As much as I appreciate a great product demonstration video — and there are some excellent ones out there — Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) is a kick-the-tires sort of industry. Nothing replaces the ability to personally lay hands on seating and wheeled mobility: to lift an ultralightweight frame, to fold a folding wheelchair, to swing away a legrest, to hear the reassuring click of a locking mechanism, to sit on a cushion and feel its support.
My visit to the Abilities Expo Los Angeles — March 15-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center — was my first 2024 opportunity to see new products I’d previously only heard about.
I’ll have more detailed Abilities Expo coverage coming up, but to start off, here are five new products — some already launched, some coming soon — that I saw and tried out in L.A.
Amylior: Signature power seating
In 2024, watch for new power seating rollouts from Amylior, as the Quebec-based manufacturer launches its Signature seating line. The new stronger, easier-to-adjust swing-away footrests/legrests on display in Los Angeles were just the beginning.
That’s no surprise, of course, given Amylior’s long-time expertise in complex power positioning; expect even more functional features and options aimed not just at better client outcomes, but also to give clinicians and ATP suppliers even greater ability to dial in exactly what they what for every client’s positioning.
And also watch for changes coming to Amylior’s CG Air cushion series, including more options for clients who need highly customized wheelchair seat cushions.
Etac: Convaid Coaster
When Sweden-based Etac launched the Convaid Coaster in February, the manufacturer described it as “perfect for adventurous families on the move” and “combining style, support and comfort in one compact package.”
With its 170-lb. weight capacity, the Coaster offers families an easy-to-handle, easy-to-transport manual chair that also can accommodate positioning needs via ranges of fixed tilt and fixed recline.
And the Coaster addresses the very real need for manual, dependent mobility for older children and adults (and their families) looking to, for example, visit the Abilities Expo.
Sunrise Medical: QUICKIE Q50 R Carbon
The new QUICKIE folding power chair from Sunrise Medical (Fresno, California) has a transport weight of 32 lbs. and is aimed at a retail market. In person, the chair looked even more user-friendly than in the press photos, especially once I saw it folded and unfolded.
I’m guessing the main target audience for the non-coded Q50 R Carbon is seniors with strength and stamina issues. But I’m also wondering if this could serve as a backup chair for some ultralightweight wheelchair riders who, perhaps, travel regularly and need to cover a lot of ground. It’s interesting to contemplate this chair’s potential reach, which could be much farther than you’d originally think … especially given how airlines too often mangle Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) power chairs.
Raz Design: Trakz Tub Slider Systems
The Trakz system comprises a mobility base, a bathtub base, and a “bridge” to connect and disconnect the two. The details reminded me that Raz Design, based in Toronto, is very much a CRT manufacturer: The Trakz-AT offers 35 degrees of posterior tilt to help with pressure distribution and positioning, as well as to raise the client’s feet high enough to clear the tub wall.
At the same time, the mobility base (with armrests removed) is just 20.75 inches wide, to ensure it fits through doorways even of very compact or older homes. Many other details and functions point out that Raz engineers were absolutely thinking of caregivers, too, as they were designing this system.
Permobil: TiLite CR1
Permobil, with U.S. headquarters in Lebanon, Tennessee, launched the CR1 in October, calling it the lightest-ever TiLite chair, with a transport weight of 9 lbs. for seat widths of 13 to 19 inches. In Los Angeles, Principal Product Manager Doug Garven — who designed the CR1 — was there to talk about the chair he’s called “a true dream project.”
The Carbon Rigid 1 has an elegant, minimalist look and really does seem to “disappear” beneath its rider. It’s not just about aesthetics, of course — Garven has discussed, for example, the F1-inspired tube shape and how the flat tube design at the knees provides more surface area for a better rider experience. But for a first impression, it’s hard not to look at the CR1 and think, “That’s a beauty.”