Seating
The Sunrise Medical Quickie Life R Teens Rigid Wheelchair is a teenage version of the popular Quickie Life R, available with smaller seat sizes and additional features suited to adolescents. The seat ranges in widths from 28 - 48 cm, and depths from 32 - 46 cm, allowing for a perfect fit. A wide range of cushions and backrests are available, plus an array of sideguards and armrests. This includes the popular Safari brake sideguards, which are carefully integrated into the skirtguard to allow easy braking without the need to lean forward.
The Life is available with either a fixed front frame for a lighter, more rigid chair, or with a swing-away front for ease of forward transfers.
Adjustability
The high levels of adjustability make the Life RT the ideal wheelchair for children and teenagers, being able to adapt to changing needs and developing wheelchair skills. This includes the centre of gravity, seat height, camber and more - many of the adjustments don't need additional parts.
Frame and Transport
The Life has a range of lightweight and high-tech customisation options cascaded down from these models, such as Nitrum-style carbon fibre sideguards and foot platform. This weight reduction helps to minimise the energy needed for everyday activities, reducing the load on your child's shoulders, arms and hands.
The Life range is a popular choice in the NHS for its robust, long-established design - it is fully crash tested, and features three stabiliser bars for outstanding rigidity and to ensure it stands the test of time. Once the wheels are popped off, the Life RT has a compact frame that can fit in the back of most cars, and has the option for a double-locking backrest for an easy lifting point.
Style
Appearance matters, and the Life RT is a good looking wheelchair. It is able to be customised with a vast number of frame colours, with additional accent colours available for highlights. The frame has a sporty look to it, and can be inset for a sleeker appearance.
Our Verdict
The Life RT is a good first active chair for teenagers looking to develop their wheelchair skills. When budget allows we would suggest considering Ki Mobility's Rogue XP instead, as this offers an even lighter mono-tube frame that makes self-propelling easier. The Rogue XP also features seat width and depth growth, ensuring it'll continue to fit after growth spurts - the Life RT lacks this feature.
