KD Smart Chair Power Electric Lightweight Wheelchair for Travel

No issues with the chair. Very light, robust, ergonomic. In four years I only replaced a controller (the buttons worn out from the use).However, when I decided to replace the wheels (the rubber tire parts worn out), I had sent a request to the company, and they replied that they would ship a replacement. Four months of back and forth emails after that, basically, me asking if it was shipped yet and them saying that it was delayed, after which I requested to escalate the issue to the customer service manager and I heard nothing back from them since then.

My wife is a wheelchair user since 2012, and prior to our obtaining the KD Smart Chair we had relied primarily on a Quantum Q6 Edge for her mobility needs, and a cheap folding transport chair (non-powered) as a backup.The KD Smart Chair has been life changing, both for my wife and for me as the caregiver. While the Q6 Edge chair is still her primary chair, the fact is that because we now have the KD Smart Chair we can participate more fully in "normal" life activities. The Q6 has a tare weight of just over 350 lbs, and is possible with much effort, time, and a 9 foot aluminum ramp to load into our vehicle (a 2015 Scion xB). I estimate that it takes me around 30 minutes start to finish to load the Q6 into the car, and an additional 30 minutes to offload. It is also a tricky operation to "creep" crawl that big beast down a steeply pitched aluminum ramp, and on more than one occasion I was worried that I might drive the chair off the ramp (I remotely operate the controller to maneuver the unoccupied chair up and down the aluminum ramp, but it is still often a hair raising experience). While the vehicle we purchased earlier in the year allowed for loading of the chair (relative to our '04 Prius, which was nearly impossible to use for caring for a disabled person), and gave us a new sense of freedom, my wife was not highly motivated to venture out by car because of the onerous nature of the chair loading/unloading process, so she remained somewhat cloistered in our home.Enter the KD Smart Chair, which we received in the middle of August, 2015. This chair is only 50 lbs. I am 6' 2", so it is very easy for me to handle. It now takes me all of 5 minutes to fold up the chair and secure it in the back of the Scion (without the need for putting down the back seat, which is absolutely required for the Q6 tank), and off we go! Now my wife is more interested to go with me to the grocery store, or out to grab a bite to eat, or go to the Bay Trail, or any of a number of things that were simply missing from her life that able bodied people simply take for granted. It is this renewed capacity to participate in the more mundane, boring, "normal" part of life that is so life changing for a person who has been struck down by a disabling disease at an age when most people are participating in an active lifestyle. This also positively impacts our relationship since she now participates in decision making at these various tasks/activities, rather than simply having decisions made for her. All because of a chair. Remarkable.Buy one. Hold back money in your flexible spending plan (if you have this type of benefit) and get the tax benefit. The chair isn't a full replacement for the Q6 (to be fair, the Q6 has full tilt and a leg extension module, so is a completely different tool in our arsenal for dealing with the disability; additionally I would avoid extremely steep grades with the KD chair, the Q6 has 6 points of contact with the ground, where the KD only has the 4 points, and the wheels and casters of the KD are more narrow than the Q6, but keep in mind that the KD is a folding wheelchair, not a battle ready San Francisco hill climber like the Q6, so you shouldn't expect the KD to be the same as the Q6), but for what the KD Smart Chair has done for our life, in spite of whatever sacrifices exist relative to the Q6 chair, the KD Smart Chair is well worth the money. Make sure to use a better seat cushion (we just use the Jay cushion from the Q6 chair, the cushion that comes with the KD Smart Chair is completely inadequate, sorry KD, but that needs improvement). One last point, it would be nice if there was a way to be able to adjust the armrests laterally, so that they aren't so wide. My wife is a petite woman (5' 4") and the current geometry of the armrests make her feel like she is sitting like a Roman Emperor, so that could be improved. Great start on a product that I hope will continue to evolve and improve over time.

Well-designed chair at a good price. I bought two. One for the house, one for the SUV for when we're going places. When I was first shopping for a wheelchair, I thought I would have to install a lift in the back of the SUV, but this chair is light enough to simply pick up.I would have rated this as five stars, but two inquiries I made to KD Healthcare - one about functionality, one about buying a replacement for a broken part - have been completely ignored and unanswered by the company after months. So if you expect any sort of after-purchase support, you might want to re-think buying this.

I have had this chair now for a little over a month now.I wanted to give it some time for a decently fair review.A break in period of sorts if you will.The chair comes very well packaged and it was very easy to assemble.Initial charging of the batteries wasn't to long either.The frame of the chair is very well constructed and the craftsmanship in the welds is very obvious. As with everything mechanical it is not perfect. Do not let that detour you though as even new cars sometimes have minor issues.It is a great chair for me so far and a little at a time I have been putting it through the paces figuring out how far I can trust it.The directions were a little confusing at first and took me a little bit to figure out how to get the chair to operate. It turns out that (both of the rear wheels have to been in locked position) before the chair will operate.On the upside the battery life has been very surprising with it's longevity and the turn radius is good enough to turn around in an elevator with very little practice.It has been a comfortable riding chair both indoors and outdoors.It has a variable 5 speed adjustment that can be easily controlled with the push of a button located on the joystick controller that can also refine the speed even more to a crawl with the joystick itself.On the downside of things the basket provided for carrying the charger and controller needs a top on the basket to secure them in the basket when the chair is folded.With a little time and some para cord I wove a top for mine.When the chair is folded it doesn't take a lot of effort for it to pop open at an inopportune time while moving or even lifting it.I use the provided seat belt and put it through the foot rest frame after it is folded to keep it closed.The worst thing to happen was the rear wheel needing replacement.I called Smart Chair and spoke with their customer service which was excellent.I told them what had happened and they reassured me that it would be taken care of.Within a couple of days I received a new wheel motor that with one Allen wrench I was able to change out the old wheel motor very easily.This company doesn't mess around and sell a quality product.Unlike some companies that leave their customers wanting.So far I am very impressed with this chair and the companies customer care. I highly recommend it for anyone who may be in need of a great light weight fold-able one piece chair.