom doors are usually the tightest in a house.

What are the seat depth, seat height and backrest height?

Seat depth is the distance from the front edge of the seat to the front face of the backrest. All three figures are fixed on each Strongback model rather than adjustable, so they are numbers to check your measurements against rather than settings you choose.

Seat angle is 12 degrees on every Strongback model. A few degrees of angle settles the pelvis into the back of the seat and stops the user sliding forward.

The patented Strongback backrest

What makes the Strongback backrest different from an ordinary wheelchair backrest?

The patented Strongback backrest is built into the frame and shaped to follow the natural curve of the lower spine. A conventional wheelchair uses a flat sling back, which gives the lower back a surface but no shape, so the pelvis rotates backwards and the spine rounds over a long day of sitting.

Because the contour is part of the frame rather than a cushion strapped on top of it, it keeps its shape and its position however long you sit. Every Strongback wheelchair and transport chair carries it.

Can the backrest be adjusted to my back?

Yes. The backrest panel is held by large hook-and-loop straps, so the tension can be set at any height and to any firmness. The adjustment achieves a range of minus 10 to plus 20 degrees. This applies to every model in the range, the Heavy Duty and the ErgoSteel included.

To adjust it, open the hook-and-loop fastener and reset the tension strap by strap. Section 5.2 of the user manual shows the sequence.

Brakes, wheels and adjustment

What is the difference between a parking brake and an attendant brake?

A push-to-lock parking brake holds a stationary chair in place, which is what you engage before a transfer. An attendant brake is worked by the person pushing the chair, from levers on the push handles, and it controls the chair while it is moving. They do different jobs and one does not replace the other.

Every Strongback wheelchair and transport chair has push-to-lock parking brakes on the rear wheels. Attendant brakes are standard on the Strongback Comfort M, Comfort L, Excursion M and Excursion L. The Comfort S, the Comfort Flip and the ErgoSteel have no attendant-brake configuration. The Strongback Heavy Duty uses drum brakes instead, operated by the attendant from the push handles, which is a different mechanism from an attendant brake.

Which rear wheels come off without tools?

The 22-inch and 24-inch rear wheels use a quick-release axle, so they come off by hand. That covers the Strongback Comfort S, Comfort M, Comfort L, Comfort Flip, Heavy Duty and ErgoSteel. The Strongback Excursion has 12-inch rear wheels, which are fixed and are not quick-release.

To take a quick-release wheel off, press the button in the center of the hub and pull the wheel straight out of the bracket. To put it back, press the button again, slide the axle fully into the holder, release the button and pull gently on the wheel to check that it has locked. Point 6.3 of the user manual shows this step by step.

What size are the castors, and are the tires solid or air-filled?

The front castors are 6 inches on the aluminum models, 7 inches on the Strongback Heavy Duty and 8 inches on the Strongback ErgoSteel. Larger castors roll over thresholds and pavement joints more easily; smaller castors turn tighter in a narrow hallway.

All Strongback tires are solid. No Strongback model uses pneumatic tires, so there is nothing to inflate and nothing to puncture.

Why would I move the rear axle position?

Moving the rear axle forward shifts weight off the front castors, so the chair turns more quickly and each push carries further. Moving it back puts more weight on the castors, which makes the chair steadier and harder to tip but heavier to push. The rear wheels leave the factory in the rearmost, most stable position.

Experienced users often prefer the axle further forward once their technique has developed. Have the change made by a specialist dealer so the alignment is set correctly.

Weight and transport

How much does a Strongback wheelchair weigh?

Two figures matter, and they answer different questions. Weight is the folded frame without wheels, footrests and anti-tippers, which is what you actually lift into a car. Total Weight is the frame with wheels and footrests fitted, which is what the chair weighs as it rolls.

Anti-tippers are not counted in either figure, because they are an optional fitment. On the Strongback Excursion the 12-inch rear wheels stay on the chair for transport, so its two figures sit close together.

Will a Strongback fold into a car trunk?

Yes. Folded dimensions are given below as length by width by height, so the third figure is how tall the chair stands when it is folded. A sedan trunk takes any of them, and the frame is narrower again once the quick-release wheels are off.

Living with the chair

Does the wheelchair arrive assembled?

Yes. Your Strongback arrives assembled and only has to come out of the box. Lay the box on its side, open the lid and slide the chair out, then hang the footrests in their brackets and lock them with the retaining clips. The chair is ready to use at that point. If the footrest length needs changing, the tool kit in the box does it.

How do I get the chair up a curb?

The attendant uses the tipping aid, which is the pair of anti-tippers at the back of the frame. Bring the front wheels up to the curb. Step on one of the two anti-tippers while pulling the push handles towards you, so the chair tips back and the front wheels lift. Do not push down on the push handles, because pressure from above can damage the backrest.

Roll the chair forward and ease the front wheels down onto the curb, keep going until both rear wheels touch it, then push and lift the rear wheels up onto the curb. Turn the anti-tippers back down afterwards.

Can I use a Strongback indoors and outdoors?

Yes. Strongback wheelchairs are built for both. The wheel size and width strike a balance between indoor maneuvering and outdoor surfaces, and the solid tires suit most floor and pavement conditions. For grass, cobblestones or rough ground, talk to us about what will work.

Buying, delivery and payment

Where can I buy a Strongback wheelchair?

You can order directly from this website, from a Strongback dealer, or by phone on 757-349-7790. Use our retailer finder to locate a dealer near you.

Where can I try a Strongback before I buy?

Sitting in the chair is the best way to judge it, and our dealers are where you do that. Find one through the retailer finder. If there is no dealer within reach, call us on 757-349-7790 with your measurements and we will help you narrow the choice down.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept major credit and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, as well as PayPal and Shop Pay. The full list is on our Payment and Shipping page.

How long does delivery take, and what does shipping cost?

Orders placed on this website are delivered within 5 to 7 days. Shipping is free on all Strongback wheelchair and accessory orders over 249 USD within the contiguous United States; replacement parts carry a shipping fee calculated at checkout.

For Hawaii, Alaska, Canada and other destinations, and for faster shipping options, contact us on 757-349-7790 or at usa@strongbackmobility.com for a quote. Details are on the Payment and Shipping page.

Returns, warranty and support

What is your return policy?

You have 30 days from delivery to return a chair bought on strongbackmobility.com. Request a return authorization first through the return authorization form; anything that reaches our warehouse without one cannot be refunded. The customer pays the return shipping, and the chair has to come back in its original packaging and in unused condition.

Chairs bought on Amazon or from a retail store are returned to the place you bought them, under that seller's policy. The full terms are on our Easy Returns page.

What warranty comes with a Strongback wheelchair?

The Strongback Comfort, Comfort S, Comfort Flip and Excursion carry a 5-year frame warranty. The Strongback Heavy Duty and the Strongback ErgoSteel carry a 2-year frame warranty. On all six models the seat, footrests and other auxiliary parts carry 12 months from the date of purchase.

Register your purchase when the chair arrives, and use the claim form if you need to make a claim.

Can I buy a Strongback through the VA?

Yes, when the VA places the order. A VA purchase has to come from your VA clinic directly, not from you as an individual, so we cannot bill the VA for a chair you buy yourself on this website.

Contact your VA clinic, tell them which Strongback model you need, and ask them to request a quote from us. We will send the clinic a written quote and take the order from there. If the clinic needs anything from us, they can reach us at 757-349-7790 or usa@strongbackmobility.com.

Our Veterans page has more on using VA benefits, including the VA benefits hotline.

Where can I look up a term I do not recognize?

Our wheelchair glossary defines the terms that come up when you are comparing chairs, from posture support and attendant brakes to seat depth and overall width.

Current data: as of September 2026. Reviewed by Dr. Christian Grothe, CEO, Strongback Mobility.