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Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair Review (2023)

By jwilder

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

Are you looking for a transport wheelchair that will be more of a benefit than a hassle? The Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair can help. It’s super light, easy to transport, and comfortable enough to use all day long. And it’s made by a wheelchair manufacturer that’s at the top of its field!

Read our Drive Medical Fly Lite review to learn more about how this transport wheelchair can benefit your day-to-day life!!

Review of: Drive Medical Fly Lite

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair, Black Frame, 16.5 lbs

Please click image for more info

What We Like:

  • Design options
  • Stable frame
  • Easy to move
  • Safety belt

What We Don’t Like:

  • Tipping Hazard
  • Small frame

Our Conclusion: The Drive Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Chair is one of the lightest, safest, and most convenient transport wheelchairs on the market.

Features of Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair, Black Frame, 16.5 lbs

Ultra-lightweight Design

Transport chairs are mobility aids that are lighter than manual wheelchairs by nature; they have four small wheels that together weigh much less than the two large wheels of manual wheelchairs. Still, transport wheelchairs can weigh up to 40 pounds if they use bulky seats and steel frames.

The Fly Lite delivers on its promise of ultra-lightweight design, totaling just under 17 pounds. If you can hold two gallons of milk, you can lift the Drive Fly Lite! This makes every aspect of owning a transport wheelchair a bit easier and simpler. Most importantly, it’s easier for your caregiver, spouse, or other relative to push you. Having your mobility limited can be a very stressful transition; a quality transport wheelchair can help you feel like things aren’t quite as frustrating!

Whether you’re visiting a doctor’s office, going through an airport terminal, or visiting a museum, you’ll always appreciate the lightweight design of this transport wheelchair! On top of that, a light wheelchair is easier to store when not in use. When it comes down to it, there is no reason to opt for a heavy wheelchair unless your needs demand features a lightweight model can’t provide!

High Weight Capacity

Oftentimes, with a low product weight comes a low weight capacity. Seniors who weigh more than 250 pounds can feel left out of the lightweight wheelchair world, but the Drive Fly Lite can support users up to 300 pounds! Even if you don’t weigh that much, the strength that comes from the aluminum frame will help you feel safe and stable while using your wheelchair.

Tipping can be an issue with transport wheelchairs, and overloading the wheelchair with too much weight makes these accidents much more likely. By selecting a transport wheelchair that meets your weight (or exceeds it by a wide margin) ensures that you won’t be risking an injury resulting from a tipped transport wheelchair.

Ultra-Portable

Not only is the Fly Lite easy to lift, but it is also a breeze to fold and tuck into a car trunk, closet, or anywhere else you need to stash it. The frame is quite minimal; the armrests are short, and the backrest is simple. This means the folded wheelchair is a small package that is easy for any senior to deal with!

If you use a mobility scooter or electric wheelchair most of the time and need a transport wheelchair for specific uses, this level of portability is very valuable. It can travel with you and be used all the places your powered mobility cannot!

Comfortable All Day

The seat, backrest, and armrests may not seem like it at first glance, but this transport wheelchair is surprisingly comfortable. The 19.5-inch seat height is ideal for just about any senior, regardless of height. The padding on the seat and backrest is thick and supportive enough that you can sit in it for hours without starting to feel restless or sore. Wheelchairs are pretty useless when they’re more of a hassle to sit in than to simply stay at home. The Drive Medical Fly Lite won’t give you any of those issues!

Specifications of Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

drive medical fly lite ultra

Height 36 inches
Length of Wheelchair (with foot riggings) 33 inches
Width 22 inches (open), 9 inches (closed)
Seat Dimensions 19 inches wide, 15.5 inches deep
Seat Height 18 inches
Weight Capacity 300 pounds
Weight 16.2 pounds (foot riggings weigh an additional 3 pounds)

Video Overview of Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

Pros and Cons of Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair

PROS

  • Design Options: There are three different color patterns that you can choose from: red plaid, blue plaid, and plain black. This feature won’t make the wheelchair any more comfortable than it already is, but it does help to have a transport wheelchair that you genuinely like the look of!
  • Stable Frame: The 300-pound weight capacity, lower seat height (compared to 20 or 22-inch high seats), and distance between the front and rear wheels combine to form a transport wheelchair that is much harder to tip than other models. Tipping can still occur, but it is less likely due to this model’s low center of gravity and weight distribution.
  • Easy to Move: In every way, this is one of the easiest transport chairs to work without there. Lifting, folding, and storing the chair is simple and not strenuous. Pushing people in the chair, too, requires little effort and less caution than other, more unstable transport wheelchairs.
  • Safety Belt: This is one feature that no transport wheelchair should ever leave out. The safety belt helps keep you in your seat on bumpy ground or in the face of an unexpected obstacle. One plus about the safety belt on this transport chair is that it is functional but minimal, so it will do its job without getting in the way.

CONS

  • Tipping Hazard:Tipping is always a risk with transport wheelchairs, but it can be easily mitigated with caution. The Drive Fly Lite requires a bit of extra caution when sitting; sit too fast or too rough and you may tip. Be careful of this when using your new transport wheelchair, and you’ll be fine!
  • Small Frame: Seniors who are taller than 6’2” will feel comfortable on this chair, but not for long periods and not while using the footrests. If you’re a taller person, you may want to look for a larger, heavier transport wheelchair!

Who the Drive Medical Fly Lite is Best For?

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair, Black Frame, 16.5 lbs

If you use a mobility scooter or electric wheelchair for a severe condition like MS most of the time, you likely already know their limitations. The batteries can die after a while, mechanical failures do happen, and they simply don’t fit everywhere you need to go. Similarly, they aren’t great for air travel even if they are allowed on planes.

The Drive Fly Lite is a great item to have on hand as a backup for your motorized wheelchair whenever you might need it. It’s comfortable, light, and easy to fold. If you’re looking for a wheelchair backup that can go anywhere you need it to, this could be it!

This is also a great option for people recovering from a recent accident or procedure. You may not need the wheelchair permanently, and depending on your limitations you may not be able to propel yourself. This could leave expensive electric wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs out of the question.

If you’re only using a wheelchair for a few weeks or months, you don’t need to break the bank- you only need something comfortable to get you through. The Drive Medical Fly Lite is an ideal way to spend your time recuperating safely and still get to the places you need to go.

Helpful Links for the Drive Fly Lite Transport Wheelchair

Top Competitor Product: Medline Lightweight Transport Chair

Medline Lightweight Transport Wheelchair with Handbrakes, Folding Transport Chair for Adults, 2 inch Wheels, Red

This transport chair offers many of the same benefits of the drive Fly Lite: it’s got a 300-pound weight capacity, has a lightweight design, and safety is kept at the forefront. It weighs about 6 pounds more, though, but 23 pounds still falls into the lightweight category and is easy to lift.

There are two big advantages this transport chair has that the Fly Lite does not: off-road tires and handbrakes. The rear tires on this model from Medline are 12 inches tall and made from wide, spongy rubber. This allows seniors to safely go more places than just down the hall; you can visit a park, see the grandkids’ sports games, and stay safe just about anywhere you go! This alone makes it a great travel wheelchair, and one of the safer transport wheelchairs on the market.

Handbrakes are another great feature that keeps seniors safe. Rather than having to use their body weight to slow down or stop the chair, your caregiver can simply squeeze the handbrakes. When an unexpected bump or obstacle appears, being able to safely and instantly come to a stop can prevent an accident that never needed to happen. If you’ve had a bad experience with a transport chair in the past, this one could help!

Pros

  • Handbrakes for added safety
  • 300-pound weight capacity
  • Comfortable seat and footrests
  • Tall, wide rear tires can handle light grass with ease

Cons

  • Heavier than the Fly Lite
  • Front wheels bend with rough use

MMAR Medical Group, Inc’s Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair Review

Conclusion: Drive Medical Bobcat Scooter

It’s got a wide wheelbase that prevents tipping, a comfortable seat that feels great all day, and it can easily fold to fit wherever you need it to. If you’re looking for a transport wheelchair to keep you moving, this model from Drive Medical should be near the top of your list!

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra Lightweight Transport Wheelchair, Black Frame, 16.5 lbs

Drive Medical Fly Lite Ultra (Click image for more info)

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