Review: Chief (powered standing wheelchair)
Product Information
Model: 107SRManufacturer: Redman Power Chair
Reviewed by: Chris Nobriga from Cortland , New York
Why did you purchase the product?
It was perfect for my needs.
How well did the product meet your needs?
Very well.
Are there specific features of the product that you liked?
With this Redman standing wheelchair my health has improved. By "standing" about once an hour, which decreases my chances of contracting respiratory infections, the standing wheelchair has eliminated the problem of extended pressure from prolonged sitting. The improvement in blood circulation from being able to straighten my legs while standing has nearly eliminated all the swelling in my feet which was usually brought on by prolonged sitting. My doctor mentioned that by standing and putting pressure on the bones in my legs, they would become less brittle.
Are there specific features of the product that you disliked?
1. The first day I received the wheelchair the charger required a 15amp fuse. It came with a 10amp fuse. Highgate replaced the fuse out of their pocket. 2. The foot straps were too short. Highgate out of their pocket sewed on extra Velcro to make them longer. 3. The chin cup was made out of plastic, which made it slippery. Highgate out of their pocket put a piece of dicum over it. 4. The chin cup was too small. The company sent a larger one but it was made of black foam and turned my chin black thus I covered it with a plastic bag. 5. A shoulder strap broke. {If I were standing when it broke I would have fallen out of my wheelchair} 6. The part that supports the back broke TWICE. {If I were standing when it broke it would have snapped my back in half} 7. The battery was malfunctioning TWICE. The company mailed me a new one. 8. The cable running from my chin-cup control to the wheelchair was malfunctioning – which controls every function. This was preventing me from using the wheelchair. 9. When leg rests are all the way down the left footplate rubbed on the front left wheel. At this point I was feeling VERY unsafe in the wheelchair. These problems were somewhat resolved due to me e-mailing the company numerous times, the company sending me parts several times, writing my lawyer and finally shipping my wheelchair back to the company for a complete overhaul. During the 2 1/2 months I waited for the return of my wheelchair I greatly suffered by sitting in my uncomfortable manual wheelchair. I was anticipating and anxious about finally having a wheelchair I could RELY on. After 1 minute in the wheelchair the anticipation and anxiousness turned into disappointment. The left footplate still rubbed on the front wheel. For $26,000+ of taxpayers money one would expect better QUALITY!
Any other comments about the product's performance?
Best of all is the "joy" of standing again. After nearly 12 years of having to just sit or lie down, to be able to not only stand, but to be able to move about while standing, is almost indescribable. I have friends who have standing tables, but all who have them have told me that after a few months they stop using them because it is so boring to just stand in one place.
