Fold & Go Wheelchairs

[MS_Warrior]

Those of you who’ve been using the Fold & Go for a while, would you be willing to give me a brief review? I tried it out at the Abilities Expo in Houston yesterday. It was comfortable and I was able to maneuver with the joystick (would need practice to get good, of course).

I’d just like to know how those of you who are using it like it after having it a while.

Thank you so much!

 

[Groot]

Omg, these are the Rolls Royce of the folding powerchair sector. Take with that what you will

 

[bluecruiser]

I will try to post something myself later, but if you have a chance, take a look at this thread for some good info:

My NEW Fold and Go Wheelchair is the best investment that I have ever made. Great at Disney and everywhere

This was what convinced me to get my Fold & Go Magshock.


Oops, I see you found that thread a long time ago

 

[MS_Warrior]

I will try to post something myself later, but if you have a chance, take a look at this thread for some good info:

My NEW Fold and Go Wheelchair is the best investment that I have ever made. Great at Disney and everywhere

This was what convinced me to get my Fold & Go Magshock.


Oops, I see you found that thread a long time ago

Thank you! I did read that one a long time ago, but I know Ray had just gotten his. I was wondering if those who’ve used them a few years, now still love them! Thanks!

 

[mamabunny]

I've had mine for a while, and I love it! It did take me a bit longer to get used to than I thought it would (our fearless leaders @Sue M in MN and @lanejudy were right when they said there could be a learning curve for new users!) but my hubby set up a little obstacle course for me in the garage with lots of tight turns to practice for queues and navigating through shops at WDW, and it helped me a lot! Sadly, I got mine delivered right at the start of the pandemic, and so Figgy (short for Figment because he's sparkly and purple and made of pure imagination!) and I haven't had too many adventures... yet! But we will!

It's *very* comfortable for me to sit in - I have RA, FM, and a whole host of un-fun stuff happening with my SI Joints and I am a wreck from S1 down, but I can sit in Figgy all day. I am still able to stand to transfer for now, so it's very easy to get in and out of for me. Honestly, I'm not sure there is a single thing I would change about Figgy, unless they come out with a rainbow glitter holographic paint, in which case Figgy will be left in the dust faster than you can say "Oooooooh *sparkly*!" (I'm a sucker for anything that sparkles LOL)

My hubs is notoriously particular about my mobility devices, and after he gave his to Angus (my TravelScoot) I thought I might never find another mobility device that he would approve of! When Figgy arrived, he examined it so carefully before he would even let me sit in it - he wanted to make sure that all of the welds were good, and the construction was sturdy, and that it was safe! But, Figgy has his hard-earned of approval now, so as soon as I am cleared for travel again, away we will go!

Oh - and the day I ordered? Hardest part was picking the frame color!!!

 

[MS_Warrior]

Thank you! Do you use the airline cover? How hard it is to do while you have people wanting to get on the plan behind you? Are the airlines patient?

I have MS, RA, DJD and a bunch of other junk, too. I can still walk, but the distance is less and I’m needing to use a wc/scooter more often. I think the F&G might be the way to go.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I've had mine for a while, and I love it! It did take me a bit longer to get used to than I thought it would (our fearless leaders @Sue M in MN and @lanejudy were right when they said there could be a learning curve for new users!) but my hubby set up a little obstacle course for me in the garage with lots of tight turns to practice for queues and navigating through shops at WDW, and it helped me a lot! Sadly, I got mine delivered right at the start of the pandemic, and so Figgy (short for Figment because he's sparkly and purple and made of pure imagination!) and I haven't had too many adventures... yet! But we will!

It's *very* comfortable for me to sit in - I have RA, FM, and a whole host of un-fun stuff happening with my SI Joints and I am a wreck from S1 down, but I can sit in Figgy all day. I am still able to stand to transfer for now, so it's very easy to get in and out of for me. Honestly, I'm not sure there is a single thing I would change about Figgy, unless they come out with a rainbow glitter holographic paint, in which case Figgy will be left in the dust faster than you can say "Oooooooh *sparkly*!" (I'm a sucker for anything that sparkles LOL)

My hubs is notoriously particular about my mobility devices, and after he gave his to Angus (my TravelScoot) I thought I might never find another mobility device that he would approve of! When Figgy arrived, he examined it so carefully before he would even let me sit in it - he wanted to make sure that all of the welds were good, and the construction was sturdy, and that it was safe! But, Figgy has his hard-earned of approval now, so as soon as I am cleared for travel again, away we will go!

Oh - and the day I ordered? Hardest part was picking the frame color!!!

I went ahead and ordered it. I got the black. The purple was out of stock, but I also liked the black one really well. I did test drive it at the abilities expo. I kept on the lowest speed and was able to control it better than I expected. It’s going to take a lot of practice before I will be comfortable taking out into the world, though.

Thank you for all of your help. I appreciate the patience in answering questions over the years.

 

[CJN]

Thank you! Do you use the airline cover? How hard it is to do while you have people wanting to get on the plan behind you? Are the airlines patient?

I have MS, RA, DJD and a bunch of other junk, too. I can still walk, but the distance is less and I’m needing to use a wc/scooter more often. I think the F&G might be the way to go.

I use the travel cover. It‘s a pretty tight fit so I recommend practicing putting it on and off a few times before traveling. A) to get yourself used to putting it on and B) to help get a little stretch into it. That said, you do want a snug fit though. I use a velcro strap to hold the chair in the folded position. Makes it easier to get the cover on.

I‘ve only flown Alaska Air with it. Because I note on the ticket reservation that I’ll be flying with my own power chair I get notified to be there extra early and can’t check in online. The chair gets inspected at the check-in counter and tagged. There’s a required form I download and fill out ahead of time. Then it’s usually looked at again at the gate to verify it‘s tagged. They usually have me pre-board a full 30 minutes before regular boarding begins, even before they announce pre-boarding. We fold and put on the cover right at the plane door. Because of the early boarding there are usually only a few (if any) other passengers in the jetway. So, no, we haven’t had to worry much about there being people behind us. If there are, there’s generally enough room to be to the side. And, yes, the airline folks have been patient.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I use the travel cover. It‘s a pretty tight fit so I recommend practicing putting it on and off a few times before traveling. A) to get yourself used to putting it on and B) to help get a little stretch into it. That said, you do want a snug fit though. I use a velcro strap to hold the chair in the folded position. Makes it easier to get the cover on.

I‘ve only flown Alaska Air with it. Because I note on the ticket reservation that I’ll be flying with my own power chair I get notified to be there extra early and can’t check in online. The chair gets inspected at the check-in counter and tagged. There’s a required form I download and fill out ahead of time. Then it’s usually looked at again at the gate to verify it‘s tagged. They usually have me pre-board a full 30 minutes before regular boarding begins, even before they announce pre-boarding. We fold and put on the cover right at the plane door. Because of the early boarding there are usually only a few (if any) other passengers in the jetway. So, no, we haven’t had to worry much about there being people behind us. If there are, there’s generally enough room to be to the side. And, yes, the airline folks have been patient.

Thank you! I ordered the travel cover. The Velcro strap sounds like a good idea also. I currently travel with a mobility scooter and haven’t had any issues, but I will get my DH to practice with the cover several times before we fly with the chair.

I appreciate your input!

 

[mamabunny]

Thank you! Do you use the airline cover? How hard it is to do while you have people wanting to get on the plan behind you? Are the airlines patient?

I have MS, RA, DJD and a bunch of other junk, too. I can still walk, but the distance is less and I’m needing to use a wc/scooter more often. I think the F&G might be the way to go.

I personally don't have the airline cover (yet). I have not yet flown with Figgy... Given that I have yet to ever fly when they didn't put my device down in the hold, I probably will get it at some point. I do remember Ray Sharpton saying that he struggled a bit (the velcro on the strap kept getting caught in the jetway carpet that has to go under to secure the cover). If/when I get one, I'm going to practice at home until I can slip it on/off pretty quickly. I will also remove the joystick, and take it in the cabin with me. Some airlines may require the batteries to be removed also, and carried into the cabin in a bag, and stored by the flight attendants in a special spot that is designated by the airline, the captain and/or the FAs.

 

[ppony]

I've had mine for a year and a half now. With a few minor quibbles, I love it! I love that it's easy to stow in our trunk and I can go shopping again. I used it at WDW a few months after first getting it and it contributed to what we all considered our BEST WDW vacation EVER.
I didn't get their cover bcz I was worried about it being a bit snug and having to struggle a bit. We All know how struggling w/ something while ppl are waiting to get on the plane is the last thing you want to be doing. But I did get one on Amazon that worked great, it was roomier. I recommend using a cover when flying. My chair had to go under the plane, but I was able to drive right up to the aircraft's door and hubby then folded it up and put it in the carrier bag and removed the controller.

I'd be happy too answer any questions too. pssst, I got the purple one.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I've had mine for a year and a half now. With a few minor quibbles, I love it! I love that it's easy to stow in our trunk and I can go shopping again. I used it at WDW a few months after first getting it and it contributed to what we all considered our BEST WDW vacation EVER. I'd be happy too answer any questions too.

That’s great to hear. I just got mine to replace my scooter. What accessories do you consider a “must have” for yours?

 

[ppony]

That’s great to hear. I just got mine to replace my scooter. What accessories do you consider a “must have” for yours?

I keep a few carabiner clips hanging on the back of it to clip things to when I need extra hands. I have a pouch too on the pack attached by velcro straps to keep things like rain ponchos in. But for me, I found I didn't really need much. I'd DIE for a really GOOD cup holder that worked tho. Nothing I tried ever worked. So I ended up getting Tervo canister w/ a opening for hanging to just put on afore mentioned carabiner. And I'd HIGHLY recommend a seat cushion for WDW. You'll be in that thing for a l-o-n-g time. An extra pad made the difference for my butt and back.

 

[ppony]

update: I see they now have a cup holder! Didn't have one a few years ago. This one looks like it will work. Other ones are made to go around a round tube, the frame's tubes aren't round, so average cupholders don't work. I'll try this one out for sure.

 

[MS_Warrior]

update: I see they now have a cup holder! Didn't have one a few years ago. This one looks like it will work. Other ones are made to go around a round tube, the frame's tubes aren't round, so average cupholders don't work. I'll try this one out for sure.

Great advice! THank you! I have one of the canisters that could hook to a carabiner.

 

[CJN]

That’s great to hear. I just got mine to replace my scooter. What accessories do you consider a “must have” for yours?

My fold & go was also to replace an ECV. While I love using it, I will admit one thing I did not think about ahead of time was no longer having the convenience of a front basket available. I ALWAYS (or my companions) had that ECV basket full of stuff. So it definitely means needing a bag on the back. But a back bag is inconvenient for the essentials that I want quick access to - phone, glasses, lip balm, etc. I tried to solve that with a side bag/pouch on an armrest. The problem with that is I was surprised how often I wanted to lift the armrest, especially getting in or out, but then the side pouch would flop around or even have stuff fall out. So now I wear either a small crossbody bag or waist bag for those little things. That works great with stuff right at my fingertips.

I also tried the cup holder from F&G but didn’t care for it. If it’s mounted on a side arm, it just seems to stick out too much for me. It made it a tad more difficult for some doorways and sometimes other people would brush against it. I just didn’t like that. Plus, there was the same problem of me wanting to raise the arm and then needing to take the drink out first. I ended up getting two soft body cup holders to velcro onto the side frame of the back. They work really well (my hydro flask fits perfectly). The downside is it’s a little more difficult to reach but I usually have helpers along.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Those of you who’ve been using the Fold & Go for a while, would you be willing to give me a brief review? I tried it out at the Abilities Expo in Houston yesterday. It was comfortable and I was able to maneuver with the joystick (would need practice to get good, of course).

I’d just like to know how those of you who are using it like it after having it a while.

Thank you so much!

I've had mine for about 2 years now, and I really love it. The battery life is still great (more than enough even for a day criss-crossing EPCOT...or driving 2 miles each way to pick up groceries!), and I haven't had any mechanical problems or anything like that (knock wood). I've done two Disney trips with it now, plus a bunch of errand-running around my town when I can't drive, and it's done great. The only issues I've had when using the chair have been accessibility issues (e.g. why does Google Maps tell me that is accessible when there's a 3" ledge I have to hoist the chair onto? Why must places use such uncomfortable paving for sake of "realism"?). I love its size and weight, especially when traveling, and it's held up on planes surprisingly well. It goes up ramps much steeper than ADA-grade without a problem, and I was pleasantly surprised by how strong/sturdy its brakes are - on subways/trains where there's no tie-downs, you still don't move AT ALL...coming down steep ramps you don't come forward faster than you control it, etc. The learning curve was also much easier than I feared - I had the hang of it within one 'walk' around the neighbourhood and felt like a pro within a couple trips on public transit.

A few nitpicks: I do wish there were more of a "quick release" option on the joystick when flying, because twisting it on and off at each layover gets really old. I also wish that there were a better way to keep the joystick from dragging when you roll the folded chair - for example, to/from the car.

I will say I haven't been particularly impressed with any of their accessories. The cupholder didn't hold a full cup of anything without spilling (with lid obviously), and both it and the phone holder were identical to versions I could find on Amazon for a few bucks less.

But as far as the chair itself goes, I'm very glad I chose this model. It was by far the best fit for me and my needs.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Thank you! Do you use the airline cover? How hard it is to do while you have people wanting to get on the plan behind you? Are the airlines patient?

I have MS, RA, DJD and a bunch of other junk, too. I can still walk, but the distance is less and I’m needing to use a wc/scooter more often. I think the F&G might be the way to go.

I didn't get the airline cover because I was worried it would be a pain to use, especially since I would also have to take time to take off the joystick. I have had it stowed under the plane for at least a dozen or so flights now, and there haven't been any problems except they did manage to break my luggage bar this last trip. The chair itself didn't have any damage though.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I didn't get the airline cover because I was worried it would be a pain to use, especially since I would also have to take time to take off the joystick. I have had it stowed under the plane for at least a dozen or so flights now, and there haven't been any problems except they did manage to break my luggage bar this last trip. The chair itself didn't have any damage though.

Thanks for letting me know.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I

A few nitpicks: I do wish there were more of a "quick release" option on the joystick when flying, because twisting it on and off at each layover gets really old. I also wish that there were a better way to keep the joystick from dragging when you roll the folded chair - for example, to/from the car.

I will say I haven't been particularly impressed with any of their accessories. The cupholder didn't hold a full cup of anything without spilling (with lid obviously), and both it and the phone holder were identical to versions I could find on Amazon for a few bucks less.

But as far as the chair itself goes, I'm very glad I chose this model. It was by far the best fit for me and my needs.

I also bought the Velcro soft drink holders. I tried the robocup, but didn’t like it. Glad to hear you’re happy with the chair.

I understand the uncomfortable roads and lack of access - even when it says there is access. This is a replacement for a scooter, so I’ve had those issues, also.

Thank you for taking the time to answer me. You’ve made me feel better about getting it!