More often than not, physically disabled individuals who use wheelchairs find it hard to keep track of their weight because they are unable to stand upright independently on standard weighing scales. Fortunately, weighing scales for wheelchair users have now been developed.

Wheelchair scales have ramps to allow the user to simply wheel him/herself onto the scale. Once the user and his/her wheelchair are in place, the scale should be able to give an accurate reading.

The wheelchair without the user should be weighed separately. Subtracting the resulting figure to the earlier reading of both the wheelchair and the user will result in the accurate weight of the wheelchair user.

Individuals often do not choose to purchase their own wheelchair scales because they can be quite expensive and they also take up a lot of space. For this reason, most clinics and hospitals make sure that they are available for the benefit of wheelchair users. Being weighed in medical centres is also ideal because assistance can be provided.

In many medical centres, wheelchair scales can be seen in a variety of types including digital, beam, portable or stationary. Because stationary scales are thought to be more sturdy and durable, they are most often used by medical centres.

Most wheelchair scales have rubber surfaces to ensure that the wheelchair users will not fall off or will not move around while they are being weighed. Sometimes, they also have additional features for better measurements of the user's health.

Standard wheelchair scales can often carry very heavy loads, however individual scales need to be checked for the maximum load capacity. Should you be among those considering purchasing wheelchair scales for personal use, make sure that the scales you want to buy can hold both you and your wheelchair at the same time.

You may also want to ensure that it can carry heavier loads in case you gain weight or you decide at a later stage to purchase a heavier wheelchair.