A VELA Chair is an indoor mobility chair designed to help people stay independent and safe in their own home or in the workplace.
A VELA chair is designed to help the user continue doing the activities they have always done, just while seated. It provides a supportive and secure place to sit, helping reduce the risk of falls and increasing the user’s sense of safety at home. The user can lower the seat height and move around the home by gently propelling the chair forward while seated. When reaching a destination, the brakes can be locked and the seat height adjusted to match the task at hand, whether that means raising to a comfortable working height at the kitchen counter or stove while cooking. The chair also enables the user to sit together with family at the table during mealtimes and easily reach both high cabinets and low drawers in the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom.
A VELA Chair is for people who want to remain independent and safe in everyday indoor environments and who need support for everyday activities, such as cooking, performed from a seated position. It is used by individuals who experience reduced balance, strength, or endurance and who benefit from stability, assisted mobility, and adjustable seating height indoors. For some users, motor-assisted indoor movement with Power Wheels can further reduce physical effort when moving between and during activities while seated.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Neuropathy
Parkinson’s disease
Stroke (apoplexy)
Muscular dystrophy
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Amputation
Overweight / obesity
Some types of cancer
Arthritis
Back pain
Herniated disc (slipped disc)
Kyphosis
Osteoporosis
Scoliosis
Fibromyalgia
Somatic Symptom Disorder
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Cystic fibrosis
A VELA Chair reduces prolonged standing, supports safe movement between activities, and lowers the risk of falls when sitting down, standing up, or repositioning. The chair helps conserve energy and supports continued participation in daily activities. The addition of Power Wheels can further reduce physical effort when moving between activities while seated.
A VELA Chair is not designed for outdoor use or transportation over long distances. It is not an electric wheelchair, nor a standard wheelchair.
The VELA Chair is not intended primarily for desk-based or static sitting. The VELA Chair is not an office chair.
Instead, the VELA Chair is meant for active, seated participation in everyday indoor activities.
A VELA Chair is an appropriate solution when everyday activities indoors require both mobility and stability while seated. It is relevant in situations where standing for longer periods is difficult or unsafe, and where safe transfer, positioning, and movement between activities are essential for maintaining independence in daily life.
The chair is suitable when tasks need to be performed at different working heights from a seated position, and when reducing fall risk and physical strain. It supports continued participation in everyday activities in indoor environments without relying on external assistance.
For users who experience fatigue or limited strength, a VELA Chair with Power Wheels may be relevant when there is a need to reduce physical effort while moving between activities indoors, while still maintaining controlled movement and maneuverability in confined spaces.
If the primary need is transportation over long distances or outdoor mobility, a VELA chair is not the right choice. A VELA Chair is intended for indoor use where everyday activities, stability, and supported movement while seated are the main focus.
Since the 1980s, VELA chairs have been classified as assistive devices by the Danish1 and Norwegian2 governments and provided to Danish and Norwegian citizens with reduced mobility through public funding.
From an occupational therapy perspective, a VELA Chair is commonly recommended to support independence in daily life, so everyday activities can be carried out more safely and with less physical strain from a stable, seated position. Research in occupational therapy shows that VELA Chairs are most often recommended to support kitchen work, however many users also rely on them for other household tasks and daily routines.3
In the United States, the VELA Chair is approved by the FDA and available through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where it is used within clinical and rehabilitation-based care settings.
Rather than replacing other mobility solutions, a VELA Chair fills the space between static seating and transport-focused mobility aids by supporting everyday activities that would otherwise require standing or external assistance.
| Feature / Use Case | VELA Chair | Wheelchair | Office Chair | Electric Wheelchair | Mobility Scooter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor mobility | |||||
| Designed for everyday seated tasks | |||||
| Electric height adjustment | Varies | ||||
| Wheel lock for safety | Varies | Varies | |||
| Motor-assisted movement | Optional | ||||
| Outdoor use | Varies | ||||
| Long distance transport | |||||
| Sideways movement | |||||
| Suitable for navigating confined home spaces | |||||
A wheelchair is primarily designed for transportation, while a VELA Chair is designed to support safe and active movement and activities in everyday life. Unlike a wheelchair, the VELA Chair is intended for people who can still use their legs but need extra stability and support to remain independent. In contrast to performing activities in a wheelchair, the VELA Chair provides greater accessibility when navigating while seated in smaller spaces or at table counters. The VELA Chair allows the user to sit upright and move freely around the home using their feet, while performing daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning or working at a table.
The focus of the VELA Chair is not on being pushed, but on enabling the user to stay active, mobile and engaged in activities of daily living (ADLs) for as long as possible.
An office chair is designed for staying in one place, typically at a desk or workstation, and is not intended for moving between rooms or navigating an entire home. In contrast, a VELA Chair is designed for seated activity throughout the day and for moving safely between different rooms and everyday situations. Unlike regular office chairs, the VELA Chair has locking wheels that provide safety and stability during seated activity and transfers.
The focus of the VELA Chair is not on desk-based work, but on comfort, safety and saving energy throughout the day.
A mobility scooter is designed for outdoor transportation over longer distances, while a VELA Chair is designed for indoor use and everyday activities in the home. Unlike a mobility scooter, the VELA Chair is intended for close, familiar environments where frequent sitting, standing and task-based movement are part of daily life. The VELA Chair allows the user to move smoothly between rooms and stay active indoors while remaining seated and supported.
The focus of the VELA Chair is not on covering distance, but on supporting active participation and independence at home.
1 https://hmi-basen.dk/r11x.asp?linkinfo=73113
2 https://finnhjelpemiddel.nav.no/rammeavtale/hjelpemidler/b062ea46-9cec-4503-982c-943c1734120d
3 Bjørnskov, S., Mortenson, W. B., & Helle, T. 2025. “User perceptions of aspects related to the use of the activity chair: A descriptive cross-sectional study”. The British journal of occupational therapy, 88(3), 149–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226241296361