Andrew’s Reviews – Skippi, Kimba and kidevo

Ottobock Skippi

What is the Skippi?

It’s a versatile powered wheelchair for kids that comes apart.

Why is it better?

It’s one of the few paediatric powerchairs that can be taken apart for easy transportation in a vehicle. It’s a unique product that’s been available for many years; however, continues to look modern and hence is a trusted choice.

Why do parents choose the Skippi?

This powerchair tends to be selected by parents who need a solution that fits in the car. It comes apart for easier lifting and storage which is not common amongst powerchair designs. Most of our Skippi customers are families who are not satisfied with an NHS powered wheelchair and commonly seek charity donations or crowd funding to buy one. There is sometimes the possibility of using an NHS wheelchair voucher to reduce the cost of the Skippi.  

Who does it suit?

We offer the Skippi to children from around the age of two upwards. Depending on how fast children grow, it can still be ideal for young users when they reach the age of 6 or 7. 

Why does Recare recommend the Skippi?

Here at Recare, we’re great fans of the Ottobock brand and the Skippi. Ottobock tends to be more well known for its high-quality prosthetics however its wheelchairs are just as good. The Skippi has all the German build quality you would expect and has loads of great features for versatility. 

Kimba family

What is the Kimba family?

It’s a range of two modular seating systems and five separate mobility bases that can be interchanged so children with disabilities benefit from flexible living. 

Why is the range unique?

No other manufacturer offers this range of seating and bases so all aspect of living indoors and out can be met. There is no other solution as versatile. The seating comes in two sizes to suit children up to the age of around 10 or 11. For example, you can instantly swap the seat from a wheeled base for indoor use to a three-wheeler trailer which attaches to a bicycle. There are other choices as well depending on where your child needs to go.

Why do parents choose the Kimba range?

The range is so cost effective as you don’t need to buy separate buggies, wheelchairs or trailers – just one seating system that fits onto a range of bases. Plus, lots of our customers say they like the Kimba as it doesn’t resemble a piece of assistive equipment. Many parents choose to cover the cost through charity donations or crowd funding as it’s not available through the NHS.

It provides very good postural support for young disabled people with a range of discreet fittings from head rests and lateral supports to chest harnesses. There is a huge range of choices and options, we find no two chairs tend to be the same. 

We recently supplied a Kimba combination to parents who didn’t own a car and cycled everywhere. With a Kimba seat plus Buggy base and Cross base, they were able to either walk and push their 4-year-old daughter or tow her when on their bikes. 

Why does Recare recommend the Kimba range?

There are similar products out there, but they just don’t perform as well as the Kimba range. As it’s so well made and versatile, it tends to be the only one we recommend for the tasks it solves.

kidevo

Who chooses the kidevo?

The kidevo family is a range of compact manual wheelchairs suitable for children and young adults. We find this paediatric wheelchair range is ideal for active families who want to get out without any fuss.

What are the product benefits ?

Each kidevo is designed to be ergonomic and easy to push. There are lots of seating options so the user benefits from good postural management and the wheelchairs are made to look nice and ‘funky’. They aren’t institutional looking products, they’re something that kids want to be seen in. 

There’s lots of seating options and adjustments possible with kidevo wheelchairs so they remain suitable for a growing child. The backrest has a tilt range of -10 to 50+ degrees so getting out is easier and pressure can be managed respectively. Also, each kidevo has a dynamic backrest option which is ideal for children with disabilities who thrust and push back. This is quite key as it saves on wear and tear and helps calm down active children as it ‘soaks up’ the resistance so they have nothing to push against.  

kidevo wheelchairs are crash tested as well, which means they can be safely secured with tie-downs, with an occupant, in an accessible vehicle.

What are the different models to choose from?

There are three kidevo models to choose from, the Prime, Prime T and Adapt. The compact Prime is for smaller children and does not have any seat tilt whereas the kidevo Prime T has tilt-in-space. They are both built well, easy to push and provide a stable ride. 

The kidevo Adapt, which has the same chassis but is bigger, allows for different seating to be added such as specialist moulded seats. Even so, it’s still light and easy to push for a parent or carer as users commonly can’t self-propel. In our opinion it has a very modern design, and we recommend it as it’s still manoeuvrable.

Any accessories you would recommend?

There’s an optional accessory called the Mud Cruiser which we highly recommend. It’s a centre wheel that quickly clamps to the frame and lifts the front castors off the ground allowing users to go off-roading – it’s a brilliant piece of kit. 

This really enhances a child’s lifestyle as they can go and enjoy lots more places. Grass and bumps are no longer a problem. It’s easy to fit and means they don’t need to transfer into another product to go in the woods or somewhere more challenging that they want to go.

Why does Recare recommend the kidevo over other products? 

The typical problem with similar products is that they don’t look the best and are hard to manoeuvre. Whereas the kidevo range is different. The wheelchairs are more compact so easier to go in the car and through doorways etc. The designers have really thought about the user, the person pushing the wheelchair and the environment they’re in. It’s very clever. 

It’s a popular range and here at Recare we like it as it’s completely different. The wheelchairs are not heavy, bulky or ugly like many others and hence it promotes people ‘seeing’ the child as opposed to being distracted by the equipment. Kids and parents are happy to go out in it; it makes them smile and all the parents we help say ‘wow, it’s so easy to push.’