'Off road' wheelchair for child?

justlikethat_2

Does anyone have any ideas / experience of models of children's wheelchair that are able to cope with tracks and paths but can still be used for home and school.

Wheelchair service will only supply cheap clunky models that look like they were designed and built in Soviet Russia! Ok for shopping centres but uncomfortable and unwieldy anywhere else.

I have looked at a few websites but just wondered if anyone else had any personal recommendations?

Thanks

Js_Other_Half

Have you been in touch with http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/

allydowd

Have you tried REMAP?

Remap link

pazza

Here are the off-road wheelchairs I’ve got in my bookmarks:

http://www.trekinetic.co.uk/home.html
http://www.sportaid.com/catalog/page10.shtml

As it’s a wheelchair for a child, it’s a lot to spend on something that they will probably be too big for them in a few years.

If I were you, instead I’d look at buying a second set of wheels and fit them with mountain bike tyres for his current chair (if he has one)

longhotbath

Hi, justlikethat, how old is the child?

Have you googled the delechon hippocamp - its not for shopping centres, but as a second wheelchair its the one that I would go for.

Can you go to kidz up north, or kidz down south, or naidex? I saw another off road wheelchair at Naidex 2 years ago, but cannot remember who makes/sells it. It was more 'normal' than the hippocamp.

cheers.

pazza

longhotbath wrote: »

Hi, justlikethat, how old is the child?

Have you googled the delechon hippocamp - its not for shopping centres, but as a second wheelchair its the one that I would go for.

Can you go to kidz up north, or kidz down south, or naidex? I saw another off road wheelchair at Naidex 2 years ago, but cannot remember who makes/sells it. It was more 'normal' than the hippocamp.

cheers.

I like that!

I wonder if that could handle Glastonbury.

Any idea how much it costs?

longhotbath

Hi Pazza,
check it out on youtube - it can handle snow, sand, water and off road - should do mud too!!

I love it, but my sons just a tad too small yet!!

justlikethat_2

I thought I had just posted a long detailed reply but when I clicked submit it seems it just disappeared into the ether!!!!!!!

Anyway thanks to all for your ideas. My daughter is 8 and does not self propel (much).

Longhotbath we have tested out the hippocampe which is good but only for offroad use and no where else. Also I thought as it was a little lower than a standard chair it would be more difficult for my daughter to 'interact'. She just fitted into the smaller version when we tried it last year and yes it would easily handle Glastonbury (pazza).

Pazza I have looked at both the sites you linked to before. The trekinetic in particular looks just right although as an adult chair I am worried she might get a little 'lost' in it. Maybe they will consider a child version???

I have also found the Cheetah by R82 which is available in this country http://www.r82.com/Default.aspx?ID=472 although it may not be as offroad capable

It would be good to have a little more choice, there seems to be very few good quality chairs for children in this country. Probably something to do with the chronic underfunding of the wheelchair service over the last twenty or so years. Our local service gives you no choice whatsoever ( well sometimes there are two colours available!).

I hope to get help from Whizzkids for some funding when we do find a suitable chair (Js_Other_Half).

saving-mad

is a mountain buggy any good, we had one, they have a large hammock seat, so not much support but it went anywhere and took a child up to 11 years old, will see if i can find a link

edit to say found this, but now says take child up to age 8
http://www.twins-store.co.uk/epages/twins-store_co_uk.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/twins-store.co.uk/Products/%22ts%20mountainbuggy%20terrain%20xl%20special%20needs%22&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&Locale=en_GB

skipsmum

weve got the mountain buggy, and it coped fine with glastonbury (except in 1998 when the water was waist high!)

pazza

I’ve just had a nice email back from the makers of Hippocampe.

It come in 4 sizes, (small, medium, large and XL) the only difference being the length of the frame.

The large/XL (adult size) is £2325! Which seems ridiculous considering a bespoke wheelchair costs less. Plus I’d only use it for a couple of hours every year. Plus it looks like it cost about £20 to make! :mad:


Shame really , because it looks like a decent product.