Gerald Simonds to distribute world’s lightest wheelchair power add-on to mobility retailers
Gerald Simonds Healthcare, one of the UK’s most established retailers and distributors of wheelchairs and add-on powerdrives, has continued its tradition of adopting lightweight mobility products as it confirms it will distribute the new UNAwheel Mini power add-on in the UK.
Described as the world’s lightest power add-on, weighing in at just 5.3kg, the UNAwheel Mini by UNAcare made its UK debut at 2019’s Naidex. The claim of “world’s lightest” however has been disputed by RHealthcare, the supplier of the Todo Drive.
Attaching to the front of a wheelchair, the device features a length of 85cm and a wheel diameter of 6-inches. Capable of being picked up by one hand, UNAwheel Mini meets all air travel guidelines and can also easily fit into the boot of an average small family car, making it transportable for days out and holidays.
Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery which provides three speed modes, a maximum range of 15km and enough power to climb a 14 percent gradient, the UNAwheel Mini can be attached or detached from most manual wheelchairs in under 10 seconds by two movements.
The three speed modes consist of first (up to 6kph – for public roads), second (up to 16kph for use on private land) and a reverse mode of up to 6kph. The Central Positioning Mechanism of the unit allows the user to control their wheelchair comfortably while the LCD display keeps the user up to date with travel time, current speed and battery level.
Additionally, the UNAwheel Mini also comes with a travel bag for easy transportation when not in use and, in addition, the device’s handles are detachable to enable it to become more compact.
Well-known in the industry for importing innovative, lightweight mobility products, being the original UK distributor for the first lightweight rigid framed wheelchairs in production, Gerald Simonds is the UK’s distributor of the UNAwheel Mini, selling the product to individual customers and retailers.
The new product follows a number of new power add-ons to enter the mobility market, with the product segment being one of the fastest-growing as active wheelchair users look for a solution to provide an extra without making the transition to a powerchair.
In June, THIIS covered the rise of the powered add-on market, as well as examined the potential confusion and lack of clarity concerning the regulations that govern devices such as powered handbike attachments.
The UK distributor is now taking pre-orders for the UNAwheel Mini and says retailers can arrange a demo of the product, however, confirmed availability will not be until October.
