Transport Chair / Rollator
The "Duet" Transport Chair/Rollator (ambulatory mode)
While many of the individuals who utilize transport wheelchairs are in fact wheelchair-bound, others maintain some limited capacity to move about on their own with the assistance of a personal mobility device. For these individuals, vacations and even short outings can be very cumbersome, due to the fact that often times the family or caregiver must pack two different mobility devices depending upon the situation, or leave one behind not knowing which of the two would be ideal for that day and situation until actually arriving at the desired destination, exiting the vehicle and observing how the person using the two mobility devices feels. Specifically, the question often centers around whether or not the person feels well enough to move about on his or her own with the assistance of a walking aid, as opposed to being confined to a transport chair due to weakness, pain or fatigue, all three of which can vary greatly from day-to-day.

A new product being offered for sale by Egan Medical is changing the way the elderly and those with limited mobility get around every day. The "Duet" Transport Chair/Rollator offers the best of both worlds - combining all of the positive features of both a transport wheelchair and a rollator into one simple device.
Transport Chair / Rollator Walker
The "Duet" Transport Chair/Rollator in Transport Mode
The Duet enables those with limited mobility to travel with family, friends or caregiver(s) while only having to bring along one mobility device. The Duet offers all of the features of a traditional transport wheelchair, including a padded backrest, footrest and even armrests.

To switch from transport mode to ambulatory mode, the user or caregiver simply switches the backrest from one side of the device to the other, folds up the footrests, folds down the armrests, and all-of-a-sudden the device is a full-features rollator walker.

Rollators Explained

For those unfamiliar with the term "rollator". a rollator is essentially a high-end rolling walker. It features four large wheels as opposed to two wheels that are generally fairly standardized at 3" and 5", respectively. Rollators on the other hand typically feature wheels no smaller than 5", and 8".wheels on a rollator is not at all uncommon.

All rollators come with brakes located just below the handles (the manufacturers like to refer to these as "loop brakes"). Most 4-wheel rollators also include a seat, as well as a storage compartment located underneath the seat, often in the form of either a basket or pouch.

Rollators offer an advantage over the more traditional rolling walker in that the user can use the device as a seat to take a break from ambulation. Unfortunately, many users of standard rollators will attempt to use their feet to propel the device while seated - a major no-no and serious safety risk when this is attempted with a standard rollator.

There are no such safety risks with the Duet. The dual-purpose rollator and transport chair is designed so that users will not even have to use their legs to propel themselves, as there are handles built into the back of the device (when in transport mode) that are there solely for the purpose of providing a convenient gripping surface for a family member or caregiver to push the person seated in the chair from behind - just as they would with any other transport wheelchair.

All-in-all, the Duet Transport Chair + Rollator brings together the very best of both worlds of personal mobility, offering the user the advantage of having both a wheeled walker with brakes and a seat as well as a transport wheelchair combined into one item that folds up neatly and conveniently for easy travel and storage.

Perhaps best of all, the Duet comes with a lifetime warranty, and weighs a grand total of just 19 pounds when fully assembled.

The one drawback to the Duet is that it typically costs slightly more than either a transport chair or a rollator purchased separately, but even when sold at its full MSRP ($335.40), it still costs less than buying both items individually, and is far more convenient and versatile than either one by itself.

With the Christmas shopping season upon us, there has never been a better time to buy the Duet, as medical equipment companies slash prices in anticipation of holiday sales. The Editor-in-Chief of TransportWheelchairs.net conducted a bit of research on pricing for the item. The best deal is at a company called Egan Medical, which is offering the Duet for only $189.95 - a price about equal to that of a quality transport chair and only slightly higher than the average price of a rollator from major retailers. For anyone without a calculator handy, that's a savings of nearly $150 ($145.45 to be exact).

At that price, anyone with an elderly or disabled family member or friend would be hard-pressed to find a better Christmas gift, and trying to find a better price would be an exercise in futility.
 


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