For each product category in the Consumer Guide, we’ve collected a handful of items that appeared in NM in 2014. In some cases the original article is longer, so we’ve provided the link, in case you’d like to look up more information:

Smart Chair
(January, SCI Life)
Weighing only 50 pounds, the Smart Chair is the lightest full-on powerchair ever created, and even cooler — it’s foldable. That’s right, the Smart Chair can be folded and put in the backseat of most cars. While being able to put it back together independently, even for agile paraplegics, may be a bit tricky, it’s still a great solution if you want both a power wheelchair and the ability to ride in a car.

It also has built-in anti-tilt technology because of its lighter weight and has a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds. And before you speed demons sign up for one, know that it has a slower max speed — 3.75 mph. The best part is the price. The Smart Chair costs only $1,799 — a fraction of most powerchairs (but it isn’t made for someone who needs a complex rehab powerchair). The company is based in Los Angeles.

mysmartchair.com

Evoflex Pelvic Positioning Belt
(May, Innovations)
Athletes ranging from rugby to basketball players have long known the importance of using positioning straps to optimize ultralight wheelchair performance. After all, “anchoring” oneself to an ultralight maintains positioning and enhances the user-ultralight interface for better propulsion efficiency.

Bodypoint Designs took sport belt technology and integrated it into the new Evoflex everyday pelvic positioning belt. Rather than simply serving as a nylon lap belt, the Evoflex starts with a composite mounting strip with multiple holes, then runs that strip up through the belt’s padded pelvic side straps and finishes off with an adjustable pull strap and a push-button or aircraft style buckle. The result is an ultra-tough, super-supportive belt that, when released, springs to parallel with the sides of the seat, never flopping into the spokes like nylon lap belts sometimes do. What’s more, because of the Evoflex’s inner structure and wide pads, it can be mounted anywhere, from a 45-degree angle across your pelvic region to 90 degrees across your upper thighs with a range of frame- mounting hardware options. The Evoflex comes in three sizes and offers additional Velcro-on pelvic pads if increased padding or positioning support is needed. Some hardcore wheelers may not think of a “lap belt” as cool, but the Evoflex is an awesome way to maximize manual propulsion.

www.bodypoint.com