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Esther, I've been using a wheelchair since my tenth birthday. I've had custom fitted and off the shelf models. I had $40 rentals and $3,000 tope of the lines. Stay away from rentals. they wear out quickly and are never comfortable. Always get footrests. You will find you can't afford them when you want them and if hubby has poor circulation in his legs those foot rests will go far toward preventing blood clots in his legs. Get a cushion. A good cushion will help prevent pressure sores and will make the chair much more comfortable. A custom fitted chair is OK, but the basic measurements are height of the seat from the floor, seat depth and seat width. Make sure the seat does not touch the back of the knees. If it does, painful sores will develop behind the knees. The seat needs to be a couple of inches wider than the hips or waist, which ever is bigger. The angle of the back needs to be adjustable. I like to sit perfectly straight up, but other people prefer a more reclined position. Get a wheelchair with tires. solid rear wheels are less expensive, but riding on them will make you feel every bump. Some wheelchairs come with the seat parallel to the floor, some have the back of the seat as much as two inches lower than the front. In some cases the height of the back of the seat is adjustable. If your mate has poor blood circulation, this seat angle can make matters worse. Finally. get the most chair you can afford. The more expensive ones are made of aircraft metal and can weigh as little as 25 pounds. The rental chairs are usually made of a steal alloy and can weight as much as 50 pounds. Hope this helps.