Every wheelchair ramp gets a score from 0 to 100% built from seven factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Ramps are grouped by type: threshold ramps, folding ramps up to 4 ft, folding ramps over 4 ft, and telescoping track ramps. All four use the same scale.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per inch of rise covered | 25% |
| Rise covered | rise the ramp serves at 1:12, or a threshold ramp's rated rise | 15% |
| Capacity | rated load | 15% |
| Portability | ramp weight per inch of rise | 10% |
| Width | usable width, or track width for track ramps | 10% |
| Grip & safety | slip-resistant surface, side edges, transition plate and carry handle | 10% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 15% |
Where the numbers come from
Length, width, rise, capacity, weight, features and warranty come from the maker’s spec sheets and product copy, including the maker’s own copy on a retail listing. Where two sources disagree on a figure, it is left out rather than guessed. Prices are checked at Amazon. The ratings use published specs only. They don’t say whether a ramp suits a particular person, chair or scooter; check your equipment’s own incline limit.
Rise covered
For a folding or track ramp, the rise covered is the ramp’s length divided by 12: the rise it serves at the 1:12 slope of the ADA guidelines, so a 6 ft ramp covers 6 in. Many makers quote a “fits steps up to” figure two or three times higher. That figure is shown on the product page but never scored. For a threshold ramp, which is made for one rise, the rise covered is the maker’s stated rise, or the top of its range if it adjusts.
The factors
Value is the current price divided by the rise covered, in dollars per inch, on a log scale. $100 per inch scores zero and $15 per inch full marks.
Rise covered is scored on a log scale from 1 in (zero) to 10 in (full marks).
Capacity is the maker’s rated load: 300 lb scores zero and 1,000 lb full marks. For track ramps it is the rating for the pair.
Portability is the ramp’s weight divided by the rise covered: 8 lb per inch scores zero and 2.5 lb per inch full marks. A threshold ramp stays in place rather than being carried, so every threshold ramp gets the same middle score here.
Width is the usable width of the ramp surface: 28 in scores zero and 36 in full marks. For track ramps it is the width of one track: 6 in scores zero and 10 in full marks.
Grip & safety is 35% for a slip-resistant surface, 25% for raised side edges, 25% for a transition plate or flap at the ends, and 15% for a carry handle.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks. A limited lifetime warranty gets full marks.
What isn’t scored
The maker’s own maximum rise, folded size, material, whether the ramp splits into sections and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. Grip and safety features score neutral only when none of them is published; a feature the maker doesn’t mention otherwise counts as absent. Warranty is the exception, because it is what most separates the established makers from the rest: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.