Out & About recently went to the launch of Quantum’s new Q6 Edge 2.0 with the TRU-Balance 3 seating system and the new revolutionary iLevel seat raiser
When we arrived the chair was being demonstrated outside in the car park. The first things we noticed was the speed the chair was able to move at, even when it was in the elevated position – travelling at 3.5mph. You could really imagine the user keeping shoulder to shoulder with a companion walking briskly because the iLevel is able to elevate 10”, enabling the user to interact “face to face” rather than “face to waist”.
The second thing we noticed was that the seat can be elevated whilst the chair is moving. Most other powerchairs have to be stationary if you want to raise the seat. Imagine if, as an able-bodied person walking in a group, you had to stop, get down on your knees and walk if you wanted to talk face to face to children, then have to do the reverse to talk to their parents. With the Quantum iLevel it becomes one fluid motion equivalent to walking, bending and talking all at the one time.
Being able to elevate in a powerchair isn’t a new feature, but being able to elevate and lower whilst moving around is! And it’s a feature which has increased the clients’ life enjoyment.
You might think that driving with the seat elevated would make the chair unstable but that isn’t the case. During the demonstration one of Quantum’s team members stood on the foot plate of the powerchair, and elevated it as he stood upon the footplate, the chair performed perfectly – not even a hint of a wobble! I can explain, because it was explained to us, that this remarkable stability is due in part to the weight of the base and to the ATX Active-Trac suspension, but it was quite clear to us that the driving force behind this and the other unique features of the iLevel Q6Edge 2.0 was the overall design ethos – to keep users safe and enhance their lives by hugely improving their interaction with their families, friends and generally helping them with their daily lives.
One other feature shows just how much design thought has gone into this remarkable chair – when you recline the seat to get comfortable, the armrests stay still! If you’ve ever, unthinkingly, reclined in an ordinary powerchair you’ll know that anything resting on the arm – (a newspaper, a tray with your lunch on it or maybe just a cup of coffee) ends up in your lap or on the floor. We also felt this was a great feature as it meant that the client within the chair had easier access to the control systems.
Little things like this speak volumes about the thought that has gone into designing this chair.
They say that seeing is believing but if you’ll forgive the mix of metaphors the real proof of the pudding is in the eating. We were all able to try the iLevel Q6Edge 2.0 and came away even more convinced that this mid-wheel drive, highly manoeuvrable Powerchair was a great step forward with benefits to the user that can make a real difference. This great chair can be customised to further suit you. Options include different sizes, types of control as well as added extras like transfer aids – all designed to tailor the chair to your needs. Oh, and there’s also a choice of 12 colours!
During the demonstration our engineering apprentice was even allowed to take the chair apart so we could see how easily you can alter the seat dimensions. She was able to easily adjust the seat depth, the seat width, and the chairs arms by using just two Allen keys.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the new iLevel Q6 Edge 2.0 Powerchair you can:
Call us on: 01420 549481
Email us: info@outandabout-uk.com
Or visit our showroom at: 25 Southview Rise, Alton, Hants, GU34 2AB.
Website: http://outandabout-uk.com
Out & About UK 