Spent $450 on a power wheelchair add-on that barely worked on my own street

Back in 2019 I dropped $450 on one of those aftermarket power assist wheels for my manual chair. I thought it would let me cruise around my neighborhood in Syracuse without needing help. First bumpy sidewalk I hit, the thing just spun out and left me stuck. It claimed to handle slopes up to 10 degrees but my driveway is maybe 5 and it struggled. I see now how much better integrated options have gotten since then. Anyone else waste cash on mobility gear that looked great online but failed in real life?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.gavin16d ago

lol @ "claimed to handle slopes up to 10 degrees" - I mean come on, you gotta take those numbers with a grain of salt. Every company inflates their specs to make it look good on paper. My buddy bought one of those stair climbing attachments for his chair and the box literally showed it going up a full flight of stairs with no problem. First time he tried it at home it barely made it over two steps before the battery died. It's frustrating for sure but honestly I think people expect way too much from these cheap aftermarket gadgets. You paid $450 not $4500, you know?

jenniferwells16d ago

You ever had a friend who buys the absolute cheapest version of everything? My buddy Mike got one of those scooter lift things off Amazon, said it could handle 15% grades. Tried it on his driveway which is barely a hill and it just sat there beeping at him. @davis.gavin you're right, the marketing is always way better than the real deal.