How Long Do Wheelchair Batteries Last?

The overall lifetime of a wheelchair battery can range due to a variety of attributes. Including the type of battery, how it is stored when not in use, how often it gets charged, and many other factors. In general, a wheelchair battery should last between 3 to 6 years. In this article, we are going to go over a few factors that will extend or shorten your wheelchair battery’s life expectancy.

Daily Use

How long your wheelchair batteries last depends on how much you use them every day. Additionally, the type of terrain that you use your wheelchair on will affect your battery’s life. If you are using your wheelchair for just a few hours every day inside, your battery will last a lot longer than someone who uses their wheelchair for 12+ hours every day on rough terrains, like hills, snow, and rocky areas. If you’re quite active and like to explore off the beaten path, just know that it will cause more wear and tear on your power source. Hard, flat surfaces are the best for your battery. But, we know that this isn’t practical for everyone.

User Weight

Your weight is probably a fairly fixed factor, and it will affect your battery’s life. The lighter you are, the easier it will be on your battery. And, if you can help it, avoid constantly carrying heavy items while in your wheelchair because more weight equals more battery strain. Hanging grocery bags and shopping bags off of your wheelchair can add on a surprising amount of weight. Weekly trips to the grocery store should be fine, but try not to overdo it. Especially if you are close to your wheelchair’s weight limit prior to hanging bags on it.

Charging Your Wheelchair Battery

How frequently you charge your battery also influences its lifetime. If you have a habit of keeping your batteries plugged in when your wheelchair is already fully charged, it can damage the battery over time. You should do your best to get the batteries down to almost dying, then recharge them up to 100%, then unplug them. Many wheelchairs come with two batteries so that if one is failing, the other will still serve you. However, if you ever find yourself getting less than a day’s worth of work out of your batteries, it’s probably time to replace them both.

Driving Patterns

You might not realize it, how long wheelchair batteries last depends on driving patterns. This is because it affects your battery life. To optimize it, try to travel at a constant speed and don’t be a stop-and-go driver. Going from a complete stop to starting back up can take a lot of battery juice, similar to a car’s gas.

Storage

Avoid exposing your battery to extreme temperatures. We see that a lot of Canadians store their wheelchair in their garage or shed for the winter when they are unable to drive due to the snow. If you plan on doing this, remove your batteries and keep them inside where it is warm. Typically any temperature below zero can risk damage to your batteries. Additionally, don’t leave your charger plugged into the outlet while you’re not using it.

If you want your battery to live the longest life possible, make sure its terminals are well-greased and wipe it down if you see it covered in any dirt or condensation.

Final Words

The better you take care of your wheelchair batteries, the longer they will last. Batteries can be a huge investment, so the better you take care of them, the less often you’ll have to replace them. This can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over time. If you’re interested in learning about EasyFold’s unique wheelchair batteries, check out this article.