Wheelchairs - anyone have an R82 Cougar or panther?

[wentshopping]

I'm looking at replacing dd's aging wheelchair, and wonder about r82 range. I can't go and see any until I am in the UK (full range not carried where I live), so I am wondering if anyone has any hints or tips - ideally want a chair that is not too heavy when folded to put in a car boot, easy to manoeuvre, supportive seating/headrest, bits don't fall off, easy to keep clean ...

[BeeMom]

When you get into "true" supportive seating, you lose a lot in lightweight, but as long as the seat/back assembly are easily removable, this shouldn't bee too much of an issue.

The panther is a rigid chair, so it does not fold, per se. You can remove the back, fold down the back canes and pop off the wheels, but that is as small as it gets. Depending on your boot size, this may be fine. The cougar is the same, and capable of being outfitted with tilt/recline, which will make the weight skyrocket, and renders it unfoldable.

The R82 Cheetah is a slick looking chair, but less supportive in the upper body. I do not believe it is transport rated as equipped.

We don't have the same line of chairs available in Canada - Bee has the Zippie Zone, and it is a decent chair. It is very lightweight as a base model chair, but once we got her seating system on it, it lost a lot of the lightweight benefits.

[wentshopping]

Thanks BeeMom - dd has a quickie Zippie - folds in two parts but the wheel base part is so heavy to lift into the car. I don't need it to go in a car very often, except when in the UK for a month visiting family when I would love it to unfold quickly and easily. It has to be transportable as the rest of the time it is tied down in a van. I just hate all the extra pieces of metal all over the zippie - I would love something sleek-looking, that looks as if it was designed this century.

[BeeMom]

The Zippie Zone is a lightweight rigid frame - definitely not like the Zippie you are thinking of. It does not tilt/recline, but loads pretty easily once you pop off the wheels.

[twlight]

the R82 cougar is really heavy and i doubt you would get it in the back of a car - have you looked at the chunc range ? they have good support, light weight and back removes to go into car boots.

[mateypants]

We have an R82 Panther which our daughter Emily has outgrown, she is now thirteen, and it has been a great chair for her. It is very tough, (still not entirely Emily proof though!), and is good for a few more years yet for someone smaller. It does need a new ram under the seat to enable the tilt in space function to work properly. I should say, though, that we have used it for five years in a wheelchair adapted Renault Kangoo, with a ramp and straps to hold it to the floor, so the lack of foldability has not been an issue for us. It is a brilliant chair, easy to push, tilt etc. but you do need a big upright car or minivan as you can't fold it.