New wheelchair. help please!

[juju10]

hi everyone,
so i'm currently in a power chair and want to get out. my friend is selling me is e-motions and i need to get a chair that's compatible with it and i've narrowed it down to the tilite rigid chairs, but i don't know which one! could i get some opinions? also, would you mind checking out my measurements and see what you think? I have a c4/c5 incomplete sci. i'm 5'5 and about 110lb. these measurements were taken from my quickie q7 and that thing is so uncomfortable...so i'm guessing i wasn't measured properly for it?? (i went through a wheelchair tech company)


rear seat width: 16
seat depth: 15
front seat height: 18.5
rear seat height: 14.5
front frame angle:
footrest width: 1.5 taper
seat to back angle:
center of gravity: 2
rear wheel spacing: 1.5

[~Lin]

If your other chair is so uncomfortable I would definitely say the measurements aren't rigt. In addition it's tricky to change over measurements to a different company. So I would be starting from scratch on that!

[underthesun]

Originally Posted by juju10

hi everyone,
so i'm currently in a power chair and want to get out. my friend is selling me is e-motions and i need to get a chair that's compatible with it and i've narrowed it down to the tilite rigid chairs, but i don't know which one! could i get some opinions? also, would you mind checking out my measurements and see what you think? I have a c4/c5 incomplete sci. i'm 5'5 and about 110lb. these measurements were taken from my quickie q7 and that thing is so uncomfortable...so i'm guessing i wasn't measured properly for it?? (i went through a wheelchair tech company)


rear seat width: 16
seat depth: 15
front seat height: 18.5
rear seat height: 14.5
front frame angle:
footrest width: 1.5 taper
seat to back angle:
center of gravity: 2
rear wheel spacing: 1.5

Do you think you can post a photo of you sitting in your wheelchair? That might help others to diagnose what's wrong with your wheelchair and its measurements.

You'll be much happier with a TiLite, guaranteed.

[juju10]

underthesun, are you in a tilite? do you have any recommendations? i'll work on getting a picture

[chasmengr]

juju, for your first TiLite, get an adjustable one so you can tweak it to fit better: a ZRA/AeroZ or AeroR. (The ZRA and AeroZ are the same chair except the frame materials differ (titanium and aluminum, respectively)). A first chair will never quite fit right out of the box. All these can be made compatible with e-motions.

Originally Posted by juju10

rear seat width: 16
seat depth: 15
. . .
rear wheel spacing: 1.5

Based 5'5" & 110#, these measurements do seem big. I'm 5'8" & 205# with 17x16 and 0.75".

[juju10]

thanks, chas! so is the tr3 and zr not as adjustable as the 2 you mentioned?

also, does anyone have any recommendations of the best place to order online?

[chasmengr]

Only the CoG, backrest angles, and footrest lengths can be adjusted on the TR and ZR. The ZRA/AeroZ and AeroR have those same adjustments plus RSH and FSH. The AeroR also has adjustable wheel base, and can be ordered with swing-away footrests. (note: FSH adjustments are quite limited, and often requires new parts.)

[chasmengr]

Review each chair's order form for more detailed information (on TiLite's USA site.).

[chasmengr]

Bike-on.com, Sportaid.com

[underthesun]

Originally Posted by juju10

underthesun, are you in a tilite? do you have any recommendations? i'll work on getting a picture

I'm using a Ti Lite TRC (same as the TR, both were discontinued but the newest version is the TR3). It's a Ti Lite with minimal adjustability. Based on my own experience and what others say, the TRC really sets the gold standard for rigid lightweight chairs but the drawback is that you need to get the measurements right since there's little room for tweaking. The TRs are all welded together so basically, less adjustments/moving parts equals less hassle and less worry about parts falling off.

A lot of first-time Ti Lite wheelchair users opt for the ZRA (my first was a TRC though).

It really depends on what you prioritize: a chair with endless adjustability or a "streamlined" chair that's lighter/durable.

But, I hope you can find the measurements right for you. As you'll see, most of us have gone through some terrible experiences with therapists and/or durable medical equipment suppliers who did not know their stuff.