Companion or Transport Wheelchairs (the ones w/ 4 small wheels)?

[disneyberry]

can anyone who has used one of these portable wheelchairs please share your experience?

how comfortable is it to sit in vs. a regular manual wheelchair?

for the pushers: how hard is it to push around WDW vs. pushing a regular manual wheelchair?

are these portable types always much lighter than regular wheelchairs?
i've seen info that they can be 15 lbs lighter than regular wheelchairs, but i've also seen some websites that say they are the same weight as regular wheelchairs (approx 35lbs?)

i'm worried that the Companion/Transport wheelchair will not be as easy to push around on rough pavement like at Animal Kingdom.

but perhaps they are easier to maneuver since they have 4 small wheels instead of large reer wheels?

please give your pros and cons.
thanks, everyone!

 

[SueM in MN]

We have never used one since DD has had her own wheelchair since she was abut 2 1/2, but I have talked with several people who have used them (I was sitting near them waiting for a show to begin and asked). Both people said that they pushed quite easily and were not a problem (one was at Epcot, one at the Studio). The one family liked it because it was lightweight and esy to fold to put in their car. They had previously rented a wheelchair, so they could compare. The wife in that situation felt it was comfortable and she did not feel it was a disadvantage that the small wheels meant she could not push herself. in fact, they liked it enough that they were thinking of buying one.
The other family felt the small wheels were an advantage since the person using the wheelchair was a confused elderly person. Since she could not drive the wheelchair, she couldn't drive away.
The regular wheelchair you can rent at WDW are probably closer to 45 or 50 pounds. A 35 pound wheelchair is more likely a lightweight model like a Quickie wheelchair. I know that my DD's manual Quickie wheelchair is about 35 pounds (without her Jay seat cushion) and it is considered a lightweight wheelchair.