Have you been searching for a high-performance, versatile, top-quality wheelchair designed mostly for outdoor use, but still “tame enough” to be used inside when and as needed? Has that search left you frustrated and bewildered?
We know the feeling. The mobility market is huge, with a staggering number of choices on offer. There are so many, in fact, that it can lead to a kind of “analysis paralysis” as you struggle to compare one model to the next.
Sure, the big brands that dominate the industry have solid products that are well worth considering, but if you’ve looked at those and they’ve left you underwhelmed for one reason or another, then you’re going to love this brand review.
About the Brand
Haven’t heard of Bounder Wheelchairs? We’d be surprised if you had. Bounder products are made by a relatively small company in the industry called 21st Century Scientific, Inc. While they don’t offer a vast array of products like some companies, the ones they make are rugged, durable, high-quality pieces of medical equipment that are built to last.
In our recent roundup review of the best outdoor wheelchairs, the Bounder Plus All-Terrain placed a respectable second in its class, which is a testament to the quality of the equipment they make, and their other products are every bit as good.
In the sections that follow, we’ll take a closer look at the various models of wheelchairs the company makes so you’ll have a complete picture of what the brand has to offer. Note that 21st Century Scientific, Inc. makes medical gurneys and other assorted gear, but we won’t be covering their non-wheelchair products in this review.
Ready to take a closer look? Let’s go!
Bounder Power Wheelchairs Comparison Table
Before we take a look at individual products, let’s start by taking a high-level view of the various wheelchair models in the company’s lineup. Here they are:
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Our Pick
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4.5
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4.6
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4.6
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4.3
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4.5
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4.3
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4.5
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4.5
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4.8
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5.0
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5.0
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5.0
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4.3
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4.3
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4.3
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Primarily an indoor use chair, but robust enough to handle any mild, and some moderate outdoor terrains.
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Consider this the inverse of the High-Performance chair. It’s mostly designed for outdoor use and can tackle a wider range of outdoor terrains, but can be used indoors in a pinch.
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A big, burly indoor/outdoor chair. Like the high performance, it’s primarily intended for indoor use but is surprisingly adept at handling mild to moderate outdoor terrains too.
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- A speedy, powerful wheelchair designed for indoor/outdoor use. One of the fastest conventionally styled wheelchairs on the market (top speed of 11.6 MPH!)
- All of these chairs suffer from the same negative, that being that they’re all incredibly expensive compared to chairs offered by the dominant brands in the industry. However, this is a case of getting what you pay for. Bounder chairs are incredibly robust, long-lasting, and high quality.
- An incredibly rugged design featuring four motors and a chain drive. Gets up to 55 miles on a single charge.
- All of these chairs suffer from the same negative, that being that they’re all incredibly expensive compared to chairs offered by the dominant brands in the industry. However, this is a case of getting what you pay for. Bounder chairs are incredibly robust, long-lasting, and high quality.
- One of the most robust bariatric models on the market today, supporting up to 1000 pounds of weight!
- All of these chairs suffer from the same negative, that being that they’re all incredibly expensive compared to chairs offered by the dominant brands in the industry. However, this is a case of getting what you pay for. Bounder chairs are incredibly robust, long-lasting, and high quality.
While the table above provides a good “at a glance” view, to see what really makes each of these chairs tick, we’ve got to look a bit more deeply, so that’s what we’ll do next.
Bounder Plus H Frame Power Wheelchair – High Performance
Recommended For: Primarily an indoor use chair, but robust enough to handle any mild and some moderate outdoor terrains.
This can be seen as the “baseline model” of the company’s lineup because, with all but one exception, the other chairs are derived from this one. It’s brilliantly engineered, designed to be highly modular (we’ll get into the options and add-ons a bit later on), and built to last you a lifetime.
Basic Specifications of the Bounder Plus H Frame Wheelchair
The Bounder Plus H Frame Power Chair uses a standard 25.5” wide frame, constructed of 2.5” x 1.5” x 0.125” TIG-welded wall steel, and 0.120” wall steel seat rails and back posts. It’s powered by a sliding dual group 27 battery box (largest in class), features a non-slip chain drive (similar to what you find on motorcycles), making it perfect for use in extreme weather, and features 12-position adjustable suspension forks.
Anti-tippers are a standard feature, the arms are detachable, and desk-length (this may be changed at your option), and the chair features a smart electric brake release that allows for easy pushing by an attendant.
Even better, unlike many mainstream brands, both the casters and the drive wheels on the Bounder Plus H Frame Power Wheelchair are solid steel, which offers excellent handling on most surfaces (casters and drive wheels available with either smooth or knobby treads).
On top of all that, unlike many chairs, where you have to buy the lighting package separately, this chair comes with tail lights standard (headlights are a separate option), and the chair comes with a dual mode battery charger that’s capable of charging both gel-cell and lead-acid batteries.
Note that while the Bounder Plus H Frame Power Wheelchair, in its stock configuration, can reach speeds more than 11 MPH, at user request, lower speeds can be programmed into the control board, so this too is optional! Also note that given its solid steel construction, this chair is heavy, weighing in at a whopping 280 pounds!
We’ll give you a minute to catch your breath. The bottom line is, there’s not a wheelchair being offered today by any mainstream brand that offers anywhere close to this level of customization, and what we’ve talked about so far is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg!
Bounder All Terrain Power Wheelchair – Off-Road
Recommended For: Outdoor use and can tackle a wider range of outdoor terrains, but can be used indoors in a pinch.
While the Bounder All Terrain Power Wheelchair uses the same basic frame as the Bounder Plus H Frame Wheelchair, there are a few fundamental differences to mention. We’ll list those just below:
The Bounder AT can accept the full range of enhancements and add-ons we’ll talk about below.
Big Bounder H-Frame Power Wheelchair – Bariatric
Recommended For: Indoor use but is surprisingly adept at handling mild to moderate outdoor terrains.
The Big Bounder Wheelchair is a modified Bounder High-Performance chair, featuring the following differences:
Note: If you select the 1000-pound weight limit chair, the company will swap out the motors to those used by the Bounder AT, which provides more torque but somewhat less speed, so the speed of the 700-pound weight limit Big Bounder H-Frame Power Wheelchair is 11.5 MPH, while the 1000-pound weight limit model is 6.5 MPH.
Of course, you have access to the full range of extras and add-ons that we’ll talk about later.
Bounder Plus Narrow and Extra Narrow
There are actually two variants of this model. We’ll give the basic stats as they differ from the Bounder HP separately.
NARROW 24” BOUNDER
Note: If you select the 1000-pound weight limit chair, the company will swap out the motors to those used by the Bounder AT, which provides more torque but somewhat less speed, so the speed of the 700-pound weight limit Big Bounder H-Frame Power Wheelchair is 11.5 MPH, while the 1000-pound weight limit model is 6.5 MPH.
Of course, you have access to the full range of extras and add-ons that we’ll talk about later.
EXTRA NARROW 21.5” BOUNDER
Overall, compared to the Bounder Plus H Frame (High Performance), this chair weighs approximately 100 pounds less (so total weight here is about 180 pounds).
As with the other Bounder models, the full range of power seating options, extras and add-ons are available.
Bounder Classic – Conventional “Tubular” Frame
This is the closest thing that 21st Century makes to a “conventional” wheelchair. It retains its all-steel construction but utilizes a non-folding box frame built with steel tubing. In addition to that, note the following differences from the baseline model:
As with all the other Bounder models, the full range of enhancements and add-ons are available with this model.
Features of Bounder Power Wheelchairs
Adjustability & Comfort
While Bounder power chairs themselves are only moderately adjustable once you get them in-hand, the company gives you virtually unlimited freedom to custom-tailor your chair to your specific needs.
We’ll get into the add-ons and enhancements in the next section. For now, let’s focus on the standard parts of the wheelchair that can be custom-ordered to your specifications, and aren’t model-specific:
Powder Coated Frame
The powder-coated frame can be ordered in a variety of colors, including:
Frame Reinforcement Options
The frame can be reinforced for heavier users. A variety of reinforcement options here, including:
And More!
You probably won’t need to order any aftermarket goodies for your chair. But in the event that you forget something you wanted, most aftermarket products can be fitted to the Bounder power wheelchair product line, although they may pose complications with some of the features we’ll talk about a bit later in this review, so bear that in mind.
On-Board Storage & Extras
21st Century Scientific, Inc. offers a moderate number of exciting add-ons and enhancements. Any of these can be ordered on any of the models the company offers:
Power Seating Options
While all of these are interesting, these aren’t the add-ons and enhancements that make the Bounder power chairs so compelling. The thing that does is that in addition to the incredible reliability these models offer, they can be customized with a variety of power seating options.
Many of these can be combined, so don’t think that you’re just limited to one of the options we’ll describe below. Depending on your needs, the company can work with you to install a variety of power seating options. Here’s what you can choose from:
Seat Style Options
In short, the options above are flat-out amazing enhancements. Even better, in addition to these, two different seat style options can be ordered:
Puff & Sip Control
Finally, and this is something else you’ll be hard-pressed to find offered by most mainstream brands, if you can’t use your hands to work the controls, any of 21st Century’s chairs can be outfitted with a “Puff and Sip” control system, so that the operation of the chair can be conducted by mouth movements. In short, these guys have thought of just about everything.
What About Portability?
So far, we’ve been doing nothing but singing the praises of Bounder products, and with good reason. They are amazing. One thing they are not, however, is portable. If you want to move these from one location to another, you’re almost certainly going to want to buy a lift system on the back of your vehicle, or, if you have a truck or full-sized van, then a ramp to allow you to load and unload whichever of these models you gravitate toward.
While the relative lack of portability did reduce the score of the products in this brand, it’s not a deal breaker for most people. It’s a problem, sure, but not an insurmountable one.
World Class Customer Service and Support
Another thing you won’t have to worry about when you buy any product from 21st Century Scientific is post-sales support. They’ll start working with you from the moment you first make contact to ensure that the chair they ultimately deliver to your door is exactly what you want and need.
Post-purchase, if there are any problems with your chair, you can rely on a prompt response from the company’s knowledgeable staff. They’re a great, dedicated group.
Pros & Cons of Bounder Plus Wheelchairs
Given the amazing quality and durability of these products and the amazing power seat configuration options, it’s not hard to fall in love with Bounder products. These chairs were designed to last you a lifetime, and because you can customize them for exactly how you plan to use them and to meet your specific needs, they really don’t have any downside, other than price.
Quality like this doesn’t come cheap, so Bounder power chairs are a good deal more expensive than mobility devices offered by the dominant brands in the industry.
Then again, it’s not really an “apples to apples” comparison. The reason the big-name brand products are so much less expensive is that they’re mass produced and designed for mass-market appeal. Consider them to be “one size fits all” products, versus these, which are highly customized to perfectly meet your individual needs, and to last a lifetime. That’s a significant difference, but again, it’s one you’ll pay a hefty premium for, and unfortunately, that puts these chairs out of reach for many.
Bounder Power Wheelchair Review Conclusion
The Bounder power wheelchairs offered by 21st Century Scientific, Inc. are incredible. Their designs are of high quality, and they offer an array of customization options that most other manufacturers can’t match. That makes them a breed apart.
We highly recommend all of the chairs in the Bounder lineup without reservation. They’re expensive, but they’re built to last, and you can customize them to ensure that they’ll meet your needs perfectly. Great products offered by a great company.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- 21st Century Scientific Inc., Official Brand Website.
- Bounder Mobility Equipment Brochure, Wheelchairs.
- Choosing a Wheelchair, Which?
- Form Follows Human: Recaro’s Roots as Coachbuilder to the Germans, Hemmings.
- Mechanical Principles of Wheelchair Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).