Betterlife Aries – Powered Wheelchair

Wheelchair Description:
Blue frame with a low backrest that folds in half and exposed batteries, which are easy to remove for transportation.

Battery Life:
Difficult to say as it has never run out on me!

Source of Wheelchair:
Betterlife Pharmacy

Diagnosis:
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

Personal Opinion:
Although this chair is pretty basic, I found it comfortable enough for shopping trips and days out; but I think you would struggle to sit in it for more than 6 hours due to the cushions. Compared to most of the Betterlife Aries is a fantastic value chair and fairly cheap. However, I think the name of this wheelchair might have changed since I bought it.

This wheelchair can be folded down, which makes it easier to transport. But because of my disability, I used a hoist that was attached to the boot of my CR-V to help me get it in and out of my car. It comes with two 12V batteries that can be removed for charging and it can supposedly reach a distance of up to 20 miles. My battery has never run out on me, so it is very reliable. The controller position can be altered; the footrests swing away; the height of the armrests can be adjusted or they can be removed to make it easier to transfer. It also has anti-tip wheels, so I always felt safe in it.

This wheelchair can be used both indoors and outdoors, although I don’t use it in my house as I have a different chair to use indoors. I had to use it for longer periods when on a training course for my assistance dog from Canine Partners and experienced no problems. The reason I no longer use this chair is that I now need a crash-tested chair.