2024 has not been a good year for me health wise. Putting aside the usual ups and downs of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, having a perforated bowel, sepsis, major abdominal surgery, followed by an arthritis diagnosis and then an acute kidney injury thanks to Norovirus – it’s a safe to say I don’t have the physical stamina I once did. It became apparent that my previous manual wheelchair is not adequate – enter my new sidekick:
The Sunrise Medical Quickie Carbon Q50R
For context, my previous set-up was a lightweight manual RGK fixed frame Wheelchair, with a power adaption to use as needed. To be honest, I never got on well with the Streetjet power adaption, as I simply wasn’t strong enough to use it and found that if anything I’d end up in more pain. However, it worked well enough for a time and back when I was stronger in my upper body, I quite enjoyed the challenge of a manual chair!
However, once I started to get really sick, it became totally impractical. Self-propelling was painful and because my manual chair didn’t have push handles, I couldn’t get anyone to help me easily. Getting to work was becoming a nightmare, and I was avoiding leaving the house…
First impressions
There’s something endlessly exciting about a massive cardboard box arriving at your house and this wheelchair was no exception. Unpacking it was a bit of a mission, I needed my carers help to actually get into the packaging which was extremely ‘secure’. I’d love to meet the person who thought that needing you to lift the wheelchair about 5 foot in the air in order to remove it from the box thought it was a good idea… but that’s a story for another day. (Sunrise Medical – if you’re reading this, please let me help you learn how to package things accessibly).
Once we finally got it out though, I was impressed. It’s slimline and compact which is exactly what I was looking for in a chair, so that it could fit into my cars boot. Given that I have only recently switched to the world of powered chairs, I wasn’t ready to go all-out and change to WAV as well, so this is a good in the middle for people who are transitioning manual-to-powered. I can’t say it’s the prettiest chair I’ve ever seen – more than one person has likened it to an ‘office chair with jet propulsion’.
The good stuff – features I’m loving:
It’s powerful: No more breaking a sweat trying to get up ramps on the train, or across grass. The Q50R handles inclines fairly well and feels like it’s got a decent amount of power. It doesn’t cope overly well on pavements that camber (which describes the majority of England) but I found ways to work around it.
Long-lasting charge: The battery on this chair holds a charge for a good few hours, which is a massive win for me. Having trekked London, attending the Wembley Taylor Swift concert and gotten back to my hotel, I still had half a battery left – not bad going!
Plenty of space to stash things: I like that there’s lots of places to attach things onto the chair, which makes life easier when I’m out and about. You can see a video here, of how I’ve ‘pimped my ride’. There’s also a handy zip pouch under the seat, which makes carrying the charging cable easy.
Foldability: The folding mechanism is clever, and makes it so much easier to take in and out of the car. It was a bit stiff to begin with, but it’s loosening over time. My Motability car has a hoist in the boot, so the two work hand-in-hand when I’m out and about. Together, they’re a dream team!
The Era’s tour: Taylor Swift
As mentioned earlier, one of my first big outings with the new chair was seeing Taylor Swift at Wembley. Honestly, having the powered chair made the whole experience more fun, in ways I hadn’t even realised it could. Instead of constantly worrying about how I was going to get around, or if I was causing problems for my carer, I could focus on enjoying the trip and the experience in a way I never have before.
The chair handled London’s chaos and Wembley’s crowds without breaking a sweat, and let’s be real if it can cope with that, I’m pretty sure it’s got a good grip for most adventures!
Comfort and usability
As with every wheelchair, there’s always things that could be improved. In the case of the Q50R, it’s obvious that it hasn’t been designed by a person with a disability – something I find frustrating but sadly, not surprising. The seat cushion is hard to sit on, which isn’t ideal on long days out and is nowhere near comparable to the fantastic wheelchair cushion from my RGK chair.
I’m quite short (5’5), so I find the positioning of the wheelchair to be reasonably comfortable, but I note that the footplate isn’t adjustable which could be an issue for anyone any taller. There’s nothing customisable about the frame, meaning it really is ‘take it or leave it’ in terms of sitting position. The back rest is a mesh type material, which is quite hard to lean against. It provides good structure, but it isn’t the most comfortable after several hours.
What my carers and friends have said
One of the best parts about getting this new wheelchair has been seeing the reaction to it from my carers and friends. They’re loving the fact that I can be so much more independent now while I’m out, and actually enjoy things like shopping or walks in the park without straining myself.
For me, it’s not just about independence – it’s about being able to go places and do things with the people I want to, without feeling like a chore or worrying about hurting peoples backs.
Quirks I could do without
Every wheelchair has it’s quirks and the Q50R is no exception. For instance, it comes with a cup holder that I quickly realised was basically useless, as it’s very small and floppy. Far from holding your drink, it ends up tipping it down you!
Then of course, there’s the brand name ‘Quickie’. I don’t know who came up with that, or decided to plaster it all over various models of wheelchairs (in lights on this model!), but I’ve definitely been at the receiving end of some ill-humoured jokes over it. Just not necessary, and doesn’t add to my experience with the wheelchair at all.
Final thoughts
This wheelchair definitely isn’t perfect, but it’s a good bridge-gap between a manual chair and a full-powerchair, for people like me that are transitioning through their mobility aid needs. Realistically, I think I have (hopefully) a few years with this chair, before upgrading to something a bit more permanent and more supportive, but that’s down the line.
It’s given me a huge improvement in terms of my mobility compared to where I was at and I now have a level of freedom that I haven’t had for a long time. It’s made going out again fun, rather than exhausting and painful. It got me to see Taylor Swift – and that was a major goal that I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy half as much without it.
If you’re in the market for something powered, and you’re in a similar situation to mine – someone is ambulatory but needs something that’s an upgrade from a manual chair – the Q50R might be a good option for you.
In making my decision on this chair, I did consider some alternative models, including the Whill. The feature that helped me to decide on this chair was the ability to fold, with minimal energy needed to dismantle it. I’d be very interested to try other chairs that come apart, or fold, but they do seem few and far between. What wheelchair do you use? I’m always interested to hear about new ones that come onto the market so do chat with me.
