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When you need to get up that step or curb, here's what you can take with you. Lightweight Folding Electric Wheelchair
If you use a wheelchair, scooter or other mobility device, a street corner without a curb cut or a private home with a couple of steps up to the front door can make it frustrating, and quite frankly dangerous, to navigate. But for some, a portable ramp can help.
According to standards set by the American Disabilities Act (ADA), a ramp should have 12 inches of length for every 1 inch of height. Now, that means that when, say, a bank is building a ramp to allow access into an older building with several steps, the ramp might be 20 feet or longer. That's great for entering public buildings, but what do you do when you just need to get up the front stoop into your cousin's house for Thanksgiving?
Experts explain that a portable ramp is typically used when you’re visiting a home that you know has a step or two into the front door, when you are traveling in a city where you might have to get up and over a curb or when you need to access a part of your home, like a shed that hasn't been adapted for accessibility. “You’re not going to get up a flight of stairs with these, but if you’re going to a friend or family member’s house, you can make it work,” says Peter Gagliardo, an adaptive sports coordinator at Helen Hayes Hospital, a rehabilitation center in West Haverstraw, NY, who has used a manual wheelchair for the past 17 years.
Portable ramps come in a few different varieties, explains Karen Frank, PT and co-owner with her husband Gregg, OT, of Back Home Safely, a company in Randolph, NJ, that modifies homes for accessibility. “There are suitcase ramps, which fold up and have a handle for carrying, and trifold ramps, which fold in half and then in half again,” she explains. “They are typically 30 inches wide, and don’t have handrails, so they're not as good for self-propelling, but you can use them to get up a curb or into a house with one or two steps.”
With help from these experts, we were able to pull together this list of the best portable wheelchair ramps. When choosing a ramp, Kathleen Walworth, DPT, a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist at Athletico Physical Therapy in Brooklyn, MI, suggests you spend a little extra time doing research. "I usually recommend that people look for companies online that specialize in portable ramps, talk with their representatives about your specific needs and have them help you select the best option," she says.
Hopefully, the buying guide at the of this article can help, too. But if you're still overwhelmed with the choices or just need another experienced opinion, you can speak to your doctor or physical therapist.
A top-seller on Amazon, this ramp is just four feet long and weighs 20 pounds, which makes it easy to fit in the back of a van or SUV (or a roomy trunk). It folds up like a suitcase with a handle for easy portability. Reviewers say it’s durable, sturdy and lightweight. Its short length mean it's perfect for getting into a doorway, a sidewalk curb or any other small step.
At less than $100, this ramp is a good bet if you'll only be using it temporarily, or if you want to keep something in the garage or basement to use when a relative in a wheelchair visits once in a while. Made of corrugated aluminum, this chair is small but mighty: It's only two-feet long but can hold up to 800 pounds. Reviewers say it's sturdy and good quality for the price.
A telescoping ramp, which is adjustable in both length and width, is another good option for traveling, says Gagliardo. This one is lightweight but sturdy, and reviewers give it high marks for being easy to set up. Because this holds a top weight of 600 pounds, it would only work for those using manual chairs.
The Franks are fans of the EZ-ACCESS brand, which they say produces ramps that are durable and last year after year. This one can fold up as a suitcase, or be separated into two pieces, offering multiple ways to store and carry it. The heavy-duty ergonomic handles also make it easier to carry.
This six-foot long, 30-inch-wide aluminum ramp is the one Gagliardo uses at home. It folds in half and then in half again for easy carrying and storage. It has an 800-pound capacity, making it an excellent choice for people who use power chairs.
If you're planning to do a lot of traveling and want a ramp with you that won’t weigh you down, this is the one to consider. Made of carbon fiber, it weighs just 5.7 pounds, making it the lightest ramp available. But that comes at a higher price. “This is one that you might really travel with,” says Gagliardo. “It folds in half and you could put it in a bag behind a power chair.”
Marisa Cohen, deputy editor in the Health Newsroom at Hearst, scoured online reviews of wheelchair ramps; she also consulted with physical and occupational therapists who specialize in helping make homes accessible for people in wheelchairs, as well as one longtime wheelchair user, for recommendations on what to look for when purchasing or renting a wheelchair ramp.
✔️ Capacity: Most ramps can support 600 to 800 pounds, says Walworth. If you use a lightweight chair (they usually weigh less than 40 pounds), most portable ramps will be fine. However, a power wheelchair can weigh up to 500 pounds. “Be sure to combine the weight of the wheelchair, the weight of the user and the weight of anything they may be carrying (groceries, medical devices, oxygen, small pets, etc.) when determining how much capacity you need,” she says.
✔️ Material: While most ramps are made of sturdy aluminum, some are made of carbon fiber, which makes the ramp much lighter, but adds to the cost. Ramps come with different anti-slip features, such as a sandpaper-like surface or a corrugated aluminum, says Frank. You can also increase the anti-slip ability with grip tape from your local hardware store, says Walworth.
✔️ Storage: Are you going to put the ramp in the back of a van and have someone to help you move it into place? Or do you need to strap it to the back of your chair and open and close it yourself? “I have enough upper body strength that I can get my ramp up on my lap and into my car,” says Gagliardo. “But somebody with less function might not be able to maneuver it as well.”
Portable ramps can range from less than $100 to more than $1,000. Consider how often you’ll use the ramp and whether it’s worth the extra cost to buy a lightweight ramp that can travel with you, even to another country. You may also want to consider renting. “If you need the ramp for less than six months, such as due to recovering from a surgery or accident or accommodating a temporary house guest, then renting will likely be more cost-effective,” says Walworth.
Portable wheelchair ramps from reliable manufacturers are safe, as long as you pay attention to the weight limits (if you need assistance being pushed up the ramp, be sure to include the other person’s weight in your calculations), and are careful to follow the instructions for use. They should also have safety edges on both sides and non-slip surfaces. Though Frank cautions that if portable ramps are used in situations they’re not meant for — such as a steeper incline or in bad weather — they can be dangerous.
Portable ramps range in length from around two feet to eight feet. According to ADA standards, there should be 12 inches of length for every 1 inch of rise, so if you need to get up a four-inch incline, for example, you would need a four-foot ramp.
Marisa Cohen is an editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades.
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