Published 4 November 2026
Quick answer: most UK manual wheelchairs are between 55 cm and 70 cm wide when open. In our table of chairs, every standard and transit model is 70 cm wide or less, which clears the 750 mm minimum door opening that building regulations set for new homes. Self-propelled chairs are wider than attendant chairs with the same seat, because of the big wheels and push rims. Tilt-in-space chairs are the widest and heaviest: the Invacare Rea Azalea is listed at up to 820 mm wide and 34 kg. Always measure the clear opening of your narrowest door, not the door itself.
This page answers the questions we see people ask about wheelchair size: how wide a wheelchair is, how wide a door needs to be, how much space you need to turn, and how much a wheelchair weighs. Figures were read on 4 November 2026 from the makers’ or retailers’ own pages, which are named in each row and in the sources list at the end.
How wide is a wheelchair?
The number that matters for doors is the overall width of the chair when it is open, measured at its widest point. That is usually across the rear wheels and push rims. The seat width is a different number. It describes the space for the user, and it is the size a wheelchair service or retailer will ask you about first.
The gap between the two is bigger than most people expect. On the Karma Ergo 115, the self-propelled version is 18.3 cm wider than its seat at both the 16 inch and the 20 inch size (seat 407 mm, overall 590 mm; seat 507 mm, overall 690 mm). The attendant-propelled version with a 20 inch seat is 670 mm wide, 16.3 cm more than its seat. If the maker publishes no overall width, adding about 18 cm to the seat width of a self-propelled chair gives a rough figure to check doors against. Use the maker’s own figure whenever there is one.
Widths and weights of 12 chairs compared
These are the figures published for each chair. “Not published” means we could not find the figure on the page named. Where a maker’s page and brochure disagree, both are shown.
| Chair | Type | Seat width | Overall width (open) | Folded width | Chair weight | Where the figures come from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karma Ergo 115, 16 inch seat | Self-propelled | 407 mm | 590 mm | 325 mm | 13.3 kg | Mobility2You product page |
| Karma Ergo 115, 20 inch seat | Self-propelled | 507 mm | 690 mm | 325 mm | 13.4 kg | Mobility2You product page |
| Karma Ergo 115, 20 inch seat | Transit (attendant) | 507 mm | 670 mm | 325 mm | 11.8 kg | Mobility2You product page |
| Karma Ergo Lite | Transit | 40 or 45 cm | Not published | 275 to 280 mm | 8.8 kg (18 inch seat) | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Drive Expedition Plus | Transit | 47 cm | 56 cm | Not published | 12 kg | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Drive Expedition Plus HD | Transit, heavy duty | 51 cm | 60 cm | Not published | 12.5 kg | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Drive Steel Travel Chair | Transit | 48 cm | 59 cm | 20 cm | 12 kg | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Drive S1 Steel Transit | Transit | 45 cm | 60 cm | 26 cm | 14.6 kg | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Roma 1235 | Transit | 46 cm (brochure) | 55.8 cm (product page) or 63.5 cm (brochure) | Not published | 12 kg | Maker page and brochure, via our transit chair ranking |
| Roma 1485X | Transit, bariatric | 56 cm between the arms | 70 cm | Not published | 20 kg | Maker documents, via our transit chair ranking |
| Invacare Rea Azalea | Tilt-in-space | 440 to 490 mm | 610 to 820 mm | Not published | 34 kg | Mobility Smart product page |
| Breezy Relax | Tilt-in-space | 37, 42 or 47 cm | Not published | Not published | 40 kg | Living Made Easy product listing |
Two findings come out of the table. Every standard and transit chair in the table is 70 cm wide or less, so all of them fit through the narrowest door opening that Approved Document M allows in a new home (750 mm). The Rea Azalea, at its widest setting of 820 mm, does not, and it would also fail the 775 mm and 800 mm openings that the same guidance pairs with narrower corridors. Tilt-in-space chairs are the ones most likely to have trouble with doors, which is worth knowing before an assessment. At least one NHS wheelchair service we checked will only issue one once the home has been assessed as having enough space. Our guide to tilt-in-space wheelchairs covers this.
The second is how much the Roma 1235’s two documents disagree: 55.8 cm on the product page and 63.5 cm in the brochure. A difference of 7.7 cm is enough to matter at a tight door, so if a figure decides whether you buy, ask the seller which one is right.
How wide does a door need to be for a wheelchair?
In England, the guidance is Approved Document M. Volume 1 covers homes and Volume 2 covers other buildings. Neither says how wide a wheelchair is. Both set minimum clear opening widths for doors.
Homes (Approved Document M, Volume 1)
For a standard new home, Table 1.1 links the door opening to the width of the corridor leading to it:
| Doorway clear opening width | Corridor clear width |
|---|---|
| 750 mm or wider | 900 mm, when the door is approached head on |
| 750 mm | 1,200 mm, when the approach is not head on |
| 775 mm | 1,050 mm, when the approach is not head on |
| 800 mm | 900 mm, when the approach is not head on |
Homes built to the higher “accessible and adaptable” standard, M4(2), need an entrance door with a clear opening of at least 850 mm and halls of at least 900 mm. Wheelchair user homes, M4(3), need every door to be at least 850 mm clear “irrespective of the direction of entry”, hallways of at least 1,050 mm, and a 1,500 mm turning circle inside the entrance.
Paragraph 0.2 of Volume 1 says the guidance applies to newly built homes and to material alterations. It does not apply to older homes as they stand, and it does not apply to extensions. Older homes were not built to these figures, so measure yours.
Shops, offices and other buildings (Volume 2)
| Approach to the door | New buildings | Existing buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Straight on | 800 mm | 750 mm |
| At right angles from a route at least 1,500 mm wide | 800 mm | 750 mm |
| At right angles from a route at least 1,200 mm wide | 825 mm | 775 mm |
| External doors used by the public | 1,000 mm | 775 mm |
How to measure a door the right way
Open the door fully. Measure from the face of the open door to the inside edge of the door stop on the opposite side of the frame. That is the clear opening width as Approved Document M draws it in Diagram 1.1, and it ignores handles and other door furniture. It is several centimetres less than the width of the door leaf, because the door itself takes up space when it is open.
Then compare it with the chair’s overall width, and leave room for knuckles. A user’s hands on the push rims sit outside the chair’s overall width. If the clear opening is only a few centimetres wider than the chair, a self-propelling user is likely to catch their hands on the frame.
How much room do you need to turn a wheelchair?
Approved Document M uses a 1,500 mm clear turning circle for wheelchair user homes (M4(3)), and Volume 2 asks for a 1,500 mm by 1,500 mm clear space in front of lifts. Those are planning figures for new buildings, not measurements of any one chair.
How much does a wheelchair weigh?
In the table above, chair weights run from 8.8 kg for the Karma Ergo Lite to 40 kg for the Breezy Relax tilt-in-space chair. Apart from the Ergo Lite, every folding self-propelled and transit chair in the table weighs between 11.8 kg and 14.6 kg. Bariatric chairs are heavier (20 kg for the Roma 1485X), and tilt-in-space chairs are heavier again.
Check what the weight includes. Makers sometimes quote a “lifting weight” with the wheels, footrests or cushion removed, which is lower than the weight of the chair as you use it. Mobility2You lists the Karma Ergo 115 as “13.3(+0.5)kg”, for example. If someone will be lifting the chair into a car boot, ask for the weight of the heaviest single part.
What if your door is too narrow?
- Try a narrower chair. A transit chair is usually narrower than a self-propelled chair with the same seat, as the Karma Ergo 115 figures show. A narrower seat size may also be possible, but the seat must still fit the user. Ask the wheelchair service or retailer before choosing on width alone.
- Widen the doorway. GOV.UK lists “widen doors and install ramps or grab rails” among the work a Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for. A council occupational therapist assesses the need first.
- Change the approach. Approved Document M accepts a narrower door when the corridor in front of it is wider, because a straighter approach makes the turn easier. Moving furniture out of a hall can have a similar effect.
- Check thresholds too. A wide enough door with a step still stops a wheelchair. Our guide to wheelchair ramps covers threshold and step ramps.
If you get a wheelchair through the NHS, the wheelchair service should take your home into account. Our page on the NHS wheelchair service and council equipment explains who provides what.
Related guides
- Best transit wheelchairs, checked against makers’ documents
- Best self-propelled wheelchairs
- Bariatric wheelchairs for heavier people
- Tilt-in-space wheelchairs: what they do and who gets one
- How much a wheelchair costs
- Walk-in shower measurements
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard width of a wheelchair in the UK?
There is no single standard. Most manual wheelchairs are between 55 cm and 70 cm wide when open. In our table, standard and transit chairs range from 55.8 cm (Roma 1235, product page figure) to 70 cm (Roma 1485X, a bariatric chair). Self-propelled chairs are wider than attendant chairs with the same seat size.
Will a wheelchair fit through a standard door?
Usually, in a home built to current guidance. Approved Document M sets a minimum clear opening of 750 mm for new homes, and every standard and transit chair in our table is 70 cm or less. Older homes may have narrower openings, so measure from the face of the open door to the door stop opposite.
How much wider than the seat is a wheelchair?
On the Karma Ergo 115, the self-propelled chair is 18.3 cm wider than its seat and the attendant version is 16.3 cm wider. Other chairs differ, so use the maker’s overall width figure when you can find it.
How wide is a tilt-in-space wheelchair?
Wider than a standard chair. Mobility Smart lists the Invacare Rea Azalea at 610 mm to 820 mm overall, depending on the version. At 820 mm it is wider than the 750 mm, 775 mm and 800 mm door openings in Approved Document M Table 1.1.
How heavy is a wheelchair?
In our table, from 8.8 kg (Karma Ergo Lite) to 40 kg (Breezy Relax tilt-in-space). Apart from the Ergo Lite, the folding self-propelled and transit chairs in the table weigh between 11.8 kg and 14.6 kg.
Can I get help to widen a door for a wheelchair?
Yes. GOV.UK lists widening doors among the work a Disabled Facilities Grant can cover. Contact your council for an occupational therapy assessment first.
Sources
All read on 4 November 2026. Approved Document M, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2015 edition incorporating 2016 amendments, paragraphs 0.2, 2.14, 2.20, 2.22, 3.22 and 3.24, Table 1.1 and Diagram 1.1 (GOV.UK). Approved Document M, Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings, with 2024 amendments, paragraph 2.13, Table 2 and paragraph 3.28 (GOV.UK). GOV.UK, Disabled Facilities Grants. Mobility2You product pages for the Karma Ergo 115 self-propel wheelchair (16 inch and 20 inch seats) and the Ergo 115 transit wheelchair (20 inch seat). Mobility Smart product page for the Invacare Rea Azalea tilt-in-space wheelchair. Living Made Easy product listing for the Breezy Relax tilt-in-space wheelchair. Figures marked “via our transit chair ranking” were read from the makers’ documents for our transit wheelchair ranking, last checked 18 September 2026.
Spotted a figure that has changed? Email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk and we will check it and correct the page.
Published 4 November 2026