The PAWS is a bike style front power add-on for a manual wheelchair by Rehasense that enables you to go off-road with your wheelchair. I personally tried out the City model with a 14-inch wheel, but larger Cruiser and Tourer models are available for those who want to navigate rougher terrain.
Using the PAWS over the last month has been awesome. It has allowed me to go to places and do things I haven’t been able to since I became disabled. I may have tried the City model, but it held its own in the countryside, much better than the name might suggest.
Using the PAWS brought a smile to my face every time – it makes movement easy and allows you to effortlessly feel the wind in your hair. It has been great for my mental health to be able to get out and about without relying on others, even on bad days, I simply dock and go! I wasn’t expecting it to be so incredible, but the joy and freedom of movement it gave me were unlike anything else I have tried.
The PAWS has enabled me to go on many walks around my local neighbourhood, as it is small enough to navigate easily around tight corners and narrow pavements. It also allows me to go across grass and footpaths that were previously completely inaccessible to me, even when using a Trackwheel. It can handle reasonably uneven terrain and comfortably ride over a footpath with lots of tree roots. While the ride remains smooth at low speeds, I highly recommend pairing it with a set of off-road wheels if you intend to go more than about 4mph or over rougher terrain – trust me, the ride can get pretty bouncy!
It can cope with a reasonable gradient as long as the ground is solid – I never found a pavement that it couldn’t handle. However, it struggles when the ground becomes loose, and if you stop on an incline, you might not be able to get going again, despite it having traction control. I found myself having gone down a hill that I couldn’t get back up and needed the help of a passing stranger to push me a little way until the surface became more solid again – less than ideal. The 16-inch model copes a bit better here, and the 20-inch might handle it perfectly, but I haven’t tested it.
It has several speed modes: 1 for a maximum speed of 2 mph, 2 for speeds of up to 4 mph, and 3 for a top speed of 8 mph, all available out of the box. Modes 4 and 5 do exist, allowing you to reach speeds of 12 and 18 mph, but you must be given special access to use them. I tried these for a few hours, and while they were great fun, they aren’t that practical for daily use. These different modes make it easy to limit your speed on pavements and help prevent the wheel from spinning when you set off. You also have reverse, which surprisingly isn’t a feature found on all bike attachments, but one I wouldn’t want to be without. All speeds are customisable to your preferences, and this is something a Rehasense supplier will discuss with you during installation.
It has an easy-to-read LCD screen that displays your speed, the mode you’re in, distance travelled, and any other pieces of information you could possibly want!
It has cruise control that is easily engaged at the touch of a button, and I found myself using it frequently. It meant I could give my hand a break on open trails and focus more on the view rather than my speed. It also has a ‘walk’ mode that maintains a pace of 3 mph – my family found this a comfortable walking pace, and it was nice not to have to think about my speed too much.
It has a mechanical lever brake on each handlebar, as well as an electronic brake that is much sharper. I found they stopped me quickly enough, but I found myself skidding back down a hill at one point, even with both brakes on, which was a worrying moment.
The PAWS is easily attached to most manual wheelchairs. You align yourself with the brackets, pull the handles upwards, then push a lever on the handlebar and push away from yourself to lift the casters and engage the PAWS. The handles you need to pull up to secure the clamps can be tricky, but the tension on them can be adjusted to make it easier. There is also the option for autoclamp and lifting if you cannot manage to attach the PAWS manually. I tried this multiple times, as I was worried you would have to be very precise with how you positioned your wheelchair relative to the PAWS, but I never found it not to work. Additionally, this option adds minimal weight to the product, making it a great option if you need it, and expands access to front attachments for those who might not otherwise be able to use them.
The brackets that attach the PAWS to the wheelchair have a lot of adjustability built in, meaning that if you change your wheelchair, you will be unlikely to need to buy new ones, which is especially useful for growing teens! You can get it with brackets that fit wheelchairs with non-standard, shaped tubing, which often cannot be used with other bike-style add-ons, such as the Kuschall K-series with its angular tubing or a Panthera with very thin tubes. Another great feature is that once the PAWS is undocked, no brackets remain on your chair – I especially like this feature, as I don’t like brackets cluttering my frame and catching on my clothes.
One of the best features is the large battery life. It has a range of around 25 miles (less if you are doing a lot of hills), so you don’t have to worry about using it sparingly or ensuring you have a full charge before leaving the house. You can change your plans midway through the day without worrying about it. The battery easily slots into and out of the main unit, meaning you don’t need to take the entire device inside to charge it, which helps reduce the overall weight if it needs to be lifted. However, the charger can be difficult to plug in – it has to be in the correct orientation, is stiff to insert, and a collar must be tightened over the joint. If you have limited hand dexterity, this may be challenging.
The PAWS is quite heavy, as this style of attachment is. The battery and brackets can be easily detached from the main unit to reduce its weight, but I still found lifting it into the car to be a big challenge. This was made worse by the fact that there is nowhere to easily lift it from, so you end up lifting it from the light, which is not designed for that. If it had two small handles specifically designed to assist in lifting, getting it into the car would be much easier.
Overall, the PAWS is an awesome product that has given me a sense of freedom like no other. I’ve enjoyed trying it out and briefly considered refusing to give it back! Like any bike-style add-on it is heavy and bulky, so it’s not ideal for pottering around the shops, but outside it comes into its own, whether you’re doing the school run or going for a countryside ramble. The City model strikes a good balance between size and functionality, though those capable of lifting and storing a larger model may want to consider the Cruiser or Tourer instead. As with other Rehasense products, the PAWS comes with many standard features that are considered premium in other brands, such as cruise control, electronic braking, and stands. However, it would benefit from a dedicated handle for lifting and a redesigned charger connection. If you’re interested in a bike-style add-on to explore more terrains, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Rehasense PAWS.
