FAQs

Q – What does a wheelchair cost?
A – Wheelchairs can range from a couple thousand to tens of thousands of rands dependant on function, material, and features.

Q – Do your prices/products have NAPPI Codes?
A – All of our products have NAPPI codes and are almost all covered under Medical Aid rates.

Q – Why is your chair more expensive than the wheelchairs from the pharmacies?
A – Pharmacies only offer very basic mild steel chairs that we suggest only for use when recovering from an injury or when funds are a severe issue as they provide no adjustment or set up and have no warranties, Chairman places a lot of focus on the quality of our products and feel they all provide fantastic value for money.

Q – What is considered a lightweight chair?
A – Dependant on the type of chair this will vary, a lightweight folding chair would be under 10kg whereas a lightweight active chair would be under 6kgs and could go as light as 2kg.

Q – What are the benefits of a lightweight chair?
A – There are multiple benefits to using a lightweight chair, especially for active users a lightweight chair will improve independence and allow for individual car transfers, as well as reducing strain on shoulders and rotator cuffs and providing great ease of movement.

Q – Can a chair be too light?
A – If a chair is correctly set up the light weight will be only beneficial but will take more skill to manoeuvre safely.

Q – What would constitute a durable wheelchair?
A – A wheelchair that would be able to withstand your daily use of it in your normal environment without bending or breaking.

Q – How long should a wheelchair last?
A – A standard wheelchair should last a minimum of 3 years of normal daily use and a more heavy duty chair a minimum of 5 years without the frame failing.

Q – When would I need a Heavy-Duty wheelchair?
A – We would suggest a heavy-duty wheelchair for someone living in a very rural are or an area with very rough terrain that spends a lot of time outside. Heavy-duty chairs tend to be heavier and harder to manoeuvre and as such are harder to use in confined spaces such as in the home or an office space.

Q – What constitutes an active wheelchair?
A – An active wheelchair would generally be a lightweight rigid frame wheelchair, most likely with an adjustable centre of gravity that requires little effort to push or manoeuvre.

Q – Why would I need an active wheelchair?
A – For a younger, fitter or low injury user an active wheelchair makes everyday use of the chair a lot easier especially in tasks such as transferring the chair into a motor vehicle alone or manoeuvring the chair.

Q – Are there any wheelchair friendly sports in South Africa?
A – Yes, South Africa has a number of sports for wheelchairs users such as; Basketball, rugby, tennis, dancing, bowls, volleyball and a number of others.

Q – Is set up important for me and my wheelchair?
A – Extremely, no wheelchair user is the same and as such will always sit differently in any given chair. A correct set up will make sure you feel comfortable and confident in the chair as well as reduce the risk of the development of pressure sores, scoliosis and other deformities or complications.

Q – What adjustments should be made to my wheelchair?
A – At bare minimum your cushion should be adjusted for you personally, the Tab should be set up for your seating position and the height of the footrests and armrests should be set correctly.

Q – Do I have to adjust things on my own wheelchair?
A – Once a correct set up has been done there should be no further need to make any adjustments to the chair yourself. However, if your seating changes or there are any issues with the chair please contact your seating specialist for a reassessment.

Q – Does my wheelchair have a warranty?
A – All our wheelchairs come with a minimum 3-year warranty on the frame (5 years on certain chairs) and 1 year on all other components.

Q – How do I claim under warranty if my wheelchair breaks?
A – Damage that is deemed to be not negligence or abuse will gladly be repaired or exchanged using the serial number to track the age of the chair.

Q – Are the other components of my wheelchair also covered?
A – All auxiliary equipment on our wheelchairs is covered with a 1 year manufacturers warranty.

Q – How important is the material my wheelchair is made from?
A – The material of a wheelchairs frame will directly affect both weight and the mechanical strength and durability of the chair. Materials like aluminium are very light but not as strong as stainless steel or other alloys. These are factors to look at when considering what is the right chair for you.

Q – Will the material my wheelchair is made from effect the price?
A – Due to certain materials being more complex and providing certain benefits over others there will be inherit differences in pricing. Aluminium is lightweight but sacrifices strength, stainless steel is incredibly strong but has become a heavier metal and carbon fibre provides an unbelievable strength to weight ratio but is very expensive to manufacture and difficult to repair.

Q – What is the best material for a wheelchair?
A – This is greatly dependant on the intended function of the wheelchair. Heavy duty chairs will require stronger materials whereas active chairs will be made with lighter ones. The chair and the material it is made out of is very dependant on what the user is looking for out of their chair and what suits their budget.

Q – Can I order equipment online?
A – At Chairman we believe wheelchairs need a more tailored approach and as such will only be ordered after an assessment has been done by one of our consultants or agents around the country for first time clients. Provisions are made for other equipment such as mobility aids and bathroom equipment.

Q – How long will delivery take?
A – Dependant on the equipment ordered production could take anything from 48 hours on certain chairs to 6 weeks for custom built or imported chairs but once a chair is completed or arrives, delivery and set up will generally be done within the week.

Q – Do you courier to other countries?
A – We do courier equipment over the border but also work closely with agents in other countries to ensure the correct equipment is supplied quickly and set up correctly.

Q – How do I know my seating is correct?
A – Correct seating should support your posture, not create points of pressure and should not cause you discomfort. If you continue to struggle with your seating, please contact one of our consultants to attend a seating clinic free of charge.

Q – How can I improve my posture?
A – Always make sure your cushion is always in the correct position when transferring into the chair and that all settings and adjustments made to the chair remain the way they were set up by the consultant. If you continue to struggle with your posture, please contact one of our consultants to attend a seating clinic free of charge.

Q – What do I do if my chair is causing me discomfort?
A – If your chair causes continued discomfort, please contact one of our consultants to attend a seating clinic free of charge where the factory is on hand to also make any necessary changes or adaptions.

Q – Does my wheelchair need to be serviced?
A – We advise users to keep their chairs and all moving parts clean and free of grime or oil build up and to just give their chair a look over every few weeks to make sure all screws, bolts and fittings are still tight and in place. However, we do offer servicing and refurbishing for all out chairs.

Q – Do my hand controls need to be serviced?
A – We advise hand control uses return at least once a year for our technician to give the hand control an inspection, free of charge, to insure it is still operating within installed tolerances.

Q – When am I entitled to a new wheelchair?
A – Most funders will allow a new chair and equipment every 3-5 years dependant on who the funder is and their benefit scheme.

Q – Can I service my wheelchair myself?
A – We encourage minor maintenance on your chair such as cleaning of the chair, axles and bearings but for those not technically inclined we implore you to contact us on advice before attempting any major repairs or maintenance.

Q – Can I request spares for my wheelchair?
A – We carry full stock of all our spares apart from a few specialised pieces of equipment for the imported chairs which can easily be ordered.

Q – How much do repairs on my wheelchair cost?
A – Dependant on the damage or repairs needed this can vary greatly but repairs will always be quoted on before work commences.

Q – Will my medical aid cover my equipment?
A – Almost every product we offer is covered under most medical aids but exact cover or equipment benefits will differ between medical aids and scheme benefits.

Q – Are there payment plans available?
A – Currently we do not offer any payment plans as all equipment is COD.

Q – Do you sell second hand equipment?
A – Due to the medical nature of our products we are prohibited from selling second hand equipment. However, there is an advertisement board up in the factory with the contacts of people looking for buyers for equipment that we deem is still in a good state.