Fit Grips is a new product recently launched by IntelliWheels Inc to aid manual wheelchair users.
Champaign, Ill-headquartered IntelliWheels Inc has introduced a solution that aims to make manual wheelchairs more comfortable and efficient to push. The new product, Fit Grips, are designed to stretch to fit around the pushing surface of any 24-, 25-, or 26-inch wheelchair wheel (handrim) to make that surface more ergonomic and easier for the user to push.
Fit Grips were designed with an empowered end user in mind, from the beginning, acceding to a media release from IntelliWheels Inc. Co-inventor Josh George, a three-time Paralympian wheelchair racer and five-time Paralympic medalist, reportedly pushed the idea that this product needed to be developed with a person’s lifestyle in mind.
“Just because a product is designed for a wheelchair, does not mean that they are medical products. They are lifestyle products,” says George, product manager for IntelliWheels. “They need to be designed in the same manner that shoes and clothing are designed. Yes, they have a functional purpose, but they are also an expression of who a person is.”
A statement from IntelliWheels Inc reports that Fit Grips is launching in four different colors: blue, purple, gray, and black. The company also describes Fit Grips as, “priced to be affordable for users to purchase them out of pocket and in multiple different colors if they so choose.”
The structural design of the product is intended to make the handrim of the wheelchair wheel more comfortable to grasp, and could improve push ergonomics, potentially reducing the risk of carpal tunnel or other overuse injuries. Fit Grips are also designed with increased grip, diameter, and what the company describes as “improved feel,” that allow a user to apply force more efficiently in every push.
IntelliWheels reports that it is currently accepting pre-orders for the Fit Grips, and will launch the product internationally in June.
[Source: IntelliWheels Inc]
