4 reviews for Drive Medical Lightweight Folding Transport Wheelchair With Carry Bag & Flip-Backs Arms

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   John C – January 1, 2019

   
   I read all the bad reviews and did some modifications before I brought it on a 3 week trip to Hong Kong.1) People complain about losing the bolts that held the removable front wheels: I replaced them with clevis pins (M6x30mm) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARAEFPI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and secure it with hairpin clips. The pins stayed in place and can be easily removed to take the wheels off.2) As others have suggested, I bought long velcro straps and placed them on the handlebar. It’s used it to stop the retracted chair from opening accidentally when you take it out of the trunk or jetbridge. The velcro is also a good way to hold shopping bags. (see 2nd pic, I used velcro to hold the bags. If you want a quality suit in Hong Kong, Jim’s is highly recommended)3) Some complained that the foam on the handle is cheap and goes flat after few uses. I replaced it with pipe insulation. Very comfy.4) I applied Loctite to all the nuts and bolts. Although the bolts seems to have Loctite applied from the factory. I reapplied it with Loctite just to be sure.I took the modified chair on a 3 week trip to Hong Kong. It held up well. Very light, easy to fold and put away even on a crowded subway train (Pic 1). It went over uneven streets of Hong Kong and cobblestoned sidewalks of Macau without any issues.Be very careful when going over streetcar tracks. The chair is light and the front wheel bear quite a bit of weight so if it hits a gap on a train track or raised sidewalk, you have the potential of ejecting your passenger. Always remember to transfer a bit of the weight to the rear wheels when going over uneven surfaces.Excellent chair, well worth the money.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   wetcoast79 – July 26, 2013

   
   Note: Just to be clear, nobody has offered me anything in exchange for this review.July 24, 2012 – initial impressions:This chair is awesome for compactness and weight compared to the regular 45lb wheelchair. I’ve only wheeled it around the yard so far but upon unboxing I removed the velcro seatbelt and reduced the tension to apply the brakes (it took alot of force to put them on out of the box).I’m contemplating removing one of the brakes too to save even more weight but we’ll see. The chair is sturdy and I can add a small cushion if needed. My purpose for this chair is just as an energy saver so that the majority of the walking can be skipped and energy saved for the important things like shopping and such.The chair folds up a bit bigger than a patio lounge chair would, pretty compact!It will be used on a big trip later this summer and I’ll update this review after that. So far after unboxing and pushing around the yard and house, 5 stars!!Oct/2015 UPDATE: Over 2 years use and a few big overseas trips. Tip #1: keep a bicycle allen key set with you as the allen head bolts come loose. I’m diligent on checking them but I still ended up losing one of the spacers on the foot rest. I could still use it though afterwards. I’ve learned to do a “pre-trip inspection” of all the bolts! Tip #2: add your own cushion, your butt will thank you. Tip #3: add a velcro strap to strap the foot rest to the handle when storing it for awhile (taxi, plane…) that way there’s no way for it to come open as some handlers don’t know where to grab it and it may swing open on them.Con: I wish there were vertical handles to push with rather than the horizontal bar, I looked all over and the closest I could find were mountain bike bar ends but I couldn’t find any with small enough a diameter. Vertical push bars would make it way more comfortable for the pusher!All that said, this thing is SOLID – San Fran, Boston, London, China….it handled it all (check the bolts though!!). People (seniors) ask me about it frequently. The planes like it because it folds up so well.. It handles cobblestones great – with a good cushion. Easy to do the one foot lift over bigger bumps….UPDATE: August 2016 – well be careful over grass!! I had my first passenger ejection with this in 4 years. Front wheel hit a hidden small hole and it tipped forwards and the person fell out – albeit slowly – but nonetheless still a bit of a scene. When others have used it, they have had mini-ejections where the rider just stood up as it tipped. I’m usually super aware of the ground and any upcoming lips/bumps… but this hidden hole in the grass escaped my vision. I have lost one bolt on the support arm but no biggie to replace. Maybe I’ll get some loctite. People always ask about it when we’re out in a public area still. Great lightweight chair.**UPDATE July 2017** – many bolts are loosening and 2 were lost with their spacer/washers. I had to get the spacer/washer made from roll stock UHMW and nuts were locktite’d on. A good chair but watch for missing nuts/bolts!

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   AlfiXGen – September 18, 2016

   
   I really wish I could give 5 stars to this wheelchair. It is extremely versatile, very easy to fold, lightweight, compact and attractive, but the loosening bolts/nuts are a problem. I would buy this wheelchair again, as its versatility has changed our life and allowed enormous convenience when bringing my dad with us. However, the lack of attention by Drive Medical on providing repair parts is disappointing.Used with:- My dad!, for over two years…- We like this wheelchair so much, we gifted it to now three of our relatives!!!The Good:- Fairly light, I can lift it with one hand. Also my mom, in his 70s, can also take it out with little effort out of the trunk.- Sturdy (except the loosening nuts/bolts, see below).- Very compact. Can be checked at the gate at the plane. We have traveled through the USA, Mexico, Canada with it and have always appreciated it having it around.- Easy to fold. Just make sure you lay the 4 wheels on the ground (it gets harder to do if tilted, maybe a safety feature) and pull the cable from behind. It will collapse very easily.- Smooth. Very easy to push, this chair glides very easily, on pavement.The Bad:- The filling of the cover of the bar where you push the chair is very fragile. It will fall apart within 3 months with any use. We have been looking for a number of replacements with mediocre success.- Not the best to go over gravel or rough surfaces, the wheels are too small for that.The Ugly:- Must check the chair regularly for loosening bolts. This is a major concern, as other reviewers have pointed out. We found a decent replacement at Home Depot, although not as aesthetically pleasing as the originals.- Very disappointing to see the lack of interest from Drive Medical in either supplying repair parts or addressing this issue. This is really a pity, as this is such a great product.- So we ended up buying a new one and using the old one as a source of parts, not the greatest solution….The Final Verdict (2 years).We are very happy we found this wheelchair, as we have not been able to find a comparable product, at this price range. As I mentioned, we have even gifted now three of these to our relatives, as we found them incredibly helpful. However, some material quality issues could be improved and the loosening bolts/nuts are a big concern (obviously opportunity for a better product).

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   KatB – February 28, 2024

   
   We’ve had it for almost 5 years and I use it to help transport my husband who could not walk fast and far. We travel everywhere, Asia, Europe, Mexico, Central America and we are always thankful for it. The first year was a disappointment because like many others said, nuts and bolts got loose in critical areas like under the seat and bars, sometimes during traveling, in foreign cities , I had to stop by bicycle shops to get some help replacing them. They could never find the exact nuts and bolts for this chair so they had to use whatever they had in the shop. If traveling at home in the US, I would go into Home Depot to get a similar screws. The exact ones can be bought from Drive but they are very expensive and I would be very angry at customer service because it is a safety issue , a well reported complaint and yet they wanted to sell their special nuts and bolts at a high price as a replacement. After all the lost nuts and bolts were replaced and well tightened, the problem never occurs again. Of course we take very good care of it, trying to go slow on uneven pavement and avoid cobblestone streets. My husband would try to get up an walk a little when the road gets tough.It is so convenient to have that we are buying a second one so we can have him use the old one as a walker or to leave in car, and the new one for future travels. Here is our wish list, if the company is reading:1) sometimes when the road is uneven, my husband needs to walk a little and I wish i could pull this folded chair instead of carrying it or pushing an empty chair. Other companies seem to be able to solve it.2) we travel often and , because of his condition, we only have a backpack and a carry on. I wish there is a place in the back of the chair similar to a pullout footrest where I can lay down the carryon while pushing him. One reviewer mentioned she could push with one hand and pull the suitcase with another, but I dont see how that could be done it unless I twist my wrist.3) the foam on the handlebar gets worn out fast, i had to use the swim noodle foam to reenforce it.4) like someone said, there needs to be a piece of velcrow that can attach the footrest to the handlebar when folded so the chair does not open up during storage.5) solve the nuts and bolts problem. because of the special clientele that uses this, it is even more important to take care of this safety issue.Other than those items, the chair is light, compact when folded, smooth when pushed, and most important of all, it has a bar in the back to help lift the chair with one foot when crossing sidewalks. Other chairs only have one lever on one wheel and it is almost impossible to use one foot to lift the front of the chair. You just have to go backward and lift which is extremely inconvenient and dangerous when you want to cross the road fast.These have flaws but overall, they are a good fit for us.