Switching to This Travel Power Wheelchair Has Made Our Trips Easier

In the same way some couples do dinner and movie nights, Joy and Bert travel. They travel all over the world taking multiple trips per year, some big and some small, and their recent big one took them on a safari to South Africa.

Bert has been a C6 quadriplegic for over four decades, a former competitive wheelchair racer who spent 42 years in a manual chair. But things changed in the last couple of years. As he got older and lost some strength, using a manual wheelchair got far less doable.

The stubbornness won for a while, but in the last two years, he has been transitioning to a power chair. The couple recently made the switch to a travel power chair for trips and it made everything easier.

We asked her some questions to get the scoop.

Can you introduce yourself?

Bert and I met 31 years ago when he came to the rehab center where I worked. He was in medical sales and he closed the deal when he met me! We started a whirlwind romance that included lots of travel as he was a very competitive wheelchair racer. We got married just 10 months after meeting and continued with our adventures around the world!

Tell us about a recent trip. Where did you go and what made you decide to go there?

This summer we went to South Africa. We were inspired after seeing the documentary Survival to Safari. The accessible safari lodge Ximumu, featured in the movie, was so incredible we immediately knew we wanted to go.

What was the equipment situation before you started using a power travel chair?

In the last two years, Bert has been slowly and somewhat reluctantly transitioning to a power chair. After 42 years in a manual chair, it was time to make the change. Bert was weaker and really needed the power option, but didn’t want to bring a big heavy power chair on trips.

Travel in the manual chair was getting harder but we always thought power chairs on trips required accessible transportation, which is often difficult. That's when we stumbled upon the Jazzy Ultra Light 27 with the help of SpinLife, which has changed travel for us for the better.

What chair does he use at home, and what did you bring traveling?

Bert usually uses a Quantum Edge at home which weighs 450 pounds and is very expensive. In the past year we realized travel chairs give us a great option of lightweight, foldable, and reliable on trips!

Was there a specific moment on the trip where the equipment made a real difference?

We realized what a great decision it was to change to the Jazzy Ultra Light 27 when we were able to take the chair in the main cabin on every flight. It folded and fit perfectly in the closet.

Yes, flight attendants had to move their luggage but with a little encouragement and a smile they helped us make it happen. Also, the flight on a small plane from Cape Town to Hoedspruit would not have accommodated a large power chair at all. The peace of mind of having the chair in the main cabin with us is amazing.

It gives you such a sense of relief that it won’t get damaged in flight.

What does having the right equipment change about how you experience a trip?

Now we can’t lie and say travel is stress free with our new equipment. Things just happen when a C6 quad travels. But having the reliability of a great travel power chair with good battery life, portability, and versatility have taken a big chunk of our travel stress away. Bert finds the chair comfortable and it provides good maneuverability, too.

What’s your one piece of advice for someone about to take their first big trip?

Spend the money and make the investment to get a travel power chair. It will change the quality of the vacation and make you come home ready to book the next!

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