Please note: until recently, the Rogue ALX was called the Tsunami ALX by Ki Mobility. The product is the same; only the name has changed.
Ki Mobility
While not as well known in the UK as brands such as Quickie and Kuschall, Ki have taken the US market by storm. Established in 2005 they have risen rapidly to become the second biggest supplier in North America for active wheelchairs, and are growing rapidly in the UK. This is driven by their exclusive focus on lightweight active wheelchairs, constantly driving their development with new innovations, unencumbered by other distractions.
Frame
The signature frame construction of Ki's rigid chairs is unlike anything else seen on the market. Made of ultra-stiff 7000 series aluminium with oversized 1 3/8" tubing, it is highly rigid and offers a level of vibration dampening not usually found on an aluminium chair. The Rogue ALX is a mere 1 kg heavier than Ki's flagship Rogue, the main difference being its precision machined aluminium castor housings.
Highly transportable, the Rogue ALX is available with an optional folding backrest locking mechanism - with the wheels popped off, the chair can be lifted over your body onto a car seat.
Seating
The Rogue ALX is custom built to provide you with a perfect fit. It is available in larger sizes than the Rogue - seat widths of up to 22 inches, and with an HD version offering a 25 stone (158.76 kg) weight capacity to fit heavier users; most active chairs have far lower capacities. Ki's stunning Axiom range of cushions and backrests are available with the Rogue ALX - we've found them to be so popular that many people buying other manufacturers' chairs have been opting for Axiom cushions; they offer a great combination of comfort, value and style.
The Rogue ALX maintains a good level of adjustability, allowing us to fine-tune its fit, and adapt the chair to your changing wheelchair skills. Many parts of the chair feature infinite adjustability, including the footplate and Crescent CG system, allowing a more precise fit than offered on other chairs.
Options
Just because the Rogue ALX has a low price does not mean it sacrifices any options or the ability to customise your chair. You can select from a wide range of footrests, armrests, front-frame bends, sideguards and loads more. Ki Mobility's Maxx Performance spoke wheels are a free of charge option, but are anything but basic - they offer great performance, and look as good as Spinergys. Should you want actual Spinergys, these are available too, as well as other industry standards including Frogs Legs castor forks, Natural Fit handrims and the ever-popular Marathon Plus Evolution puncture resistant tyres.
Styling
The Rogue ALX features a unique look thanks to its oversized frame tubing, unlike anything else on the market save for Ki's Rogue. It can be customised with your choice of 12 gloss and 9 matte frame colours, or even a selection of hydrographics. We think the matte colours look outstanding on the Rogue ALX, giving it a refined, understated look that you don't get from other more flashy chairs.
Our Verdict
We've found the Rogue ALX to be one of our most popular active chairs. It offers great value - excellent performance from a rigid chair at a reasonable price. What's great is that Ki chairs don't require you to spend a fortune to get the lightweight upgrades, and you can get a really high-end, great looking chair for barely more than the base price.
In fact, we like the Rogue ALX so much that we picked it for our hire fleet active wheelchair, due to its versatility, durability and overall popularity.
The Rogue ALX's most obvious competitor is Quickie's Argon2, which is a great chair - we've found many people opt to go for the Rogue ALX as it's just that bit different, and not something you see prescribed on the NHS. Rehasense's Icon 60 is available quicker as a "stock" product, but can't be customised in the same way. If your budget can stretch a bit further, then Kuschall's K-Series 2.0 is worth a look, you can upgrade to the high-end Rogue 2, which is Ki's flagship rigid active chair - lighter and higher-performing than the Rogue ALX.
