Finding a way to protect your shoulders is a priority for many manual wheelchair users. The human body is not built to push a wheelchair and our shoulders take most of the punishment. The SMOOV One by Alber is a new rear-mounted power assist wheel that can be attached to both rigid and folding wheelchairs. It aims to reduce stress on our shoulders and make it easier to push our wheelchairs. At the time of this review, I was dealing with cartilage damage in my left shoulder and knew I needed to find a way to protect my shoulders. I decided to put the SMOOV One to the test.

The Review

Typically, a technician from a DME provider would install the SMOOV One, but COVID restrictions prevented that. Nevertheless, my aide was able to install the 16-pound unit in about 20 minutes by attaching a mounting bracket to my wheelchair’s camber tube. The only tricky part was getting the bracket perfectly centered and making sure that the locking mechanism was at the proper height so the SMOOV One made contact with the ground.

For folding chairs, an adapter axle is available that attaches to the quick-release axles on the wheels. The drive unit locks on the adapter axle in the same way that it would lock onto the mounting bracket on a rigid chair. The final step in the installation process is attaching the mounting plate for the control unit, which can be installed anywhere convenient on the frame. Once everything is installed correctly and turned on, the drive unit and control unit link via Bluetooth, and the SMOOV One is ready to go.

The SMOOV One is easy to use. The speed is controlled by turning the dial on the control unit forward and back. The dial turns easily, so it is best to start slowly and work your way up to higher speeds. It is easy to accelerate too quickly, which can lead to dangerous situations. The SMOOV One has a maximum speed of 6 mph. It feels very fast — much faster than what 6 mph feels like in my power chair. Once you find an appropriate speed for what you are doing, all you need to do is steer the chair like normal.

Slowing down and stopping the SMOOV One can be done in two ways. First, the user can turn the dial on the control unit backwards to slow it down. If the user turns the dial back far enough, the SMOOV One will shut off. Second, the user can tap the dial on the control unit to stop the SMOOV One faster. This will shut the drive unit off, and the chair will gently — but quickly — slow down. The SMOOV One responded as expected every time I tried to stop. The user will still need to hold on to the pushrims to bring the chair to a complete stop.

The biggest improvement the SMOOV One made for me was making it easier to get up hills. My neighborhood has a few long, gradual inclines that are manageable but still somewhat difficult. There is also a steep hill that I would not try to get up on my best day. The SMOOV One made both the gradual and steep inclines effortless. I was unsure if the SMOOV One could handle the steep hill, but I made it up in a few seconds without a single push.

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One of the coolest features of the SMOOV One is the app that can be used to adjust its drive settings and monitor its status. The SMOOV One comes with three settings — Eco, Tour and Sport — that can be used in different situations. There is also the “My” setting that allows the user to completely customize the functionality of the SMOOV One. I found this to be especially useful to make getting up short steep ramps easier. The ramp on my van has always been difficult for me, but by turning the acceleration down and the torque up, I was able to get up it after a little bit of practice. I also found this setting to be useful when going over bumpy and grassy surfaces. The SMOOV One app is free for both iOS and Android devices.

The only major problem I encountered while demoing the SMOOV One was that the drive unit would pop off in some instances while I was going backwards. For example, the curb at the end of my driveway is steep and my footplate hits the ground first when going down toward the street, which could lead to disastrous consequences. Therefore, I go backwards down the curb. However, when going backwards, I hit the seam in the concrete between my driveway and the curb, and this little bump is enough to make the drive unit detach from the locking mechanism. Obviously, this would be a huge problem for someone who might be alone and would need assistance reattaching the drive unit.  The engineers at Alber were made aware of the problem, and hopefully a fix will come soon.

The SMOOV One is a great option for anybody looking for a power assist device for their wheelchair. It is simple to install, reduces the demand on the user’s shoulders and arms and can help make it easier to navigate inclines and uneven surfaces. Even with the cartilage damage in my shoulder, I traveled distances that I would not have been able to without the SMOOV One. Having a device like the SMOOV One would likely help to mitigate any future damage to my shoulders.

The customization for individual users through the app also provides many different levels of performance that may be suitable for different situations. There are many power assist devices available for wheelchair users nowadays, and the SMOOV One is certainly worth considering. The SMOOV One is the best rear-mounted power assist wheel that I have tried. I would consider getting one for myself and I would recommend it for those looking to protect their shoulders and arms, and for anyone who needs a boost getting up inclines or pushing long distances.

That said, it does take some time to get used to, and I would not recommend it for a new wheelchair user who is not yet confident in their ability to safely get around in a wheelchair, especially a quad. For someone who does not push long distances or is looking for something to help get around the office or while shopping, I would recommend something like the E-Motion power assist wheels made by Alber instead.  The SMOOV One can be ordered through a DME provider, an Alber or Invacare sales representative, or at shop.smoov.com. The SMOOV One is covered by many insurance plans and retails for $6,895.00.

Watch this video for a demonstration of the SMOOV One on a hill.

 

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