Invacare TDX SP2 – Powered Wheelchair

Wheelchair Description:
Large 6 wheel power chair with a dual motor drive on the centre wheels. Stylish shroud around motor and wheels, which come in a range of colours and you can change the colour of the wheel too.

Battery Life:
Up To 31km

Source of Wheelchair:
NHS Wheelchair Services

Diagnosis:
Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), Migraine, Chronic Urticaria & Autism

Personal Opinion:
This chair was supplied to me from my local NHS wheelchair services. It has lots of options regarding seating and postural support and is compatible with lots of different seating systems. I have a Jay Ion memory foam molded cushion, along with the standard molded back support which provides some lateral support. I have a headrest that is fully adjustable, including the two side parts so they can be adjusted to cradle my head as much as required.

I was slightly limited by my height when choosing the right leg-rest, as the centre footplate option wasn’t available at a long enough length. However, I have separate footrests with calf supports that raise on a ratchet system; meaning I can move them upwards just by raising my legs and use a quick-release lever to drop them down again at the top of each leg rest. I also have the tilt-in-space function, meaning my chair maintains the same postural arrangement whilst tilted backwards to ensure I am more fully supported. I am even able to drive this chair, whilst sitting in a reclined position! I find the combination of the tilt in space feature and adjustable leg-rests make this a very versatile chair, which is comfortable to use inside the house and outside!

With regards to transportation – because this chair is so tall and long, your choices are limited when it comes to finding a suitable WAV. But there is a VW Caddy Maxi Life conversion available, which is the smallest vehicle available on Motability scheme that is compatible with this chair. I haven’t yet been on a bus or a train with this chair, but because it’s quite long I imagine it may be tricky when everything gets busy/crowded.

Equally the chair is extremely manoeuvrable due to its mid-wheel drive, meaning it can turn in its own length. The SureStep technology built into this chair combined with its suspension means it handles kerb of up to 2 or 3 inches with relative ease, as the wheels adjust to keep you as level as possible when driving over uneven surfaces. I haven’t pushed my chair anywhere near its limit, as I plug it in each time I’ve been outside the house, but the advertised range is up to 31km so I’m sure it is more than capable of handling long hours!