Home > Independent Living Products > Mobility > Wheelchairs > Power Add-ons
Power Add-ons
Users of manual wheelchairs, whether self-propelled or attendant-assisted, can sometimes do with some help - and this is increasingly available in the form of add-on power units. In this way, you can retain the advantages of a manual chair, while getting extra assistance, depending on the system chosen, for long journeys, hills, rough terrain...
Most power packs are designed to be used with most manual wheelchairs - but you really do need to check before you buy!
Click to go straight to more information on:
Power assistance for self-propelling
Power assistance for the carer
Assistance with stair climbing
Some suppliers
of add-on power packs.
Clicking on a highlighted name will open their showcase page in a new
window:
AAT Stairclimbers
Chunc Wheelchairs
Drive Medical
EPC Wheelchairs
Gerald Simonds Healthcare
Steering Developments
Sunrise Medical
Power assistance for self-propelling
The Quix
unit (left) is a tiller-controlled power add-on which fits most manual
standard and lightweight wheelchairs, enabling the user to drive their
usual manual wheelchair like a scooter. It is easy to learn how to use
the Quix, and the simple controls have been designed for operation by
both left and right handed people. Conveniently, you can raise the drive
wheels with the aid of a small electric motor when you don't require
the, and then you can push your wheelchair by hand in the normal way.
The tiller can also be easily removed, making it simple to get in and
out of your chair.
This unit is designed for indoor and urban use, where there are surfaced paths and pavements, Quix gives you the power to get out more easily; to meet up with friends and family and still maintain your independence.
An
alternative means of adding power for self-propelling is with a clever
wheel-mounted system, such as the Alber E-motion (right).
The motors are mounted in the wheel hubs, and activated by pushing the handrims, so the user propels their chair in the normal way, but with extra power at their disposal, making the system intuitive and easy to use.
Batteries are rechargeable, of course, and the power is variable, so that you can have more when you need it - to go uphill, perhaps, - and less for when you are just moving around indoors.
The system can be retro-fitted to most manual chairs, so so can continue to use a wheelchair that has been adjusted to suit you.
Power assistance for the carer
All-in-one
power packs that fit onto the back of the frame of most manual wheelchairs
can be attached and detached very quickly, once the holding bracket has
been fitted.
They enable the carer to push the wheelchair with less effort, allowing longer journeys or more difficult terrain to be tackled. The maximum speed is between about 2 and 4 mph, and the drive is controlled by the carer using a control that clips to one or other of the push handles.
The unit shown on the left, from EPC Wheelchairs, has twin drive wheels for greater traction, and includes reverse as well as forward propulsion. It is suitable for users up to 21 stone.
An
alternative to the rear-mounted power pack is a wheel replacement system,
such as the JW1 (right). This system can be controlled from the rear push
handles, or alternatively, by the wheelchair user, employing a joystick.
Sophisticated units like these at the top end of the market, have additional features, such as reverse gear. Unlike the majority of rear-mounted power packs, those mounted in the wheel hubs can remain in place when a chair is folded for transportation.
Whatever system you choose, add-on power packs are not intended for full-time use, but rather as an occasional assistance. A power wheelchair or scooter is probably a more suitable choice if you need the power all the time.
And bear in mind that battery ranges are affected by factors such as the weight of the user, the roughness of the ground and steepness of hills - you don't want to find yourself without power just when you need it most!
Assistance with stair climbing
For
assistance specifically with stairclimbing, an add-on such as the S-max
(left) could be ideal.
This unit has been designed to work with virtually any attendant-operated wheelchair, once it has been fitted with the right connecting bracket, and will enable one person transport a user in their wheelchair up or down stairs.
Depending on factors such as the weight of the wheelchair and user, height of steps, etc, the stairclimber will tackle up to 300 steps on one charge. It can be fitted and uncoupled quickly and easily, and used on any sort of floor covering without damage.
