The Invacare Fox is a rear wheel drive powerchair with a maximum speed of 6km/h. Primarily a powerchair for indoor use, it’s compact and has a small turning circle. This makes it easy to manoeuvre in small spaces, depending on the footplate chosen.
Specification
The Invacare Fox is a rear wheel drive chair with a choice of two battery sizes and two motor options, giving it a maximum range of 27km and speed of 6km/h. With a base weight of 79kg, the Fox is suitable for persons up to 127kg. Crash tested, this chair has 4 tie down points for safe transportation.
With a large number of customisable options, including specialist seating, different control options, tilt in space, backrest recline and different leg/foot rests, the Invacare Fox is a good option for those with specific seating requirements or who’s needs are likely to change.
Driving
Primarily an indoor electric wheelchair, the Fox has the option to add a curb climber to make moving about outside easier. While a lot of the literature for the Invacare Fox suggests that it’s equally suited to use indoor and outdoor, this wasn’t our experience.
We put the Invacare Fox through it’s paces on uneven pavements, but unfortunately, it didn’t give the smooth ride that we would’ve liked. There was quite a lot of jolting as the chair went between lumps and bumps in the paving. However, when we took it along a wood chipping path in a community garden it was a much smoother ride, even though the traction of the wheels wasn’t brilliant.
For those who need it, the Invacare Fox can be put into push mode, with the flick or two switches at the rear of the chair’s base. This allows the chair to me moved manually in an emergency.
Seating
One of the main features of the Invacare Fox is that it’s highly customisable and, as a result, can be set up to suit a large number of seating requirements. A tension adjustable backrest comes as standard, but this can be supplemented with one of a number of Matrx backs. This allows for multiple support options for those with a higher clinical need.
As standard, the Fox comes with 80 degree footrests. These can be changed to the manual elevating leg raiser option and there are two choices of footplates.
There are a number of different cushion types that work with the Invacare Fox, as well as options for tilt and recline, making the Fox a chair that can be adapted to changing needs. This means that a user will be able to tweak their setup as and when their condition changes, without having to invest in a new wheelchair.
However, when trialling the Invacare Fox, my Matrix Flo-Tech Image cushion didn’t sit flush against the back of the chair. A few days after loosing my umbrella, I found it in-between the backrest and the cushion. I’ve also misplaced a bottle of water, a yoghurt and a Duplo cat in the same manner.
Controllers
With a Drive Only LiNX control system as standard, users can choose to have this on a standard bracket or swing away – great for getting close to a table to work or eat. It’s also possible to add one of two dual controls, to allow an attendant to control the wheelchair without having to push it (because it’s not a light chair).
The Invacare Fox also has a number of different joystick options, with a variety of shapes to choose from to tailor the joystick to individual needs and comfort.
Options
In addition to the footplate, backrest, controller and battery options mentioned above, the Invacare Fox offers seating widths starting at 350mm going up to 500mm and depths available between 370mm and 460mm. The Invacare Fox currently comes in 5 colour options which is minimal.
Pricing and Conclusion
With a base price of £2,336, the Invacare Fox is on the more affordable end of the powerchair price scale. The Invacare Fox is a good allrounder for powerchair users who are less active or live in urban areas that are well maintained. For those living in less well maintained areas, this wheelchair is probably not going to give the comfortable ride that you need. It certainly didn’t for me.
Although not in the comfort I’d like, the battery range allowed for long days out and about without coming close to needing to recharge charge.
When trialling the Invacare Fox, we found that, while technically this wheelchair has a small turning circle and is easily manoeuvrable, the angle of the footplates added a challenge that we could’ve done without. I was unable to get close enough to my front door to comfortably lock up and unlock the house. I also found getting out of the door in a tight space difficult and I have a broken cat flap to show for my efforts. I also found transferring into and out of the Invacare Fox challenging and have the bruises to prove it!
The Invacare Fox is available on Motability. For further information visit the Invacare website.
