Pride i-Go Folding Powerchair

Key Features:

• Easy to fold
• Lightweight 19.8 kg frame
• Lithium-ion batteries
• Ultra narrow

Description

Pride's i-Go is a folding powered wheelchair, featuring lightweight Lithium-ion batteries, and weighing under 20 kg, allowing it to be easily transported. While its performance outdoors is limited, the super-light yet durable frame and ultra-compact size make it ideal for those needing a highly portable powerchair.

The i-Go has been largely superseded by the new i-Go Plus - which is only marginally more expensive, and features much improved outdoor performance, better comfort, and a smoother folding motion. We would therefore recommend opting for the i-Go Plus in almost every circumstance.

Unlike traditional folding powerchairs, the i-Go is relatively simple to fold up - no complex wiring or dismantling is needed. Remove the joystick, lift the cushion off, and fold it up - although from our experience this is a little fiddly and doesn't compare with the ease with which the i-Go Plus folds. It'll then stand up, folded - great for those lacking storage space, and can be conveniently wheeled around like a trolley. The Lithium-ion batteries can be lifted straight out, and the chair itself weighs a mere 19.8 kg. This allows it to be lifted into and out of a car by an able-bodied person.

The i-Go features front suspension to cushion your ride; however it must be noted that this suspension is fairly basic. Combined with the small wheels and motors, this does mean the i-Go has limited performance outside, and even pavements are a struggle for it; this is definitely not a wheelchair you could drive off road. Realistically the i-Go is suitable for indoor use or within a shopping centre, and anything beyond that it will struggle with. The i-Go is unique in that it is only powered by one battery at a time. Once one has run out, simply slide out the lightweight battery and swap it over with the other - this is designed so it can be done by the person in the chair. The i-Go has a range of up to 8 miles (4 per battery) - this is a chair for short trips and journeys, not for use all day.

A padded cushion keeps you comfortable, while a convenient storage pouch under the seat allows you to carry your belongings with you. The seating is comfortable for the short journeys the i-Go is designed to make - it is not a clinical seating system, though, so cannot be adjusted to suit more advanced postural or comfort needs.

Pride's i-Go is a massive improvement on traditional "folding powechairs" like the Roma Sirocco, which requires more complex disassembly and whose weight needs at least two able bodied people to lift. For those that require more advanced seating, we would suggest Invacare's revolutionary Esprit Action4 NG - while this requires a little more disassembly, this is easy to do, and the heaviest part being just 15 kg makes it even easier to lift than the i-Go. The Esprit is significantly more expensive, but has configurable seating that allows it to cater to those needing a precise fit or with more advanced seating needs, rather than taking the i-Go's "one size fits all" approach.

Overall, while the i-Go was an impressive product when launched, a truly lightweight folding powerchair that is easy to use, at this point we would not recommend it as the i-Go Plus is a far superior powerchair for only a very small increase in price.

Technical Specs