Drive Medical Blue Streak Lightweight Foldable Wheelchair for Adults, Seniors, and Disabled - Swing-Away Elevating Leg Rests and Flip-Back Padded Arms - Black/Blue

We purchased the Drive Blue Streak wheelchair with elevating leg rests [a.k.a mobility aid] over 1 year ago. Initially, we were well pleased; we see them being employed at some medical facilities, a credit to the manufacturer. THEN, we started having problems collapsing and expanding the chair as it was being loaded and retrieved from a car trunk. The chair was binding so hard that the black plastic slide at the side panels to the frame would sometimes pop off, rendering the mobility aid useless. I had to see what was going on, then stretch the pieces apart to get the slide in place again. I was noticing apparent play at the frame tubes that slides to the piece for the casters, the small wheels at the front for maneuverability. On a hunch I sprayed 'Ballistol", a unique multi purpose lubricant down both front frame tubes above the casters and now our mobility aid can be picked up and played like an accordion. I read reviews and noted that some other users were encountering a similar stiffness, hopefully your resolution will be this easy. Bearing load for our mobility aid is approx 200 lbs, well within the stated capacity. I am the only user, we never spilled any drinks onto it that might possibly cause binding. We own about 5 Drive Medical pieces, I am very comfortable with the brand.

Everything is mostly identical except the elevating leg rests did not have the push in snap pin system for extending the leg length as shown in the ad image. The version we got was a black pipe (not silver) fitted inside the blue one and you have to loosen a bolt and pull the footrest part out then re-tighten the bolt back in place. It makes the version we got harder to adjust and the black pipe could stand to be a bit longer for longer legged people who need to elevate their legs. The box was beat up to all hell, but the chair was otherwise in new condition minus a few loose bolts that had to be tightened. The "drive" stickers that were placed on the outer sides of the thin plastic armrest panels were peeling off (curling away from the plastic) which was fine I just took them off and tossed them. One of the elevating leg rests didn't want to go back down because the bolt was somewhat loose, which caused the bar to stay extended and the lever couldn't be pushed to get the mechanism to release. Thankfully loosening the bolt more made it so we could get the mechanism to unlock, push the leg back down in place and tighten the end bolt back in place. Otherwise it is exactly as ordered, funnily enough the item was ordered from home depot, as there was an invoice slip on the box.Had I known that home depot had these I would have ordered directly from them. Initially I placed an order from amazon and it was to be shipped from amazon directly and was cheaper but there was no shipping date. I called after 2 days of not having a shipping date to ask about the shipping as we needed the chair quickly. after speaking with a csr i was told I would hear something about the shipping in 48 hours. The next day I went to check on it and found the order had been canceled with no notice no reason nothing. This was the 20 inch one we ordered and there were no other quick options so after getting frustrated after talking with another csr who was not able to help me get it reordered from amazon and give me a date for arrival, I reordered on my own and chose the other shipper and paid 40 bucks more plus paid for shipping etc. it was a nightmare process and took over a week to get in addition to the 3 days of dealing with amazon. I am only adding the shipping info for others in case another family / person needs a chair in a hurry so you'll be aware of what we went through.It seems like a very sturdy chair and everything else was perfect, we only just got it so I'll give it a while and add to my review once we see how well it does for us. Overall I have faith in the drive brand, a bit frustrated by the difference in the elevating leg rests and the not quite long enough bar for the footrests when the legs are fully raised, but we can work around that. Otherwise I think it'll do us fine. Its a bit clunky and heavy for me I'm 4'10 so when I have to lift it into my truck for use in getting my Dad to his doctors it will be a momentary issue but I think considering what it does, how it is made, the ease of moving the parts, it'll likely do us fine. One thing to mention is that the armrest release is just a piece of plastic. I can see how long term that might prove to be annoying if someone moves those armrests a lot that thin piece of plastic won't likely last a long time or will wear down over time.** Update Aug 2023The chair was working well for us, Dad doesn't use it often due to his doing better, but it is very helpful for when he has to go long distances, or needs to have a seat anywhere we go if he gets tired. However, somehow on one use, a super tiny clip that held one of the leg rests together disappeared. I suspect from moving the chair and rests to and from the truck. I called Drive directly, and they sent us 2 brand new leg rests free of charge. I was grateful because that tiny little thin metal clip held the whole dang thing together and I was using electrical tape to hold it together but that made it's use much more difficult. I am SO totally impressed with Drive Medical for sending the free pair of leg replacements, they were caring, wanted to know what model it was for future chair updates and got me a new set of leg rests within 3 days. I'm updating my review from 4 stars to 5, their customer service was amazing and the new set of leg rests were also the type I had originally ordered with the push button adjustments, so that makes me very happy. I can't say enough good things about Drive after this experience, the man I spoke with was just amazing.

Easy to assemble, just put the legs on and it’s ready to go! It IS a smaller seat at 16”, but it also makes it so much easier to get through doorways and zip around the house. The legs would be too short for a taller person, I’m 5’6 and on the longest leg extension. So, I think this is really more for a child or teen, or female and was perfect for me, but would be too small for an adult male. Decent quality, it’s a little creaky, but I’m def on the top end of the weight it’s intended for.

I injured my ankle and, while I can walk short distances, long ones are an issue and will be for quite a while as I heal. I had tickets to a live show that I bought months ago. That involved way more walking than I could do. I had been considering buying a wheelchair for my older sister who has mobility issues so, when I saw this one for under $100, I figured I would use it for the show and any other challenging situations that come up while I heal plus we would have it for my sister when she needed it.It did come completely assembled except for the leg rests. That's good because my husband dreads assembling stuff. It is blue but not garish. The seat is 18" which is plenty for me (135 pounds) but my heavier sister (160ish pounds) would be more comfortable in a 20" although she still can use this chair.We went to the show last week and the chair folded fine and unfolded without a hitch. The seat wasn't the most comfortable. I am going to buy a pad for it for whoever uses it in the future. Pushing the chair was easy and I was quickly able to use it myself although I never have been wheelchair bound. It rolls smoothly especially inside. The brakes work and kept the chair from moving. I don't think they would be strong enough to keep it from rolling down a steep hill or in a similar situation but they were fine for keeping the chair in place on a flat surface or small incline.During the middle of the show, one of the footrests flew to the side. It got wiggly and hard to manage. I think this is more about how my husband attached the footrest than the chair itself. He didn't have the tool - or any tool - to fix it so I had to deal with it. It would not have been problem even for someone completely wheelchair bound, just a small annoyance,When my husband pushed me uphill on cement to the parking garage, it jostled me around quite a lot and the wheels skipped a bit. Not much but he did notice as did I. The chair folded down with ease and fit fine in the back of the car.Since then, we have taken my sister to the lake using the chair. She has severe balance issues and numbness in her feet and legs. It was a godsend to have the chair. Again we did notice that, on gravely areas, the wheels tended to skip a bit. Otherwise, the only complaint was that the seat was a bit uncomfortable. That can be rectified. One thing about this chair that my sister mentioned was that the leg rests don't move up or down. They are fixed in the down position so a short person's feet may not reach or someone who wants or needs to elevate their legs, can't.I have sat in lots of wheelchairs in the hospital and rented one a while back when I had a back issue. This one doesn't feel like the hospital ones. They feel a lot sturdier but, at the same time, bulkier. This is good for maneuvering around and fitting into smaller spots. For at home use, I think this chair is fine. I am not sure that I would recommend it for someone who is wheelchair bound and needs to be in it all day and night. I think a better quality and slightly roomier one may be best. But for those who need a chair for an injury or issue and use it on as needed basis or inside where there is no tough turf, it is fine. It would have cost me $35 to rent a chair for the night. This chair was $95 to buy and have for good. There is no contest that buying was the best option.For the price point, I feel this chair is fine. It is well made and both my sister and I felt safe in it. I am going with 4 stars. It isn't made for tough or gravely turf and I definitely would not perch it on a steep hill and trust the brakes but, in general, it is a great value if you don't need the footrests to elevate.**** Pics are not attaching. I will try again in a few days.