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Medline Excel Wheelchair Review (2023): A Bariatric Wheelchair for Any Size

By Maurice

Medline Excel Wheelchair Review

The Medline Excel Wheelchair is a healthy and strong bariatric chair designed to do what other wheelchairs cannot. Many wheelchairs have constrained seat sizes and weight capacities that rarely exceed 300lbs. Those dimensions don’t work for everyone and that is where the Medline Excel Wheelchair comes in.

The Medline Excel wheelchair is made to fit everyone, no matter their size. It makes you feel comfortable and secure when other wheelchairs do not. But is it right for you? Let’s take a look in our Medline Excel Wheelchair review:

Review of: Medline Excel Wheelchair

Medline MDS806900 Excel Extra-Wide Bariatric Wheelchair, 24" Wide Seat, Desk-Length Removable Arms, Swing Away Footrests, Chrome Frame

Please click image for more info

What We Like:

  • Still portable
  • Easy to Use
  • Can be an everyday chair

What We Don’t Like:

  • Not so wide
  • Heavy

Our Conclusion: The Medline Excel Wheelchair took a well received classic wheelchair design and upgraded it to fit a more diverse audience and it works really well. The Medline Excel is an excellent wheelchair that anyone looking for a better wheelchair should consider.

Features of Medline Excel Wheelchair

Medline MDS806900 Excel Extra-Wide Bariatric Wheelchair, 24" Wide Seat, Desk-Length Removable Arms, Swing Away Footrests, Chrome Frame

500lb weight capacity

One of the biggest draws of this wheelchair is its massive weight capacity. At 500lbs, this wheelchair will be able to support a large portion of the population with ease. This is perfect for anyone who greatly exceeds the standard weight capacity of 300lbs or someone who is right around that weight and does not want to continue to worry about whether or not they are just a little over the limit or a standard chair.  

Even if you are not bariatric or do not have a bariatric family member, having more weight capacity is never a bad thing. This allows you to carry things with you as well or use the chair to transport people and things. For example, if you need to push someone with an oxygen tank system, this chair can handle that extra weight without any issues.

Overlarge seat

In addition to being very durable in terms of its capacity, the Medline Excel Wheelchair also has an ample comfortable seat to match. Standard wheelchairs have standard seats, which often measure 18” across with a variable depth. That size seat can be cramped and uncomfortable for many people. The Medline Excel’s seat measures a full 24” across and 18” deep which is far above average.

Medline realized that increasing the weight capacity was not enough when it comes to making an above average bariatric chair, you also have to add in small details that put it over the top and that is what they have done with this super large and comfortable seat.

Folding arms and legs

The above average specifications for the Medline Excel Wheelchair do not exclude it from having the basic quality of life upgrades. This wheelchair still has the folding arms and legs that are required for any chair that is going to be used consistently.

The arms flip up to allow you to turn in the seat better or to get close to counters, desks, and tables. The leg rests flip away to the side to allow you to easily get up and down or approach an object. Everything moves fluidly and easily allowing the user to be fully in control of the chair’s rests when using it.

Specifications of Medline Excel Wheelchair

Medline Excel Wheelchair

Type Bariatric

Weight

60 lbs.

Weight capacity

500lbs

Overall height

36.5”

Overall width

32.5”

Overall depth

22”

Wheel size

24”

UNSPSC

42192210

HPIS Code

630_20_50_20

Video Overview of Medline Excel Wheelchair

Pros and Cons of Medline Excel Wheelchair

PROS

  • Still portable

Despite being super lasting and heavy duty, this wheelchair is still surprisingly portable. The whole product is still able to fold down, like most manual wheelchairs, for a more compact size that is perfect for transporting it and storing it. The extra durability does not add any extra complication to the wheelchair. Everything still folds, flips and stores as easily as any other wheelchair.

That means you do not have to disqualify this chair from being an on the go wheelchair. It can still be put into the trunk of a car or loaded into the back of a van with relative ease. It is small enough to go with you when you need it or be put away when you don’t.

  • Easy to use

One of the best parts about the Medline Excel Wheelchair is how easy it is to use it. The large 24” rear wheels give you a lot of motion per push making getting around easier than ever. It has ergonomic handles for someone to push the chair, full or empty, and that also benefits from the wheels. All of the moving parts flip and fold easily. There is no complicated assembly or tools required to get this chair up and running. Everything is very straightforward.

  • Can be an everyday chair

There are many wheelchairs on the market that are not designed for consistent, daily use. They are either too uncomfortable, too small, or not durable enough. Many wheelchairs are made to be used in short sessions and some of them are made for infrequent use. The Medline Excel Wheelchair is made for everyday, constant, hard, use.

The large seat, the swinging arms and legs, the enhanced weight capacity, and large manual wheels all allow for easy usage every day in ways that other, cheaper, wheelchairs just don’t manage to do anymore.

CONS

  • Width might pose a problem

The overall width of this chair measures just over 32” wide. That is very wide when it comes to wheelchairs. That is a good thing when you are sitting in it but it can be a bad thing if you are maneuvering in it. Tight corners and small doorways can outright block your progress in a wheelchair this size. There are actually a lot of doors in the US that only measure 30” across. That means you really have to be careful when you get this chair to ensure that the places you want to use it most can handle the overall size.

  • Heavy

The increased weight capacity also leads to increased overall weight for this wheelchair. This is not a lightweight chair. The weight of the Medline Excel Wheelchair is 60lbs. That is heavy enough that average people might have a difficult time moving it, even when it is folded down. This is an important thing to consider. If the user, or the caretaker, cannot lift 60lbs then this chair becomes much less portable and nullifies those features.

Who is the Medline Excel Wheelchair best for?

Medline MDS806900 Excel Extra-Wide Bariatric Wheelchair, 24" Wide Seat, Desk-Length Removable Arms, Swing Away Footrests, Chrome Frame

This is a wheelchair for anyone who does not get everything they need out of standard wheelchairs. It is perfect for bariatric patients who need consistent use of a wheelchair that can handle their medical needs without wearing out. It would also be perfect for anyone that needs a wheelchair in addition to another medical system such as oxygen or an IV. The extra weight capacity on the Excel can be used in multiple different ways to give people the care they need.

If you are tired of being uncomfortable or on the edge of a standard wheelchair’s limits, you are going to love the Medline Excel Wheelchair.

Technical Support Resources for Medline Excel Wheelchair

Today, the idea of requiring technical support or customer service causes people no end to stress. Luckily, Medline has a fantastic customer support network that includes phone conversations and even remote computer support. This modern tech support allows you to even send them diagnostic information and pictures directly to them via your computer. If you have any questions or concerns, Medline is ready to answer them and make you feel good about their products.

Top Similar Wheelchair Available: Drive Medical Bariatric Transport Chair

Drive Medical Bariatric Transport Chair with 12 Inches Rear Flat Free Wheels, Red, 22 Inches

One of the top chairs available on the market that compares to the Medline Excel Wheelchair is the Drive Medical Bariatric Transport Chair. If you are looking for another product that can do a similar amount of work as the Excel, this is a great chair to use for comparison. The Drive Medical Bariatric Transport Chair has a respectable weight capacity of 450lbs, which is still lower than the Excel but much higher than average.

However, this chair is a transport chair and not a standard self-propelled chair. That makes it harder to get around on your own. But the Drive Medical chair is also nearly $100 cheaper so there are tradeoffs. This is a great chair if you are on more of a budget or if you don’t need to use the wheelchair quite as consistently as the Medline Excel is built for.

Person Vilina’s Medline Excel Wheelchair

Verdict – Medline Excel Wheelchair

When it comes to true bariatric wheelchairs available online today, the market is actually very small. Many chairs advertise themselves as heavy duty or bariatric friendly but then do not offer any true bariatric features. The Medline Excel Wheelchair advertises itself as a wide bariatric chair and delivers on that description.

Medline MDS806900 Excel Extra-Wide Bariatric Wheelchair, 24" Wide Seat, Desk-Length Removable Arms, Swing Away Footrests, Chrome Frame

Please click image for more info

The weight capacity is nearly double that of a standard chair, it has an extra wide seat for added comfort and functionality and it still folds down into a smaller more manageable size for easy transport and storage.

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