Titanium wheelchairs are strong, lightweight, and durable, but expensive and less maneuverable than aluminum. Titanium is denser than aluminum, but less is needed to make the wheelchair due to its strength-to-weight ratio. Titanium doesn’t corrode and is easy to maintain, but not as comfortable for those with extreme physical ailments.
In general, the two most commonly used materials in the manufacture of wheelchairs are titanium and aluminum. A titanium wheelchair has a reputation for being the best option because it’s lightweight, strong, and won’t rust or corrode. Yet a titanium wheelchair is much more expensive than an aluminum one and is not as easy to weld due to the thinness of the frames.
It may come as a surprise to note that titanium is actually denser than aluminum and therefore heavier. However, because it is stronger than aluminum, less is needed to make the wheelchair, so the end result is a lighter product. However, this may change in the near future as manufacturing techniques are evolving and allowing companies to work with aluminum in a different way than was previously the norm.
Titanium is one of the best metals available in terms of strength-to-weight ratio. This means that titanium wheelchairs are easier to maintain and perhaps the most durable money can buy. Titanium also does not suffer from “work fatigue” which is the process of a metal or material becoming brittle over time.
Titanium wheelchairs can last indefinitely, at least in theory, due to their strength and the fact that the metal doesn’t corrode. It is therefore not necessary to use paint on the pram as the titanium does not need to be protected from the elements. This also makes it easy to keep a titanium wheelchair clean and looking new. In case of scratches, simply rub quickly with the same type of scrub used to clean cutlery.
For all its advantages, a titanium wheelchair does have some downsides. The most obvious is the cost. Titanium is a relatively rare metal compared to aluminum. The cost per rod of titanium is over 30 times that of aluminum, and that puts a titanium wheelchair out of reach for most people in financial terms.
Also, a titanium wheelchair isn’t the most comfortable option for those with extreme physical ailments; it moves and twists which can cause pain to the wheelchair occupant. Aluminum is usually preferable as a wheelchair frame should be stiff. A titanium wheelchair is also not as maneuverable as its aluminum counterpart; those who compete in the Paralympics, for example, rarely choose a titanium wheelchair for this reason.
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