E-Motion Wheels – Power Assist

Item Description:
24″ power assist wheels designed for replacing manual self propel wheels. Can be used in conjunction with most manual chairs, but usually requires brackets from Alber to make the E-Motion wheels fit the chair.

Battery Life:
I don’t know hours or km but the battery is really good!

Source of Item:
Shire Mobility (Northampton)

Diagnosis:
Not Disclosed

Personal Opinion:
These wheels were an absolute game changer for me. I had an active chair but was only using it inside as I didn’t have the strength to self propel outdoors, so was having to use a powerchair every time I left my flat. Thankfully these wheels mean I am now able to go out in my manual chair most of the time as I love using them and cannot recommend them enough!

I have a particular skill for breaking things and have on occasions (through no fault of the wheels) fallen out of my chair causing my chair to fall onto its side once, but I’ve had these wheels for about 7 months now and haven’t had any problems with the wheels yet!

I got a pair of ‘jack up’ anti-tippers when I got the wheels which make it much easier to get the wheels on and off the chair. The wheels aren’t EASY to get on and off mainly due to their weight but the jacks do make it significantly easier, they come on and off very easily in terms of mechanism but its made much harder by the weight and there isn’t really anything that can be done about that!

The E-Motion wheels are great in features too, they can be set to push automatically every time you push, you can do for example 30% and the wheels kick in the other 70% you need help with. You can have the wheels set up to help more on one side if you have a weaker side, meaning if you need more support from the wheels it can balance the pushing so you can go in a straight line even when your arms have uneven strength.

My favourite feature costs extra but is definitely worth it and you can arrange a free trial to see if it works for you before purchasing, it is cruise control. You push the chair to start it going at the speed you want and the cruise control just keeps the chair going at the same speed until you stop it. An absolutely brilliant feature if you run low on spoons while out, as it works on flat surfaces and up hills!

As with all manual chairs, the wheels aren’t designed to handle grass and especially mud, but if it’s dry you should be fine on the grass! It handles bumpy pathways like a pro, in my area the paths are awful but the wheels handle it with no problem!

Finally, I thought it would be helpful to clarify that this product is shown in my photos but is only the wheels, not the chair frame, backrest etc.