Written by Susan Griffitts, MSN, RN, FCN
 | GRIT Freedom Chair View Product |
Not just a problem of old age, mobility impairments are quite common, affecting a significant percentage of every age group. While wheelchairs can help people living with mobility challenges to be more active and connected, the design of the wheelchair makes a huge difference in how it helps people enhance their physical activity and social participation. Standard manual wheelchair design usually requires push-rim propulsion, requiring riders to self-propel by pushing the wheels - but this often leads to shoulder, wrist, and fatigue problems.
If you or a loved one would like to take your life back and enjoy adventures in the great outdoors the way you used to, let us introduce you to the fantastic GRIT Freedom Chair. Masterfully designed by MIT engineers with input from thousands of wheelchair users, this cross between a manual wheelchair and a mountain bike has gotten thousands of riders around the world living more active lives - and loving every minute of their new-found freedom!
While some wheelchairs claim to be all-terrain, the GRIT Freedom Chair truly delivers on this promise. Unlike models that can only be used on pavement or short grass, this innovative wheelchair is specially configured to handle any terrain with ease. Built for every type of outdoor adventure, it will easily roll over gravel, move through uneven terrains, maneuver through mud, and ride over sand, snow, and ice. Utilizing wider mountain bike wheels and a large, sturdy front wheel, the GRIT does not sink as low into sand or snow, while its rugged 3-wheeled frame keeps riders more stable and in control than with 2-wheeled wheelchairs.
Tested to be about twice as physically efficient as standard manual wheelchairs, the GRIT Freedom Chair uses a patented lever-drive system for self-propulsion. Different from regular propulsion that requires riders to push or pull the wheels, this unique wheelchair utilizes the properties of leverage, enabling users to push the levers on each side of the seat in order to move. Eliminating the shoulder strain and fatigue that typically occurs with standard-propelled wheelchairs, this innovative design also enables faster cruising on smooth ground and more power to climb hills and roll through dirt, grass, and sand. If you can handle push-rims, you’ll be able to push these levers. While most people find this new type of propulsion a lot more fun and easier on their bodies, the GRIT also offers standard push-rim propulsion if desired.
Designed to be especially easy to travel with, the GRIT Freedom Chair is fast and simple to disassemble in less than a minute! The footrest, seatback, and wheels are all removable with quick-release buttons, with the heaviest piece weighing just 25 pounds. Unlike non-foldable or large and bulky all-terrain mobility devices that are much harder to transport or heavy wheelchairs that don’t disassemble, the GRIT is super easy to take along wherever you roam. The whole wheelchair weighs just 46 pounds and will easily fit into the trunk of a small car.
Intentionally engineered with as many off-the-shelf bike parts as possible, this all-terrain outdoor wheelchair is conveniently simple to service at any local bike shop. Much easier to maintain than other manual wheelchairs, taking care of the GRIT Freedom Chair can be as simple as keeping the tires inflated and occasionally greasing or tensioning the chain. While standard wheelchair manufacturers frequently require sending the whole wheelchair back for repairs, most of the GRIT’s construction can be easily addressed at a local bike shop. A much faster and more convenient process to get you up and riding again!
Currently serving riders between 3 and 94 years of age, the GRIT Freedom Chair is used and loved by people of all ages and abilities, catering to everyone who wants to move beyond their mobility limitations. Providing convenient adjustability for the headrest height, footrest height, and seat back tension, this wheelchair offers customizable comfort for every rider. It’s also available with a 16-inch, 18-inch, or 20-inch seat, accommodating a range of differently-sized users. It’s ideal for people living with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), cerebral palsy (CP), amputation, multiple sclerosis (MS), and a wide array of other disabilities, diagnoses, and mobility impairments. Compared to many standard all-terrain wheelchairs that either neglect to include specific support configurations or are too specially designed for one diagnosis, the versatile GRIT Freedom Chair delivers adjustable support for multiple users and diagnoses.
Why limit yourself to a plain, featureless, manual wheelchair when you can get out and explore your world with a chair specifically built for adventure? Unlike a variety of power wheelchairs and other mobility devices, the GRIT is approved for air travel, and you can also take it along on cruise ships and trains. It’s awesome for adventuring anywhere - cruise the lakeshore, tackle a snowy mountain, explore off-road trails, and hit the beach - there are virtually no limits with this amazing chair! It’s also great for getting around town, cruising the neighborhood, and enjoying time with friends and family, as well as meeting exercise and fitness goals. From fields to trails, and fruit-picking to casual strolls, the GRIT Freedom Chair opens up your access to places, activities, and spending time with loved ones.
In comparison with other all-terrain wheelchairs that only offer a specific set of wheels, the GRIT Freedom Chair comes with optional wheel upgrades so riders can further customize it to meet their unique needs. It comes standard with Mountain Bike wheels that provide great all-around performance and are ideal for outdoor terrains like cobblestones, pavement, dirt, and grass. Better suited for rough, off-road terrains, the Sand/Snow wheels upgrade is also ideal for use at beaches and on snow and ice. Built like mountain bike wheels, the Spinergy wheels are available in a wide array of colors to provide a colorful spin as you ride.
Other customization choices include choosing a drivetrain style, different types of foot and leg utility clamp packages, and optional options of anti-tip bars, a foot strap, steering pegs, extra axles, and lever wraps in a variety of colors. It also comes with trail handles so friends, family, or caregivers can more easily offer push support from behind when needed.
“The GRIT Freedom Chair has made me significantly more visible in my community, opening up countless doors. It has given me the freedom to go out and meet with people and do more things, enhancing my sense of independence - I’m able to ride by myself without needing any other help.”
Tyler Rich
“We had always had to leave Scott behind, but with the GRIT Freedom Chair, he has been able to hike with us for the first time ever! We hadn’t been fruit picking in at least a decade, but he can now enjoy that activity again. GRIT has given us back our family time and we are all forever grateful.”
Jackie, wife of GRIT rider Scott Hinton
“I get a little boost of happiness from the exercise and being outside every time I use my GRIT Freedom Chair. It’s such a delight not to be stuck inside and have the ability to take it to the park or on any other outdoor excursion. It was really hard to manage dirt trails, tracks, grass, and other outdoor surfaces with my traditional chair, but the GRIT gives me safe and secure access for any outdoor activity.”
Helen Sabo
Wheelchairs can be very helpful tools for helping people living with mobility impairments get out and about. But some all-terrain wheelchairs are not truly designed for the outdoors and typical push-rim propulsion can lead to shoulder pain and fatigue, reducing safety and the ability to move beyond the home.
Working hard to eliminate those problems and offer the most versatile, rugged wheelchair on the market, GRIT spent years prototyping the design of the GRIT Freedom Chair, ensuring it was best suited to help those who matter most: the riders. The result is a tough, all-terrain wheelchair that is ready to take you just about anywhere, enhancing comfort, ease of propulsion, independence, and connection.
Thanks for learning more about the popular GRIT Freedom Chair! Be sure to check out our comprehensive selection of All-Terrain Wheelchairs along with helpful, educational articles at our Caregiver University blog.
After battling (and winning) cancer, Susan changed careers from being a paralegal to nursing. This decision was a direct result of the care received during her battle and all of her healthcare providers taking an interest in her as a person and not just a diagnosis. Thanks to those amazing experiences, this is the way Susan approaches nursing and caring for her patients. She is passionate about caring for all individuals but her primary focus is providing relief from the symptoms & stress of serious illnesses, the process of aging, and the particular problems of seniors.
Susan lost her right leg above the knee, to cancer, in 2013. Since that time, she has been very active in the amputee community helping to bring awareness and independence to other amputees. Read how Susan helped shape the future of new prosthetic devices.
