Experiences after more than two years
The Avantgarde DV was my first active wheelchair, which I received as part of my initial provision. I have now been using it for more than two years and have been able to gather some experience with it during this time. Basically, the wheelchair fulfills its purpose and is quite okay for use in the home environment. Over time, however, I have noticed a few points that I find less convincing. After only about two months, the powder coating began to chip off in some places. I find this disappointing for a wheelchair of this price class, as I would have expected a more robust and durable surface coating. Since it is a folding wheelchair, I am aware that the construction is not quite as torsion-resistant as a rigid frame wheelchair. However, this has become noticeably apparent over time. By now, the wheelchair creaks with almost every movement, which is quite annoying in the long run and does not necessarily convey a high-quality impression. Another point of criticism for me is its suitability for everyday use outdoors. While the Avantgarde DV is certainly suitable for use in the apartment, outdoors it relatively quickly reaches its limits in my experience. Due to the positioning of the caster wheels, which sit relatively far back due to the removable legrests, the footplates quickly hit the ground on inclines, curbs, or other unevenness. This noticeably restricts outdoor use and requires significantly more attention than I would like. My conclusion: The Avantgarde DV is not a fundamentally bad wheelchair and certainly fulfills its purpose in the home environment. After more than two years of use, however, I see clear weaknesses in the durability of the powder coating, the long-term stability, and the suitability for outdoor use in everyday life. For someone who travels predominantly indoors, it may be a suitable solution, but whoever uses their active wheelchair regularly outdoors and also has to cope with inclines and uneven paths should definitely consider these points when making their choice.
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