The go-to tilt in space wheelchair is Invacare's Rea Azalea, which is the one most familiar to medical and care professionals across the UK. The Invacare Rea Clematis Pro Tilt in Space Wheelchair is effectively a "step down" in the Rea range from the Azalea. Each Azalea is bespoke built to order with numerous seating options to carefully accommodate each wheelchair user's individual needs. By contrast, the Clematis comes either as:
A transit wheelchair in a standard configuration with three chassis widths, or:
A slightly more expensive self-propelled wheelchair, again with three widths, plus a small number of configuration options.
Despite this, the Clematis is still a richly-featured wheelchair. It can tilt up to 25°, allowing a measure of pressure relief and assisting with positioning and hoisting, and the backrest reclines 30°. Combined with the elevating leg rests, this allows the wheelchair user to lie back in a relaxed position in their wheelchair, often used for sleeping. The seating is comfortably padded, including the popular Floshape cushion and Laguna backrest. The seating has limited adjustment available, meaning it doesn't provide the precision fit of models like the Azalea.
The Clematis Pro has been refreshed recently with a new look, including a "sand" colour frame and black tyres - a clear step up from the more "medical" look some wheelchairs have.
Our Verdict
For people needing a basic tilt in space wheelchair without any advanced seating requirements, the Rea Clematis Pro can be suitable - it offers much of the comfort and features of the Rea Azalea at a significantly lower cost. However, for people who require more precise support, or whose conditions may change, the Azalea is the better option as it can be bespoke built and subsequently adapted to perfectly fit them.
