SmartDrive – Powered Attachment

Item Description:
A black power assist unit that weighs about 13 lbs and attaches to a bracket that clips onto the back of most manual wheelchairs and connects to the user via a wrist band.

Battery Life:
Not Sure

Source of Item:
Numotion

Diagnosis:
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), Mastocytosis, Gastroparesis & More

Personal Opinion:
In all honesty, this thing is a mess. It’s better than nothing when it works properly as it does save your arms from continually pushing, but it has so many flaws that need to be addressed.

I’ve been through more wrist bands than I can count during the two years I’ve had it, as it has a mind of its own. Sometimes even though the device says it has a full battery, the device simply won’t turn on as if the battery is dead! Hence why the company keeps sending me new wristbands! I also find that the device doesn’t always stop when you tap, which can be very dangerous. It’s also hard to tell if the battery will last all day, as it has so many other issues on top of it not starting on a full charge!

I’ve had it for two years now and have never been able to use it on the grass, despite being told I would be able to. Maybe if you have a freewheel it would work, but without any additional attachments the device just flips me out of my chair onto the ground and the smart drive rolls up under the chair. Our yard is pretty flat too, so this came as a huge shock.

It definitely doesn’t turn your manual chair into a power chair, so don’t let anyone try to sell you one by saying such things. If some of these issues were resolved I would defiantly try it again as there isn’t any else that comes out on top for me in terms of size and weight! Obviously, it’s not totally worthless because when it works it’s great, especially on smooth surfaces, but it’s just not reliable enough for people to be using full time!