At Bromakin, we are committed to providing the best mobility solutions for our clients. Recently, we received a request from one of our existing customers who was interested in off-road powerchairs. To ensure we could meet their needs and refresh our own understanding of these incredible machines, we decided to reach out to our network of suppliers to source five off-road wheelchairs for an in-depth demonstration. Here’s some of what we learned along the way.
Understanding Our Customer's Needs
Before reaching out to suppliers, we had a discussion with our customer to understand their requirements for an off-road wheelchair. Key considerations included terrain capabilities, battery range, overall product weight, and additional features such as comfort and aesthetics.
As an artist who works both indoors and outdoors, this customer is eager to continue working and accessing various locations around the world despite their disability. With the right equipment, they can minimise the impact of their disability and continue their work with less hindrance.
An increasing range of options
With a clear understanding of our customer’s needs, we reached out to our trusted suppliers. Our network includes manufacturers known for their range of high-quality mobility solutions.
The 4-Wheel-Drive option
The X8 model, which has been in existence since 2006, serves as a great starting point and is considered an iconic off-road powerchair. The design of individual motors on each drive wheel dates back to 1994, providing maximum power and traction on various terrains. Similar to the entire range, mastering the maneuvering of the 4×4 powerchair requires practice, akin to learning to drive a 4×4 car. Our customer appreciated the X8’s design and the enjoyable aspect of its large “balloon” tires. Even when driving up and down curbs, it’s evident that the power potential is only partially revealed, especially compared to driving through woodland.
The Race Styled Front-Wheel-Drive option
The Optimus2 RS is an excellent and relatively affordable entry into the world of off-road powerchairs. It’s powerful and capable of plowing through loose surfaces thanks to the wide, knobbly tread drive tires that power from the front. The design has proven itself well for a long time and has been updated over the years to incorporate modern LED lighting and the option of sporty leatherette RECARO ‘bucket’ seats.
During the test drive, our customer was initially startled by the handling characteristics, but they could feel their confidence and ability increasing as they turned the speed back down and practised control. With these products that have motors several times as powerful as a typical powerchair, it’s immediately apparent that they have enough power to cause a lot of damage to any obstacle that accidentally gets in the way!
The Urban Adventure option
Dietz Mobility offers their Sango Advanced model in two versions, both suitable for tackling uneven terrain. The Front-wheel-drive version, tested for our customer, comes with the colorful hydrodipped styling of the body panels that Dietz UK is well known for.
We appreciate the simplicity of the Dietz design, with a traditional castor fork compared to other models on test that use servo-assisted motorised castor forks, which completely change the steering characteristics compared to your typical everyday powerchair. With large diameter 16″ tires, suspension castor forks, and a high-power rated electronics system, the Sango is a perfect wheelchair for potential everyday use as a powerchair for urban adventuring.
The long shot option
Permobil were able to add their recently revamped Off-roader into our demo day. It was a bit of a wildcard because it is the largest options on test. The chassis extends by 20cm if desired, to create an even more stable wheelbase that rides effortlessly over bumps.
We thought that it would be a good extra option to let our customer try as it has some other unique selling points, such as a swivel seat to help the process of getting on&off a bulkier-than-normal powerchair. It turned out to be too large an option for our customer who has having the demonstration. One aspect that we liked during the test drive was the fast speed of 15km/h (9mph)
“Despite my massive physical limitations, the X850 gives me incomparable opportunities to move freely and independently in nature. The powerchair’s unique of-road mobility has given me many unforgetable moments and taken me to beautiful places with my handicap” – Philipp Hanf – Permobil X850 Corpus user.
Image belongs to Permobil
The Ultra Manoeuvrable option
In some ways, the Magic360 breaks the rules of what is considered capable in a mid-wheel-drive wheelchair. Typically, mid-wheel-drive models struggle a bit off-road if the front castor wheels dig into the ground. However, the Magic360 has 8″ diameter castors that, when combined with the suspension linkage and 68nm of motor torque, easily overcomes obstacles.
Our customer immediately felt ‘at home’ in the Magic360 because their current powerchair is an Ottobock Juvo mid-wheel-drive model. Their current vehicle uses a platform lift, so being able to easily drive on and off the platform was a simple maneuvering test that the Magic360 was able to do easily
Conclusion
Our customer had the opportunity to experience firsthand how each wheelchair performed in different conditions. We also learned a great deal about the strengths and weaknesses of each model, which are insights we can now share with future customers.
The customers decision of which wheelchair would be best for them came down to a factor that had not previously been considered, which was the ability to easily manoeuvre onto a train if required, on the occasions they a WAV is not used to transport the chair. So it was the Magic360 model that was chosen as the best all-round solution.
Try one for yourself
If you’re thinking of buying an Off-Road wheelchair, call Bromakin today on 01509 217569 and make an appointment to visit us at our Loughborough showroom. We will discuss the availability of demonstration stock that we have available.
