Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

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Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Flint » 26 May 2014, 21:39

I am looking for a few good examples of folding powerchairs that can be folded of course and placed in the back of a car.
Everything I have seen looks too good to be true or remains very heavy.
I look foward to your responses
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby ex-Gooserider » 27 May 2014, 08:10

Flint wrote:I am looking for a few good examples of folding powerchairs that can be folded of course and placed in the back of a car.
Everything I have seen looks too good to be true or remains very heavy.
I look foward to your responses


Sounds like a pretty good summary right there...

We have these annoying things called the Laws of Physics.... Unlike the stuff passed by our respective governments, they can't be ignored...

Bottom line is that to get performance beyond barely adequate for smooth and mostly flat paved surfaces or indoor floors takes reasonably substantial motors, and a substantial amount of battery power - and those are heavy... If you want light, you have to give up range and performance power...

Theory says that you could do somewhat better if the chair makers would do something with brushless motors, and lithium iron phosphate (for safety) or even LiPO (if after the absolute minimal weight) but as far as I know, NOBODY makes a power chair that way. Closest is arguably the "TravelScoot" scooter, but that probably won't do if one is after a chair...

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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby falco peregrinus » 27 May 2014, 10:46

Designing and building a folding powerchair that can be placed in the back of a car by someone other than an Olympic weight lifting champion means sacrificing certain key features: durability, battery range, stability, smooth ride on rough surfaces, comfort...

If you really want a chair that an ordinary person can collapse and put into the back of a car, then you're going to also need a chair capable of doing all the things that the chair for the back of the car is no good at doing.

This topic comes up regularly on the forum, and understandably so. We all wish we could have that as well as all the other features we want in a chair. But it isn't possible. If you really want to explore all the issues involved in this idea, you'll find them all discussed elsewhere on the forum using Advanced Search. Yes it would be great to have a chair that light and easy to handle, but to my mind the sacrifices one has to make in a chair to get that are too great. The better solution is to change cars and get a van that you can get a serious chair into, or else use wheelie cabs. If you want a wheelchair platform lift to get your chair into a van, watch eBay and be prepared to wait. There's always a few on eBay Australia. New price is in the thousands, but on Ebay Australia they can't give them away. It's easy to pick one up, complete, for $250 or less. Then all you need is a van. Don't get an ex-taxi - they're on the market because they're kaput, and therefore unusable even as a taxi.

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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 25 Jun 2014, 01:53

On the topic of folding lightweight power chairs, has anyone here used the PW-999UL or PW-800AX from Wheelchair88? Would be very interested to hear from anyone who's used either.

I was very skeptical at first, not having heard of this company. But the PW-999UL has a lot of good reviews on Amazon.

I'm really looking for something that will function acceptably outdoors, including occasional uneven pavements or cobblestones, decent enough range for a day out, handle inclines and not fizzle out if rained on in use. The main priority is to be able to easily fit it into the car. A modified vehicle isn't an option at this point.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Burgerman » 25 Jun 2014, 09:56

Bear in mind that lithium polymer soft pouch type cells are what we use in model planes and they don't last long... And can burn or explode.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 25 Jun 2014, 12:38

I've heard that if you take proper care of them, the risk of a lithium ion battery catching fire is fairly minimal.

If the batteries not lasting as long as other kinds is the biggest drawback, to me that's a reasonable tradeoff for something so light that folds so small so easily. I don’t have access to an accessible vehicle and I will be travelling.

Unless there's some other major flaw with this design that I'm missing, I'm ok with a battery I'll need to replace sooner in return for something that's so easy to put in a car.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Sully » 01 Jul 2014, 15:06

Squid,

I solved my chair lifting problem with a crane like devices installed in the back of my minivans. Mine is made by Braun called a Sidewalker or some such. I bought them from an EBay seller each less than $500 I forget exactly how much. Get the wiring if at all possible as well as the chair connections, even though they may not be the exact connectors for your particular chair. Most are 4 point connectors lift connections, and look somewhat like seat belt end pieces. Which may work if you are creative.

I had them installed one 200# model and one 400# model they bolt through the floor, run off your vehicle battery. I leave the vehicle running to decrease the demand on the vehicle battery alone.

My procedure is roll to the door of vehicle, I can walk and stand a bit, so I get in. Jean my spouse rolls the chair to the back of the van and hooks it to the lift and she swings it in all with electricity, no muscle power. No special super $$$$$$ vehicle. But you have to be somewhat mobile yourself, at least able to get into a seat of the vehicle. AND you need in most cases a spouse, friend, or be very capable of getting from the back of the car to the front seat of your car. They also make one for a pickup truck that may be even easier for the operator. you can aparently do the connection near the front door and the lift will lift it over and swing it into the pickup body/box.

Since these are add on or after market pieces you or your brother in law (friend) can install them with the instructions provided on the internet, or have an authorized agent do it. (if they will)

There are all kinds of manufacturers or sellers at AliBabba.com (Asia, China, and the Far East) that promise to sell you all kinds of light weight foldable power wheelchairs. "You put up your money and take your chances" with that kind of deal, don't ever forget that. Some will sell single units, though most want to sell multiple units. Relatively speaking some are really cheap, but you also have to add in shipping and Customs, which may be considerable. Remember this is where many so called American Companies either get their chairs or at least many of the component parts to construct the rest of the chair in the US. I imagine it is the same pretty much around the planet.

Good luck on your quest !
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby ex-Gooserider » 01 Jul 2014, 17:31

squid wrote:I've heard that if you take proper care of them, the risk of a lithium ion battery catching fire is fairly minimal.

If the batteries not lasting as long as other kinds is the biggest drawback, to me that's a reasonable tradeoff for something so light that folds so small so easily. I don’t have access to an accessible vehicle and I will be travelling.

Unless there's some other major flaw with this design that I'm missing, I'm ok with a battery I'll need to replace sooner in return for something that's so easy to put in a car.


In theory it is true that the risk is minimal IF the battery is properly cared for, and IF the battery is discarded at the first sign of problems, but in practice taking "proper care" is difficult - and even a low risk is a problem if one can't get away from a fire...

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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Rogerl » 11 Sep 2014, 11:08

Has anyone bought one of the Wheelchair88 PW-800AX yet, and have they any comments? They look a very good option for travelling with internationally.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 11 Sep 2014, 11:38

In the end I went with their new PW 1000 XL, so my experience may not be useful to you, but it's amazing. Faster, more comfortable and more maneuvrable than my previous Invacare Mirage. Folds in one quick motion. Fits folded in a car trunk with room to spare. Battery lasts forever (I paid extra for an additional battery. It comes with 1, can take up to 3). I could sing its praises all day. So far I have yet to find any disadvantages and couldn't be happier with it.

Thanks to everyone who replied when I was trying to figure out what to get.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Burgerman » 11 Sep 2014, 13:14

http://www.wheelchair88.com/product/fol ... pw-1000xl/

For anyone interested, it uses efficient brushless motors, and LiFePO4 batteries and these are laptop sized and are just 3lb in weight.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 11 Sep 2014, 14:36

I'm happy to answer any questions about it, now or in the future. I've got an email notification set up in this thread.

Also, I am small and was concerned that it might be too wide for comfortable support or that the armrests might be too high, since they advertise it as suitable for larger people. I went for it anyway because of all the other advantages (even has suspension) and found no problems with the size. I'm 5'2" and around 125 lbs and find the seat comfortable and the armrests low enough.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby ex-Gooserider » 16 Sep 2014, 05:44

Seems like a decent unit for people looking for a folder - at least looking at website only...

Seems like they are a tad more honest about range claims - or at least the numbers seem more believable than what the bigger outfits claim for their lead brick specials...

As a slightly different addition to the list, it's more of a scooter than a chair, and probably wouldn't be useful for those of us that live in a chair, but was impressive, was one I saw demo'd at the recent Boston Ability Expo... Was a folding scooter called the "Luggie" sold (at least in the US) by http://www.FreeRiderUSA.com

I would say that it's a step up from the TravelScoot, in that it has real motorized reverse, but is still limited by small wheels and low ground clearance to relatively smooth paved surfaces...

Claimed specs include an 18" width, 39" length open, and 26" folded, and weight of 52lbs w/o Lithium Ion battery pack, (8.5 or 10.5AH) 4 mph speed, 24V electrics, etc...

Eyeball, I would say that unfolded was fairly typical size / configuration for a small scooter, folded was the size and shape of a large suitcase

The sales droid was able to fold / unfold it in about 30 seconds or less, and there didn't seem to be any assembly steps - it was all just moving the parts into place and latching them.

It wouldn't do anything for me and my needs, but I was impressed by the slick design for what it was...

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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby scootntootn » 16 Sep 2014, 15:14

There's something called Alber E-Fix. When installed on a regular wheelchair (which can be foldable and lightweight) you can change the big wheels between these and regular. I believe there's a joystick model and one for those used to manual wheelchairs, where you manouver it the way you would one of those, but the engine helps.

This contraption would be heavier than a Travelscoot.

For me, there's unfortunately no alternative to the Travelscoot, as it's the easiest to get in and out of a small car. With a Bruno AWL-150 (not sure it's still on the market), you could even get the Travelscoot and possibly the e-fixed wheelchair in and out of even a small car without having to do any lifting. Cheap pet ramps would also work, if you have the right car (I don't).
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby ex-Gooserider » 23 Sep 2014, 07:40

I may have mentioned this already, but I was at an "Abilities Expo" recently, and saw a folding scooter rig that impressed me considerably...

The sales droid, who obviously had plenty of practice, was taking it from fully folded to 'ready to ride' and back in under a minute, and it was an all one piece unit that didn't need assembly like the travel-scoot,

folded it is about the size of an overnight suitcase - 26" x 18" x about 6", and unfolded it was about an 39" x 18" footprint - about the size of a smaller Pride scooter. Unlike the TravelScoot it has a full foot platform and does reverse gear. Weight is listed as 51.7lbs, without the Lithium Ion battery.

Smooth surfaces only (2.5" ground clearance) but claimed 4mph speed and 14 mile range.

It was called the "Luggie" scooter, sold (at least in the US) by http://www.freeriderusa.com

Nothing I could use, but seemed like it might be a good option for those wanting a folding light weight scooter - probably heavier than a Travelscoot, but more capable...

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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby sad_vampire » 13 Oct 2014, 21:32

I finally saw a lady using a PW-999UL in the Louvre today, it looked very well finished. Size would be too small for me so it'd need to be the larger PW 1000 XL if I were to try one.
Don't think I'd want to give it the hammering I gave my Otto Bock B500 or the hammering my friend gave his Jazzy 1420 on the way to & from the Louvre to the hotel on the backstreets of Paris though, these pavements & roads are seriously difficult (friend decided to have a fight with a scaffold pole & a bollard, the gap was kinda marginal with matching scuffs on each tyre, I picked a fight with a wheelie bin which went tumbling :lol: ).
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Burgerman » 13 Oct 2014, 21:38

Maybe drink less? :)
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby sad_vampire » 13 Oct 2014, 21:48

I thought that water was kinda pricey :oops:
Both of us got caught by the sudden fall-away of the pavement by the ramps at junctions, they vary a lot & the pavements are very narrow, possibly 6mph is a little fast with stardard controller programming, I'd better get cracking with that when we get back to the UK.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Burgerman » 13 Oct 2014, 23:07

Programmed better. But I cant really get going here because the damned dog keeps getting in the way and making me turn into the wrong bits of house. But wheelies by mistake and 6mph indoors through doorways etc is easy when programmed right.

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/CONTROL.MP4
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 14 Oct 2014, 12:37

I find the PW 1000 XL can handle some fairly uneven pavement, cobblestones etc. Wouldn't fancy going up against a wheelie bin :P
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 18 Nov 2014, 21:46

squid wrote:I find the PW 1000 XL can handle some fairly uneven pavement, cobblestones etc. Wouldn't fancy going up against a wheelie bin :P


Have you taken your PW 1000 XL on a commercial flight? Any issues with the batteries? Did you have to check it in or would they let you stow it as carryon?

Thanks!
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 19 Nov 2014, 00:34

Hi! Haven't flown with it yet, hopefully soon. In general with lithium batteries I believe you have to take them on board with you separately. My girlfriend has a similar folding power chair and they made her check it at the door of the plane. I think they'd make you do the same with the PW-1000XL.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 19 Nov 2014, 01:54

squid wrote:Hi! Haven't flown with it yet, hopefully soon. In general with lithium batteries I believe you have to take them on board with you separately. My girlfriend has a similar folding power chair and they made her check it at the door of the plane. I think they'd make you do the same with the PW-1000XL.


Thanks for the quick answer. If I buy the chair before my upcoming London trip, I'll be the guinea pig and report back.

On that note (and assuming you ordered directly from Wheelchair88), how long did it take to arrive? I'm hoping I can order one this week and get it before I fly out on December 1 (if I pay for expedited overnight delivery).

Thanks again.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 19 Nov 2014, 10:18

I don’t remember exactly how long it took. I think only a few days actual transit time once they got it shipped out. Amazingly fast in any case, without expediting. Yes, I ordered through Wheelchair88 directly. I found them very helpful.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 19 Nov 2014, 18:36

squid wrote:I don’t remember exactly how long it took. I think only a few days actual transit time once they got it shipped out. Amazingly fast in any case, without expediting. Yes, I ordered through Wheelchair88 directly. I found them very helpful.


I emailed them overnight and they responded quickly that their normal process is 7 days to ship, then 3-4 days for DHL to deliver it. They went on to say that, since it's an emergency, they'd do everything they can to get it to me before my trip. As you say, they're very helpful.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby squid » 19 Nov 2014, 19:53

Great! I suspect you're in good time then. I hope you'll let us know how you find it. So far I'm the only one on here raving about this thing. :)
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby motorcycle jack » 09 Dec 2014, 15:39

I also have the PW-1000XL. Although I live in the US, I thought my experience might be useful too. When I ordered the 1000Xl it took about 7 days for it to come from Malaysia via DHL. It arrived in a box with little Styrofoam but undamaged. The batteries were fully charged at delivery. I order two batteries which they said were good for 10-12 miles. I then proceeded to take the unit to Disney World where my wife wore her pedometer while I traveled by 1000XL. I did about 14 miles and the charge meter registered with 1 yellow and two red bars showing. The meter has the 2 red bars, 2 yellow and 4 green bars. With the given batteries I figure I had another 2 miles left. I took it off road while at the BOK Tower Gardens for a whole day and used 2 green bars. I also used it on cobblestone for a good 2 miles one day, I DON'T recommend using it on cobblestone as there is no suspension except for the seat springs so it is quite jarring (but doable). It folds quickly, unfolds just as quickly and carries me comfortably (I'll give my weight in British units - 20 stones...not small) . I enjoy it and will use it as my major travel chair from now on. I think it is a great chair for occasional use!
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby Burgerman » 09 Dec 2014, 18:45

They really should not shop with fully charged batteries. Especially lithium Polymer. Because for one it ruins them rapidly, they should be stored at approx. 30 to 70 percent full. And for two, they are not very safe batteries, they can burn, and are far more likely to do so with rapid temperature changes such as when transported as cargo on an aircraft or even by road.

But that's pretty good for range from such small batteries even if they are lithium. Likely due to the brushless motors. As long as the batteries don't have a short service life then its a good portable setup. Problem is that lithium polymer batteries tend to have short service lives.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby sad_vampire » 22 Jun 2015, 13:13

Friend has bought a Foldawheel PW-999UL so I've been trying it out.

Batteries are "lithium polymer" & arrived with charge but not fully charged, estimate around the 70% mark so maybe they've taken advice. Other option is the EZ-Lite which has the same frame but has a LiFePO4 battery which fits in the bag inder the seat (which means that you should be able to use these batteries in the PW-999UL, perhaps with small change to the controller settings (programmer available) and some cable splicing. Conversion to balance charged Headway assemlies will be very possible). Don't know about range yet, give us time to test this.

The chair moves really well, feeling extremely light of course, & the frame flexing is a little worrying at first. Controller settings are "interesting" & the whole chair moves in a sprightly manner compared with lead powered sluggish heavy chairs. Rear drive wheels are small so suited best to evenly paved areas, friend finds the wheels spin on wet grass (unsurprisingly).

The whole chair is well made & really well thought out, a compromise that is suited to travelling for business or holidays rather than being an everyday solid powerchair. Comfort level is a bit above basic, but not luxurious.

I can lift the chair with one hand, although it's still a fair weight. Folding & unfolding the chair is fairly easy once you learn the technique.
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Re: Portable folding/travel powerchair round up

Postby JCat » 27 Jun 2015, 05:42

http://www.openwheelchair.org

The electronics aren't up yet. It doesn't folding but could be built to come apart. Not sure how well it works outdoors.
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