4 replies to this topic

[Mary-Anne]

I sometimes read about supposedly "better" wheelchairs which different groups of people try to invent. I am never sure how many other users of wheelchairs would appreciate the same improvements. What is the consensus about the wheelchairs that people are using? Are they as good as practical? If a better chair were available, how would most people want it to be different? Is it mostly that better chairs don't exist commercially or that they cost too much or some of both?

Mary-Anne

[Tetracyclone]

umm... better than what? I like my chair, a tilite zr.

[wheeliebear75]

Yeah um...on that last portion of your question/poll...I think MOST OF US use our chair when we are not in bed, so we would use alone AND when caregiver is around (you only have "when alone" "when caregiver is around")

As to the other questions for ME: I have a Quickie XTR; love it for it's portability & ADORE it's suspension system/shock absorbing spring.

Every now and again though it would be nice to do things like go up stairs on my own instead of having to be carried up the flight of stairs, & being able to stand up or just raise the seating level @ a whim to be eye to eye with people , & the "tilt in space" so you're still in all 90 degree angles but yet reclined...is something that WOULD make an electric chair worth "the hassles" of more maintenance , harder to transport & the higher cost.

I'm sure there is always SOMETHING that someone can come up with that hasn't been thought of before. But almost all of the features you have listed are already currently available...although not always in the same wheelchair.

Edited by wheeliebear75, 03 January 2012 - 02:05 AM.

[Kwag_Myers]

I have a Ki Catalyst and my only dislike is how it folds up. I have to take the foot rests off, remove the cushion, then fold the chair side-to-side. Even with the foot rests off the chair is rather cumbersome to lift in and out of the car. In some situations I have to remove the wheels, too. I've seen videos of wheelers getting in and out of the car with chairs that fold front-to-back and these appear to be easier/quicker to load and unload.

[edlee]

Always hard to decide what is "better",, till one decides what they want out of the chair,, at that time. Trying to fiy ALL the "better" ideas into onr chair can't work,, because some of the "betters" are mutually exculsive. Every chair is a compromise,, an effort to get the most things YOU want while eliminating the things you can do without.

Something you left out in your survey was price. If chairs were cheap enough,, you could buy several,, and use the one that fit your needs best for right then,, then switch when you wanted to do something else. Alas,,, most of us aren't fortunate enough for that.
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