how to choose a manual wheelchair: comparing Panthera U3 and Ki Mobility Rogue 2.0

[@beknight9399]

Congratulations to your new chair 💐👍🎉! I'm in an O4 chair with Alber EmotionM25 smartdrive. A negative is, that I couldn't do wheelies with the smartdrive. But without it, I'm exhausted like you mentioned. I only can push myself inside on smooth ground. I have a dump, but this would the only thing I would change on my chair: Having more dump. I sit more stable and it's easier to handle the chair. My AlberEmotion came with thin pushrims... Eventually I would change this, because my hands are hurting. On my normal wheels I have Carbolife Gekko (thicker, with rubber). But actually I haven't the capacity to go thru this process (insurance stuff). I love videos about different chairs. They saved my life, getting my first chair and he is only so good, because of youtube! I would love to see more videos about your smartdrive, if you have tested it. Pros, cons etc. Greetings from Germany😊.

[@GingerKiwiDev]

Congrats on your new wheelchair! Having the right fit makes a difference. I have my first fitting with a new wheelchair OT on May 1st. It's an excellent way to kick off Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and HSD awareness month! Can't wait to have a lightweight titanium rigid frame chair! I'm going for fold down push handles. Don't want them available to strangers to randomly push. Had a rental for a week last year and two men randomly pushed me without asking or announcing what they were doing. I'll be trying to get a RGK Freewheel covered by healthcare. It's a 12" front wheel that attaches to your footplate and the sides of your chair. When locked it pops the casters off the ground making it easier to go over tram/streetcar tracks, broken pavements, and construction. I'm holding off on getting power assist until I've had a chair for a bit. That way I'll know what I actually need. I've tried a Smart Drive and they're great. For full-time power assist out of the house electric hand bike attachments like the "PAWS Tourer" by Rehasense are fun. PAWS has cruise control and a walk function. But because it's an electric bike attachment that requires your hands to be around heart height it's not a good every day option for me. There's a nice shorter KZbin video showing how it tackles snow.

[@Ari_0451]

I've got the Unawheel Maxi, a different electric bike attachment. I absolutely love it, was a bit cheaper than other options. Does really steep hills, and It's manouverable enough that I can even use it inside most shops. The handlebars keep my arms in a pretty neutral position, around waist height, which may be more tolerable for you? (However, I'm short and if I fully lean back into my backrest, my arms end up fully extended, which may raise a different issue)

[@pippinnnn]

It’s interesting to see the difference and just how personal a wheelchair’s fit can be! I have a Ki Rogue2 as well (i’m in the USA) and personally, mine has a bucket/dump as well as bigger casters. I have the bolt-on pushrims which are just like the ones on your new panthera, but the ki version lol. Had a slimline cushion as well, also borrowed, and I personally hated it- so stiff 😭. I also have EDS and i’ve faced similar issues with thinner pushrims, but it’s more of a tendon and wrist problem for me than dislocating my fingers. I ended up getting thicker pushrims but they haven’t been delivered yet. A tip for the smartdrive: you can adjust the speed settings and the velocity that builds up to that speed in the app. Out of the box I think the speed limit is 70%

[@wotchras]

hey, do you have any issues when someone is pushing you on the panthera? For me the sideguards dont hold the backrest steady, so when someone pushes me, the backrest leans forward.

[@emelie.elizabeth]

@@wotchras that's not something I have experiences. people do find putting the side guards on more difficult than on other chairs.

[@wotchras]

@@emelie.elizabeth thanks!