Written by Mike Price, OT
Founded in 1973, Etac has remained a global leader in the production and development of ergonomic assistive devices for nearly 50 years. They focus on providing life-enhancing solutions for people in diverse care settings and across the age spectrum. Etac is an umbrella company that actually houses several other brands, including R82 and Immedia. These other brands, which we’ll look at below, allow Etac to laser-focus on specific product lines. Ultimately, all of Etac’s brands can be unified by one central idea: optimizing daily life for individuals, family members, and caretakers.
As a company, Etac employs more than 900 people and can claim great worldwide customer satisfaction and numerous accolades. They are focused on environmentally sustainable manufacturing and business ethics-- in fact, Etac’s specific sustainability work is inspired by the United Nations’ global sustainable development goals.
 | Etac Swift Bedside Commode Chair View Product |
Etac’s eponymous brand is focused on the business of daily living. Eating, bathing, toileting and even transfer to and from bed are all activities that can play a major part in feelings of autonomy or independence. Unsurprisingly, these several essential activities have been studied at length by occupational and physical therapists-- they are referred to as ADLs (activities of daily living) and they are used to assess functional independence.
Toileting is among the most problematic activities for some individuals, and, because of the delicate nature of the task itself, most would prefer as little caretaker intervention as possible. Etac has several medical commode options that are reliable and adaptable. Bedside commodes offer versatility whereas a wheelchair commode is good for overall bathroom mobility. By consulting with your care team or occupational therapist, you can determine the right type of commode chair to fit your level of need.
 | R82 Crocodile Walker Gait Trainer View Product |
R82 is one of Etac’s pediatric brands and their primary focus is on mobility. All kids, regardless of special needs or mobility challenges, have an innate desire to get-up-and-go. Mobility is critical for pediatric development. In fact, children who are missing mobility milestones may be missing out on opportunities for cognitive, social, and motor skill development.
By using gait trainers and other mobility training aids, some wheelchair-bound children will be eventually able to use a walker as a primary mobility aid. The use of gait trainers can help with balance, ambulation, strength, endurance, and achieving mobility milestones. The model featured here makes use of a unique posterior design where the walker is actually placed behind the child. This increases feelings of freedom and mobility as opposed to more traditional walkers that require being pushed in front. By building walkers with multiple sizing options and height adjustment, R82 provides options that can grow with the kids that use them.
Another pediatric arm of Etac’s parent brand, Convaid makes specialized seating products designed for parents with children who have cognitive or physical disabilities. They offer car seat solutions as well as adaptive wheelchairs and strollers. Their catalog of specialized chairs is extensive and has something for almost any setting or user.
For kids who have less stringent positioning requirements, lightweight strollers and chairs offer a sturdy and storable solution. Tilt-in-space designs and width-adjustable seats are available on many of the more complex chairs. For the automobile, Convaid’s specialized car seats provide safety and support designed to last over years of potential growth. High-density foam inserts create adaptive positioning options and a “free-angle” recline allows the user to lay all the way back flat if needed.
 | Molift Smart 150 Lightweight Portable Patient Lift View Product |
Molift is a brand centered around patient transfers and ‘lifts.’ This is a broad category that includes a range of manual transfer and repositioning devices, slings and stretchers, and both mobile and ceiling-mounted power lifts. Like so many of the best mobility aids, patient lifts provide tremendous benefits in terms of patient autonomy while also being a big win for caregivers or clinicians. The big upside here is safety-- there are actually several states with laws in place mandating the use of patient lifts in clinical settings. These (Center for Devices & Radiological Health, n.d.) exist because patient transfer can be dangerous for both parties involved.
Key features to consider when looking into purchasing a lift include: portability, lifting height range, sling adaptability, and weight rating. Molift offers a highly portable solution with a range of applicable uses. The Smart 150 is foldable for storage, has a generous lifting height and weight rating, and features smooth power operation and a hand control for user accessibility.
 | Etac Immedia E-Board Transfer Board View Product |
Immedia is a direct complement to Molift-- they provide smaller transfer aids for intermediary spaces or smaller budgets. These products typically include mats, cushions, and pillows. Transfer aids for small spaces can be a huge benefit for individuals in smaller spaces whose caretakers are struggling with transfers. By using a transfer board, like Immedia’s signature E-board, to move between bed and wheelchair, or wheelchair and commode, users are less likely to sustain an injury.
This simple concept is made more effective with low-friction materials and an extremely versatile design. During transfer, users need only slide on the sturdy but flexible board from one seat to another. It comes in multiple sizes and with optional wings for extra stability. Not all transfer needs are suited to a larger format solution like a patient lift. Sometimes a simple transfer board is a better choice.
Star is one of Etac’s most exciting brands and they have a very niche focus: they make cushions. Specifically, Star excels in designing solutions to minimize the risk of developing pressure ulcers that come along with extended sitting. Pressure ulcers can be devastating- they can drastically reduce patient quality of life, factor into rapid mortality in certain patients, and not to mention, pose a significant cost to healthcare organizations.
So what makes these cushions special? Star uses a special air-powered ‘Cell Locking’ technology to ensure custom comfort and positioning. The cushions are made up of many individual ‘cells’ that can fill with air. Once they’re filled, they can be locked at a specific pressure. This enables users to really custom tailor to their seating needs. These cushions come in different height options and are an elegant solution for sustained seating pressure redistribution.
Any good team knows that allowing individuals to play to their strengths will pay dividends-- everyone is good at different things, and by encouraging diverse strengths everyone benefits. This is really the reasoning behind Etac’s diversified brand structure. By splitting resources among qualified experts in different fields, Etac is able to provide the maximum benefit to the stakeholders who matter most: patients and caregivers.
This format allows bigger brands like Molift to provide robust solutions while consumer-friendly home brands like Immedia fill in the gaps. R82 and Convaid both tackle mobility problems for children and young people, but they have different target end-users. And maybe most impressively, by splitting more common-place home mobility aids under their home brand, Etac is able to devote an entire brand to designing high-tech cushions that can provide real relief.
Etac has been a major player in adaptive equipment for individuals and caretakers for quite some time. They have diverse brands to tackle the diverse and multifaceted needs of their user-base. They understand that there is no such thing as an average user because every user is a unique individual-- and none of them are average.
As a company, Etac is focused on making the world a better place for its users and stakeholders, but also for its employees. Their dedication to environmental and social sustainability is laudable. They have the glowing reviews and accolades to back it up-- Etac and its subsidiaries are making a difference in the lives of families all over the world.
See Rehabmart’s complete lineup of items from all the brands of Etac.
Co-Founder of Rehabmart and an Occupational Therapist since 1993. Mike has spent his professional career working in multiple areas of Occupational Therapy, including pediatrics, geriatrics, hand therapy, ergonomics and inpatient / outpatient rehabilitation. Mike enjoys writing articles that help people solve complex therapeutic problems and make better product choices.
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