The Broda® Traversa™ Transport Chair: What It Is and Why We Use It
September 4, 2026
If you cannot sit upright comfortably for a whole trip, the usual answer in this industry has been a stretcher. We took a different route.
We use the Broda® Traversa™ Transport Chair, a chair built specifically for non-emergency medical transportation. Here is what it does and why it changes the trip.
Built for the journey, not just the destination
Passengers often spend real time traveling to and from dialysis, rehabilitation, and appointments. A chair that is fine for ten minutes is not necessarily fine for ninety.
The Traversa™ is designed around that reality, combining comfort, adjustability, maneuverability and transportation safety.
It adjusts to the passenger
Most transport chairs come in one shape and the passenger adapts. This one does not.
| Weight capacity | Up to 450 lbs |
| Seat width | Adjustable, 20 to 24 inches |
| Seat height | Adjustable, roughly 22.5 to 32 inches |
| Tilt | Up to 20° of seat tilt |
| Recline | Up to 90° of back recline |
| Leg rest | Adjusts independently and articulates with the recline |
| Supports | Adjustable and removable arm supports and lateral shoulder supports |
That range covers most passengers without anyone having to make do.
The seat raises, and that matters more than it sounds
One of the Traversa’s more unusual features is an elevating seat surface. Using an ergonomic foot pump, the seat raises from about 22.5 inches up to 32 inches.
Transfers are the hardest and riskiest part of most trips, for the passenger and for whoever is assisting. Being able to bring the chair up to the height of a bed, an exam table or another surface makes that transfer shorter, safer and less physically demanding on everybody.
Removable arm supports help too: they open up the side of the chair for a lateral transfer instead of forcing a lift over an obstacle.
Comfort Tension Seating
Broda’s Comfort Tension Seating® is designed to relieve pressure points rather than concentrate them. For a passenger who is already uncomfortable, or who is traveling a long way, that is the difference between arriving ready for an appointment and arriving worn out by getting there.
Tilt and recline are part of the same picture. Being able to change position during a long trip is something most of us do without thinking about it, and something a fixed seat takes away.
Safety built for transportation
A chair used in a moving vehicle has to be engineered for it. The Traversa™ is crash tested and WC19 compliant, and includes adjustable anti-tip devices and a four-point chest harness.
Our drivers are trained to position and secure both the passenger and the chair before the vehicle moves, and we carry a transfer board for additional assistance. We do not simply load the chair. We make sure it is ready for the road.
Why this instead of a stretcher
For healthcare facilities, the practical case is discharge efficiency. A patient who does not strictly need an ambulance can wait a long time for one. NEMT transportation in a Traversa™ chair can get them home promptly, in a way that is comfortable and dignified, without occupying an emergency resource.
For passengers and families, the case is simpler. Traveling reclined in a chair feels different from traveling flat on a stretcher. You can see out. You can change position. You can sit up when you want to.
Who it suits
- Passengers who cannot sit upright unsupported for the length of a trip
- Hospital discharges that would otherwise wait on an ambulance
- Passengers who find standard wheelchair seating uncomfortable over distance
- Anyone who needs positioning support: tilt, recline, leg elevation, lateral support
Booking one
Broda® Chair trips are scheduled like any other, though we ask for a little notice so the right vehicle and a Broda-trained driver are assigned.
Call 440-468-6976 with the pickup and destination, the appointment time, and anything about positioning or equipment we should know in advance. We will confirm the details with both ends before the day.
See our Broda® Traversa™ Chair transportation.
Questions about a ride? Call (440) 468-6976 or request a ride online.