Power Base
Once mastered, front-wheel drive offers a good balance of outdoor performance and precision indoor manoeuvrability, although the tendency to "fish-tail" means that it is not as intuitive to pick up as other drives. Turning is much improved over rear-wheel drive, helped by the compact frame and inrigged castor arms, while outdoor performance is good, albeit with kerb climbing limited to 7 cm.
At first glance, the Q700 F appears similar to the Q500 F - while both have a similar base, the Q700 F offers notably improved suspension for a much softer ride. The Full Track Suspension has been upgraded to 4 wheel SpiderTrac, with independent suspension on each wheel to minimise jolts and maximise traction. Unlike the Q500 F, the Q700 F has an articulating castor arm, further absorbing bumps from the rear wheels. Spirit Level Technology sees the drive wheels connected by a pivot bar, which keeps both wheels in contact with the ground at all times, absorbing the pull when driving around corners or across slopes.
60 Ah batteries come as standard, but for the longest range (up to 25 miles) you can upgrade to 80 Ah batteries, although this does slightly increase the minimum seat height. With powerful four-pole motors, the Q700 F can get you where you want, at maximum speeds of up to 8 mph - though in our experience, you get the best torque and range with a top speed of 6.5 mph or less. The Gyro-Tracking System upgrade is strongly recommended on the Q700 F (and required for 8 mph), which helps to keep you on track by correcting small deviations in your course caused by slopes or uneven terrain. We would also advise getting this upgrade if using special controls, as it provides a much easier drive, with less corrections needing to be made to maintain your course.
Seating
The Q700 F features the modular Sedeo Pro seating system, which has a wide range of cushioning and positioning options, allowing us to tailor-make your wheelchair's seat to provide a perfect fit, with the comfort and support that you require. The modular nature of the Sedeo Pro seat then allows us to make further tweaks or even more significant adjustments later on should they be required, meaning your wheelchair's seat continues to suit throughout the lifespan of your wheelchair.
The Sedeo Pro seat can fit those of all shapes and sizes, with the massive range of adjustments including seat widths of 15 - 22 inches and depths of 16 - 22 inches, as well as a hefty weight capacity of 25 stone. We've been really impressed by the Sedeo range of cushions and backrests, which are anatomically shaped and softly padded to provide outstanding comfort - in particular the Deep and Extra Deep Contour backrests feature flexible sides that can form to your body shape, effectively "hugging" you in place. If your needs are more clinical, whether that be pressure relief or postural requirements, we can supply the full JAY range of cushions and backrests, as well as fitting third-party components, for example if you already have a pressure cushion from the NHS. Other positioning accessories are available too, such as lateral supports and the extensive Whitmyer headrest range.
Powered positioning add-ons are popular extras on the Q700 range, and the Q700 F has the full selection of options that you would expect on a high-end prescriptive powered wheelchair. This includes a seat lifter that can raise you 30 cm to get to eye-level in social situation, and powered tilt of up to 50° to assist with pressure relief. A popular combination is powered recline with powered elevating and articulating legrests (either a centre-mount or separate swing-away legrests) to help you lie back in a relaxed position that allows you to sleep in your wheelchair. The recline is available in an anti-shear version to reduce friction and maintain your postural support when reclining.
The Quickie Q700 F with Sedeo Pro seating is fully crash-tested, meaning you can use it as a seat in a wheelchair adapted vehicle, when suitably secured in place. Pre-preparation for a DAHL docking station allows you to easily add one of these - which lets you lock your wheelchair in place in your car in a simple fashion, whether you are driving or travelling as a passenger.
Controls
The standard control system on the Q700 F is VR2, which is a simple to use and reliable system that allows you to control up to two powered seating options. If you are having more powered seating options or want a more advanced control system, then you can upgrade to R-Net controls for no additional cost. R-Net includes the option for a high-definition LCD screen, as well as bluetooth and infrared modules to master your environment - letting you control household and personal electronics such as a TV, smartphone or laptop from your wheelchair.
Special controls can be supplied with the Q700 F, such as head or chin controls, or additional buttons and switches. The Link-It mounting system allows these to be set up in limitless combinations and configurations to provide a precise match to your needs, while the clean design of them doesn't compromise the appearance of your wheelchair.
Appearance
The Q700 F features a sleek, modern appearance with a minimalist ethos - both wiring and components are hidden, the cushioning has sharply-tailored upholstery, and the chassis is matt black. You can then customise this further with your choice of seven striking colour inlays (green, black, blue, orange, red, silver and white), which can be easily replaced if you want to change your style. We think the Quickie Q-series range is the best looking one on the market, and the Q700 F is no exception.
Our Verdict
The Sunrise Medical Quickie Q700 F Powerchair is the ultimate front-wheel drive powered wheelchair in the Q-series range, offering top level performance, a modern appearance, and comfortable and versatile seating. If you're after a new front-wheel drive powerchair, it is well worth a look.
The primary alternatives to consider are from Permobil, who have long set the standard for front-wheel drive powerchairs - we recommend trying their F3 Corpus and F5 Corpus alongside the Q700 F. The Quantum 4Front is well worth considering, also being a modern and good-looking wheelchair with powerful performance - it also has the option to lie flat with 175° recline, as well as the iLevel seat riser that lets you drive at walking pace while fully elevated; however, it does start at a higher price point than the Q700 F.
While the Q700 F is superficially similar to the Q500 F, the suspension is significantly different, with a much softer, cushioned ride, helped by the articulated caster beam. While more expensive, once priced up with several seating options, there is little difference in price between the Q700 F and Q500 F, so we would generally recommend the Q700 F in those situations.
