10 replies to this topic

[mikeheno]

What is the best rigid chair on the market today for lightness and ease of getting into car

[Edinburgh Colin]

How long is a piece of string?

There are many views on this but remember that you will also spend a lot of time in the chair doing other things. I have a titanium TiLite ZRa Series 2 which is an ultra light chair which is really easy to get in and out of a car I think the transfer weight is 10.7lbs so pretty light, also pricey cost $3,840.00 excluding VAT, so you are looking North of £3.5k probably. Some folk prefer the box frame chairs for the stiffness though.

Look on the Care Cure Community website as there is a wheelchair using Occupational Therapist who posts on there details of the chairs, pictures and measurements of the chairs he specifies and provides to veterans who he deals with. Lots of information My link

Good luck in your search but in the end it's personal choice.

[t4_5para]

How does your Health Service work? Do thes provide chairs, as is done here in Wales?

If they do and that is the way you are going, then it would be a good idea to find out what companies they deal with, so you know your selection. If you are purchasing yourself, then titanium has to be the way to go, for weight. There is one thing I would consider if I was your though, and that is the backrest. I have a J3, instead of the normal cavass between the two upright bars. It does take some getting used too and time to setup right but,I find it hold me more stable and central than the normal canvass.

[Edinburgh Colin]

t4_5para, on 04 April 2011 - 08:03 PM, said:

How does your Health Service work? Do thes provide chairs, as is done here in Wales?

If they do and that is the way you are going, then it would be a good idea to find out what companies they deal with, so you know your selection. If you are purchasing yourself, then titanium has to be the way to go, for weight. There is one thing I would consider if I was your though, and that is the backrest. I have a J3, instead of the normal cavass between the two upright bars. It does take some getting used too and time to setup right but,I find it hold me more stable and central than the normal canvass.

You find the backrest helps? I'm toying with the idea but as T3/4 incomplete with a little abs on my left side and nothing for the remaining 300 or so degrees of my torso I was worried about balance. Mine is not too bad but I use a tension strap back at 15.5 inches high just now and would like to go a bit lower if I felt I had the support?


What do you think, I assume you have had both?

[t4_5para]

Edinburgh Colin, on 05 April 2011 - 12:07 AM, said:

t4_5para, on 04 April 2011 - 08:03 PM, said:

How does your Health Service work? Do thes provide chairs, as is done here in Wales?

If they do and that is the way you are going, then it would be a good idea to find out what companies they deal with, so you know your selection. If you are purchasing yourself, then titanium has to be the way to go, for weight. There is one thing I would consider if I was your though, and that is the backrest. I have a J3, instead of the normal cavass between the two upright bars. It does take some getting used too and time to setup right but,I find it hold me more stable and central than the normal canvass.

You find the backrest helps? I'm toying with the idea but as T3/4 incomplete with a little abs on my left side and nothing for the remaining 300 or so degrees of my torso I was worried about balance. Mine is not too bad but I use a tension strap back at 15.5 inches high just now and would like to go a bit lower if I felt I had the support?


What do you think, I assume you have had both?

You sit the backrest into the arch of your back, your break is just above mine and I have less muscle usage on the left than right. As I said, it does take a little getting used to, before I've had Quickie's and they have all had canvas backs, somewhere between 14/15" however, the J3 sits a little lower, so at first it does feel a little less stable but, due to it's position, I've found that now it makes no difference.

With that said though, in my younger days, when I was training and playing basketball regular, my backrest was down at about 10 inches on my everyday chair. You could try your local NHS and see if they have one you could try out, as even though they get discount they still come out over £200 I believe however, you may need to get a referral from your GP for the backrest, I know I did. I went down for a referral for a new cushion, a Jay Extreme, and ended up with a new chair (Argon) and the backrest.

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The backrest has been lowered some what now though, as I realised when I was seting it up, it was a mistake to set the top height to the same as that of the old chair.

Pitty you weren't closer, you could have come and had a try. I originally tried it at the Mobility Roadshow, now they are split, so there a 2, a North and South show, it maybe an idea to go along and have a try. I had to do a 300 miles round trip to get to the one down here, when I was looking.

Oh yeah too, the chair, backrest and cushion were ALL provided by the NHS, along with the 26" wheels and the extra expense for the frame to be buit outside the script, due to my height.

[silone74]

I also have a j3 back I got it after asking my local wheelchair services for it and they bought it for me I just refered myself,mine is a longer version than yours though and goes the full way down to the back of the cusion so it supports the lumber too as I have a problem break at L1 that needs support, I also lowered it compared to my old canvas back.
What i had noticed is that it gives so much support it is sometimes too stiff and with me having no trunk control at all when going down slopes I have to hook my arm around the back as to not fall forwards or if some one is helping I grab the front down tubes with both hands to hold myself up,it took me a a few days to get used to the extra support and even now I still mess with the positioning on occasion just to try out some new things and see if I can make it better.
One other thing I have noticed is if some one tips me back and my weight is on the back rest it twists out of position the same happens if i fall backwards LOL not that I do that often but I have found since haveing the j3 I lean forwads all the time when just sitting resting my arms on my legs as it stops me from leaning into the back as i used to with the canvas back I find it harder to balance with it being so stiff when just sat doing nothing I would try one first if you can it has helped me with posture but taken a little freedom away with balance while resting but it is adjustable and quick release for getting into the car mine was fitted by a technician from wheelchair services but I changed it pretty much as soon as i got home.



Si

[Edinburgh Colin]

I'm really interested in this as I have also had Ankloysing Spondylitis for 25 years. This is a kind of arthritis and has resulted in greatly reduced flexibility in my spine and a slight curvature forwards. It starts at L4/5 and runs all the way up.

I have an Argon issued by wheelchair Services here in Scotland with a 17.5" x 17.5" cushion (Jay Active) and the canvas back is set at 15.5" from the canvas seat base, so it stops just at the base of my shoulder blades.

On my second chair I have a Jay Easy which I like better as it's sculpted better for my thighs and the back is also strap adjustable set at 16" this is a TiLite and I got it through Access to work.

I went to the Mobility show where in Scotland last year in the summer and I plan to go again, there is also an Independent living show at the SECC in Glasgow which I went to before I was discharged from the hospital which I may go to again.

Is there anybody else with an opinion on this back rest issue [sorry for hijacking the Rigid Chair Thread!] as I have a gut feeling that it will help my posture and my ever increasing spasms which are partly due to pain origination in my lower back from the AS.

[mikeheno]

thanks for the reply lads i am purchasing the chair my self so will have the pick of makers

[Edinburgh Colin]

mikeheno, on 06 April 2011 - 10:58 AM, said:

thanks for the reply lads i am purchasing the chair my self so will have the pick of makers

If that's the case then find out who your suppliers/dealers are within a reasonable distance, contact them and see what they stock (some may only supply specific brands) and then try and get them to provide you with demonstrators or at the very least bring some chairs to your house for you to try and see what may take your fancy.


keep us updated an your progress there a few like me who are interested in these kinds of things.

[silone74]

Hi Edinburgh Colin I got the j3 back for extra support at L1 because that has healed in such a way that my spine is bent from there downwards to one side and it has helped my posture if the wheelchair service is the same all across the UK then they should be able to arrange a try out and purchase the back for you if it will help with your needs, I asked and got one all I can say is show them how the normal back rest is not meeting your needs even though I used the voucher scheme to by my own chair I have a tilit zra the wheelchair services are still there to help with cushions and back rests if you need them.They gave me a new cushion and the j3 back at the same time I have a jay easy cusion that supports my thighs which also helps posture, as I said before though it helps with posture but takes some freedom away when just sat thats for me any way but i like to have the back as straight as possible I could alter the angle but then I would feel like I was in a deck chair lol.



Si

[Edinburgh Colin]

silone74, on 06 April 2011 - 11:41 AM, said:

Hi Edinburgh Colin I got the j3 back for extra support at L1 because that has healed in such a way that my spine is bent from there downwards to one side and it has helped my posture if the wheelchair service is the same all across the UK then they should be able to arrange a try out and purchase the back for you if it will help with your needs, I asked and got one all I can say is show them how the normal back rest is not meeting your needs even though I used the voucher scheme to by my own chair I have a tilit zra the wheelchair services are still there to help with cushions and back rests if you need them.They gave me a new cushion and the j3 back at the same time I have a jay easy cusion that supports my thighs which also helps posture, as I said before though it helps with posture but takes some freedom away when just sat thats for me any way but i like to have the back as straight as possible I could alter the angle but then I would feel like I was in a deck chair lol.



Si

Thanks for the feedback, I have an appointment with my Spinal consultant on Friday anyway and I'm also on very good terms with one of the Physio/OT's here in Edinburgh who helped me to get a replacement Argon for the GPV which was spec's by Glasgow on discharge and was 3 inches too wide amongst other things. I will see what the Consultant can do first then I may call my pal at the hospital here and see if she can do something based on a self referral.


Here's hoping, if it works then I need to get another one from Access to Work for my TiLite as the Argon was the NHS provided chair.