MAX Mobility
Smart Drive
An ATP & Clinician Best Pick of 2016:
Smart Drive is my Best Pick for
power assist because of ease
of use for my clients. It is the
lightest weight and most portable
power-assist device that I have
seen. It can be used wherever the
client goes without any restrictions.
It does not add any weight to the
client’s wheelchair and can be used
when needed and not used when
not needed. It is so versatile and
easy to use for the client as well. It
is very intuitive and I think every
active manual wheelchair user
should have one!
— Erica Walling, PT, Brooks Rehab
An ATP & Clinician Best Pick of 2015:
A wonderful alternative to power wheels, lighter and easier for many users who need to take the power-assist on and off, like folks who use cars, not vans.
— Sharon Frant Brooks, MA, OTR/L, ATP/SMS, CRTS, Acclaimed Healthcare, Lakewood, N.J.
Loving the new version of the Smart Drive. It’s so simple to operate and much easier now that less has to be mounted to the wheelchair and there isn’t a separate battery. My clients appreciate the light weight and ease of loading into their vehicles.
— Lauren Rosen, PT, MPT, MSMS, ATP/SMS, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa (Fla.)
Ki Mobility
Rogue Xp
Designed for adolescents (in up to five different colors!), the rigid Rogue Xp uses features from the adult Rogue and pediatric Little Wave Clik. The Xp adjusts in seat width/height, center of gravity, seat upholstery and seat pans. It’s crafted of 1 3/8" 7000 series aluminum to stand up to the active lives of teens and young adults.
Sunrise Medical
Quickie 7 Series
For active users wanting the highest level of customization combined with the lightest-weight materials, Sunrise has introduced the Quickie 7 series of rigid ultralightweight chairs, with frames made of 7000-series aerospace aluminum. The 7R line has an adjustable frame for quick backangle adjustments, while the 7RS has a fully rigid backrest and axle plate to create the most efficient, lightest ride. The 7R features the Freestyle Backrest System option, available exclusively with the JAY J3 back, which eliminates traditional back canes and improves the user’s range of upper-body motion.
Mobility Direct (U.S. distributor)
Wheelblades
Invented by Swiss wheelchair user and outdoor enthusiast Patrick Mayer, Wheelblades offer chair users greater access in snowy conditions. Wheelblades attach to front casters of manual chairs; the Wheelblades’ greater width distributes the user’s weight and propulsion energy over a greater surface area to keep casters from sinking into the snow. Two tracking channels on the underside of the Wheelblade compresses snow to ensure stability. Wheelblades can be easily and quickly attached to front wheels measuring 1.8 to 6 cm wide (approximately .71" to 2.36" wide). Check out wheelblades.ch, or Wheelblades’ American distributor for more information.
Epical Solutions
FreeWheel Attachment
By attaching to rigid-framed manual wheelchairs (or to folding chairs via an adaptor), FreeWheel enables consumers to push over surfaces that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to navigate. The attachment is designed to provide a longer wheelbase and reduce resistance and drag when rolling over broken sidewalks, curbs, carpet, gravel, dirt, grass and snow. Encourages a more active lifestyle by improving accessibility in all sorts of everyday and exceptional situations.
Motion Composites
Helio A7
A cutting-edge design and 7000 series aluminum have produced the Helio A7, which in its standard configuration is the lightest in its category, according to Motion Composites. The A7 features a Symmetrical Hydroformed Crossbrace, oval-shaped tubes, and oversized pivot axles working with an Ultrarigid Folding System to maximize rigidity and conserve user energy. The A7 can achieve a seat-to-floor height as low as 13.5" (with a 4" caster and a standard frame).
Sunrise Medical
Quickie 5R
Sunrise’s new rigid chair is designed to deliver superior day-to-day performance with components that adjust as the user’s environment or functional abilities change. The 5R improves on the ride quality of the GT via a swept-back hydro-formed caster design for added style and a smooth ride. Two frame options (Classic or Performance) accommodate user preferences: The Classic’s traditional frame length provides maximum stability, while the shortened Performance frame is optimally responsive.
TiLite
TRA
With a titanium dual-tube frame, the precision of TiFit and full adjustability, the TRA rigid ultralightweight wheelchair offers optimal performance in a package truly built around the individual user. The TRA’s heavy-duty option offers the same high performance standards, personal fit and adjustment in a weight capacity of 350 lbs.
TiLite
TWIST
An ATP & Clinician Best Pick of 2015:
I continue to be impressed with the TiLite TWIST. It is the most adjustable and lightweight pediatric chair around. Even in the teeny-tiny kids, the regular rear wheel configuration is working well, and they can access the wheels without the chair being tippy. I have yet to put a client into one who has not been successful. Parents also love the look of the chair. It’s such a minimal chair that you really see the kid and not the chair, even when we have to add some minor positioning components.
— Lauren Rosen, PT, MPT, MSMS, ATP/SMS, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa (Fla.)
PDG Mobility
Elevation Ultralight Chair
An ATP & Clinician Best Pick of 2015:
The Elevation ultralightweight manual wheelchair provides access to seat elevation and anterior tilting to manual wheelchair users. Previously, this technology was only available on power wheelchair platforms. The Elevation provides improved functional reach (both vertically and anteriorly) to significantly improve independence with mobility-related ADLs. Having this functionality available in an ultralightweight wheelchair is incredible. PDG has raised the bar for manual wheelchair design with this chair.
— Amy Morgan, PT, ATP, Permobil, Lebanon, Tenn.