I just test drove it today at motion specialties. I really liked it. It takes a bit of practice. What are its limitations for you? Is there anything you don’t like about it? I live in downtown Toronto too. I’m guessing it won’t be great in the worst Toronto weather. As long as it works within reason, I’d be happy.
yah, it's not great in cold weather, and since you're not wheeling to move and get warm, it gets pretty cold just sitting there and pressing the accelerate lol. I also had issues with the battery meter, but I am told that has been fixed in the newest iteration. It works as advertised and it's a good tool to have in your arsenal for a more fulfilling life :) -- oda
@@CortreeTV thanks for responding! It sounds like it might work for me, if I have realistic expectations. I’m trying to graduate from a power chair so I can get more exercise and keep my joints healthy. I’m used to getting super cold in my power chair so that won’t be anything new. Does it ever get stuck and refuse to work?
@@buildingamystery74 yah, sounds like you ought to give it a go. One of its main selling-points is CheelCares unique on/off mechanism. It's so quick and seamless. So you can easily park it inside a restaurant, take it off, and sit at a table. So you could have the benefits of power-assist and also take it off when you wanna exercise. The only issues is the battery meter not being accurate, but Im told thats being corrected. Other than that, no, it never got stuck on me or anything. When the battery was working it was chugging along.
Just visited the abilities expo Phoenix. Got to try out one of these in both versions (one for those with good hands and one for quads). I have been looking at power add-ons that are lighter and easier to use as I will be having shoulder surgery. It's just as easy to use as the video shows. I actually bought the quad version although I am not a quad as I think it was easier to drive with one hand.
Oda! I have a a few questions about the companion, as I am looking at the possibility of getting one later in 2024. But they will only let me see it. They won’t let me try it, so if we could message about some of its other capabilities, like like how it works on rough terrain, ability to work in snow, not blizzards but snow and a few other things I would be really appreciative.
What's up Mindy! Thanks for reaching out. You should join our FB Marketplace group, we get a lot of buy/sell/donate and we've had a few almost new ones go for good prices! it doesn't work well in snow (none of the front power assists do, to be fair) and it works okay on "rough" terrain like grass but not gravel. If you have further questions feel free to reply here or email us at info@sciontario.org and ask any specific questions :) Thanks, Oda
to be honest, it's not great. The wheel is fairly small and therefore does not excell in the outdoor elements that include streetcars, sidewalk cracks, etc. It's kind of rough, especially if you're going at top speed. However, you can mitigate that by going slower. But, for me, I am always going at high speeds lol. With that said, Its excellent for indoors.
@@CortreeTV Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm not sure what to get, as I have a Helios C2 wheelchair. It's very lightweight and can maneuver great outdoors, but going up hills and ramps is difficult for me. I'll keep looking. Thanks again!👍
@@LucyS565 Uphills isn't great either with any of the front-drive ones because of the center of gravity and traction. If all you need is uphill and ramps, I recommend the smartdrive -- Oda
@@CortreeTV I use my arms and legs to get my wheelchair going. On a flat surface, I'm doing great. If the Smartdrive is attached, can I still do that? I'm interested in it, thanks to you.👩🦽
I'm in the USA and I have been in a wheelchair all 51 years of my life. I have torn Rotator Cuffs something like this would help me so much. Could you email me info on who to contact for this? I would greatly appreciate it.
Hi Michael, Sorry to hear about your shoulder troubles. I know how that goes! and, yes, certainly, a power-assist like The Companion or SmartDrive will help. for The Companion that you see in this video, just google "Cheelcare" and when you get to their website click on "Vendors" and you will see a plethora of vendors scattered around USA. If you have any trouble or have further questions, please let me know, always happy to help. -- Oda
Thank you very much for this review.
I just test drove it today at motion specialties. I really liked it. It takes a bit of practice. What are its limitations for you? Is there anything you don’t like about it? I live in downtown Toronto too. I’m guessing it won’t be great in the worst Toronto weather. As long as it works within reason, I’d be happy.
yah, it's not great in cold weather, and since you're not wheeling to move and get warm, it gets pretty cold just sitting there and pressing the accelerate lol. I also had issues with the battery meter, but I am told that has been fixed in the newest iteration. It works as advertised and it's a good tool to have in your arsenal for a more fulfilling life :)
-- oda
@@CortreeTV thanks for responding! It sounds like it might work for me, if I have realistic expectations. I’m trying to graduate from a power chair so I can get more exercise and keep my joints healthy. I’m used to getting super cold in my power chair so that won’t be anything new. Does it ever get stuck and refuse to work?
@@buildingamystery74 yah, sounds like you ought to give it a go. One of its main selling-points is CheelCares unique on/off mechanism. It's so quick and seamless. So you can easily park it inside a restaurant, take it off, and sit at a table. So you could have the benefits of power-assist and also take it off when you wanna exercise. The only issues is the battery meter not being accurate, but Im told thats being corrected. Other than that, no, it never got stuck on me or anything. When the battery was working it was chugging along.
Just visited the abilities expo Phoenix. Got to try out one of these in both versions (one for those with good hands and one for quads). I have been looking at power add-ons that are lighter and easier to use as I will be having shoulder surgery. It's just as easy to use as the video shows. I actually bought the quad version although I am not a quad as I think it was easier to drive with one hand.
glad you like your Companion! it's a good product by a Canadian company.
Oda! I have a a few questions about the companion, as I am looking at the possibility of getting one later in 2024. But they will only let me see it. They won’t let me try it, so if we could message about some of its other capabilities, like like how it works on rough terrain, ability to work in snow, not blizzards but snow and a few other things I would be really appreciative.
What's up Mindy! Thanks for reaching out. You should join our FB Marketplace group, we get a lot of buy/sell/donate and we've had a few almost new ones go for good prices!
it doesn't work well in snow (none of the front power assists do, to be fair) and it works okay on "rough" terrain like grass but not gravel.
If you have further questions feel free to reply here or email us at info@sciontario.org and ask any specific questions :)
Thanks,
Oda
What's it like going over streetcar tracks and city streets?
to be honest, it's not great. The wheel is fairly small and therefore does not excell in the outdoor elements that include streetcars, sidewalk cracks, etc. It's kind of rough, especially if you're going at top speed. However, you can mitigate that by going slower. But, for me, I am always going at high speeds lol. With that said, Its excellent for indoors.
@@CortreeTV Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm not sure what to get, as I have a Helios C2 wheelchair. It's very lightweight and can maneuver great outdoors, but going up hills and ramps is difficult for me. I'll keep looking. Thanks again!👍
@@LucyS565 Uphills isn't great either with any of the front-drive ones because of the center of gravity and traction. If all you need is uphill and ramps, I recommend the smartdrive
-- Oda
@@CortreeTV Thank you so much! That really helps a lot. 👍
@@CortreeTV I use my arms and legs to get my wheelchair going. On a flat surface, I'm doing great. If the Smartdrive is attached, can I still do that? I'm interested in it, thanks to you.👩🦽
I'm in the USA and I have been in a wheelchair all 51 years of my life. I have torn Rotator Cuffs something like this would help me so much. Could you email me info on who to contact for this? I would greatly appreciate it.
Hi Michael,
Sorry to hear about your shoulder troubles. I know how that goes!
and, yes, certainly, a power-assist like The Companion or SmartDrive will help.
for The Companion that you see in this video, just google "Cheelcare" and when you get to their website click on "Vendors" and you will see a plethora of vendors scattered around USA.
If you have any trouble or have further questions, please let me know, always happy to help.
-- Oda