Excel Wheelchairs Brand Review 2023

Derived from these basic models, the company offers a wide range of variant models.  Here, you’ll find chairs that are optimized for heavier users or children and the like.

These are all minor variations the models listed above, slanted one direction or another to provide better fit and functionality for certain subtypes of users.  The models above then, while not an exhaustive list of what the company offers, are a good cross-section representing the kinds of products you’ll find if you decide you’re interested in one of their wheelchairs and go to the site for a closer look.

Note that our scoring system does have a bias toward the US market, which is why in a couple of cases, some of Excel’s products rank a bit low.

Their products are optimized for the European market, and in some instances, preferences are different on the other side of the pond, which makes some of their chairs a less-than-perfect fit for the US.  Overall though, as you’ll see in the sections that follow, their mobility aids are exceptional.  Let’s take a closer look:

Excel Wheelchairs In More Detail

Excel G-Explorer All-Terrain Wheelchair

This chair is a regular mountain goat where outdoor terrains are concerned.  Sturdy and capable, it will take you just about anywhere you want to go. 

With its 24” all-terrain tires, there’s not much in the way of outdoor terrain it can’t handle.  Since it’s a manual chair, you are likely to be the limiting factor, but if you’ve got upper body strength, this chair can power you over just about anything.  Here are the Excel G Explorer Wheelchair’s basic stats:

The frame is available in either black or grey, and the upholstery can be ordered in one of four colors to allow for some personalization.  You can get it in:

The upholstery is also nylon mesh for breathability and is machine washable, so there’s no need to worry if you get muddy while out on the trail (and the chair comes with built-in side guards to minimize the amount of water splashing on you in any case).

The chair also features quick-release pins for the wheels, enabling you to take them off for easier transport or to swap out the wheels to optimize the chair for the beach or urban environments, depending on how you plan to use it.  Other notable features include:

Although our description above focused on its abilities outdoors, the G-Explorer is no slouch when used inside, either.  It will serve you well in either capacity, making it ideal for people who have no intention of letting their mobility issues keep them from enjoying the great outdoors as they once did.

If money’s tight and you can only afford one chair, then you need it to be as versatile as possible. That’s the real strength of the G-Explorer.

Note:  The Explorer does come with a modestly sized storage pouch on the back of the chair.  It’s adequate, but if you plan on taking it hiking or camping, you’ll almost certainly want to invest in something bigger and more robust. 

Fortunately, the company sells a zippered bag designed to fit over the back of the chair.  That’s not an optimal placement for onboard storage, because it requires the person sitting in the chair to get up to pull items from the bag or ask for help.

We much prefer models that offer storage under the seat, especially where outdoor or mixed-use wheelchairs are concerned, but the reality is that the vast majority of manufacturers offer behind the seat storage, so we can’t really count this against the model here in our Excel Wheelchairs review.

Excel G-Logic Lightweight Wheelchair

A close cousin of the G-Explorer, this version is more lightly built and can’t be ordered in varying seat configurations. The basic stats are:

Like the G-Explorer, the breathable, nylon upholstery is machine washable and can be ordered in four different color configurations (the same ones we mentioned above).

Also, like the G-Explorer, the Excel G Logic Wheelchair features 24” wheels, although they sport indoor treads rather than all-terrain. The chair uses the same quick-release pin system, which makes swapping the wheels out or taking them off for transport a simple proposition.

It also sports the same full length, height-adjustable armrests, adjustable and removable footrests, and attendant hand brakes, which improve the chair’s handling on slopes. It’s even got the same 4-degree seat slant to help minimize spills and behind-the-seat storage pouch.

In our view, this was the model the company should have gone with to create their transport chair. Its lighter weight would have made it a better fit, but again, we’re thinking about what would go over well in the American market.

Tiempo Travel Mobility Scooter

Of all the models Excel makes, the Tiempo Travel Mobility Scooter is the only one that disappoints us.

This is almost certainly a function of the differences between the American and European markets, but in our view, as a mobility scooter, this one is underpowered and not capable of handling a diverse range of terrains to make it a good value for the money.

Here’s a quick overview of the model:

Despite our misgivings, we readily admit that it’s a robust mobility aid for people living in an urban environment.  As long as you keep to the pavement, or flat, dry ground, its limited ground clearance, and small wheels won’t give you any trouble.

Combine that with its relative comfort, the swiveling Captain’s chair, the full-length padded arms, and the handy storage basket on the front, and in the right setting, it’s perfect.

For an urban environment, you don’t want a machine that goes too fast, because you need to be able to stop and maneuver around pedestrians on busy streets.  Its 13-mile range should enable you to get to the market and back with scant difficulty (or, take it in the trunk of your car, spend the day shopping, and then return home for a recharge).

Our main problem is that the moment you take it off the pavement or out of an urban environment, its limitations will quickly become apparent.

Given how many high-quality powered mobility devices are already available in the US market, we can’t give this one a recommendation.

X0 Self-Propelled Wheelchair

This is a conventionally designed wheelchair designed for daily, regular use.  It features:

It’s a hefty piece of equipment but collapses down into a small enough footprint that it still retains its portability.  You should have no trouble fitting this into the trunk of any full-sized sedan, and of course, if you’ve got a hatchback, SUV, truck, or van, things get even easier.

The X0 Steel Self Propelled Wheelchair was designed primarily for people with severe mobility issues who will be spending several hours of each day sitting in their chairs.  If this describes your situation, you’ll almost certainly want to invest in the optional seat cushion and the memory foam seat back to maximize your comfort.  This chair is intended primarily for indoor use.

X1 Lightweight Self-Propelled Wheelchair

Lighter and more portable than the X0, the X1 Lightweight Self Propelled Wheelchair is ideal for people with moderately severe mobility issues, who have to spend a few hours a day in their wheelchairs, but otherwise can get up and move around (with or without assistance).

It’s not as comfortable as the X0, but again, with the addition of the optional padding and memory foam seat back, that can easily be remedied.  It also serves in a bit of a swing role.  Its lighter weight makes it more portable than the X0, so if you want to take this one to do some shopping, doing so is a simple matter.

Here are the basic stats:

As with the other chairs Excel sells, it features machine washable, breathable, nylon upholstery, a modestly sized storage pocket behind the seat, full-length padded armrests that are height adjustable and swivel out of the way to allow for easier transfers into and out of the chair, and height-adjustable, removable leg rests.

X1 Lightweight Transit Wheelchair

If you look back at the summary table, you’ll note that we gave this one a relatively low rating.  That’s not because we don’t think it’s a good product.  It is, but as we mentioned earlier, it’s just not a great product for the US market (which it’s not optimized for).

On the other side of the pond, this is an excellent transport wheelchair.  Here…needs and preferences tend to be different.  Not only is the X1 Lightweight Transit Wheelchair a bit heavy to be considered a good transport chair in the US market, but since you’ll pay a premium to have it imported, it’s vastly more expensive than better transport chairs offered locally.

It’s the same model as the X1 Lightweight, described above, with the only difference being that the manufacturer has installed 12” transport wheels in place of 24” wheelchair wheels.

While the frame is very well suited to a lightweight, general-duty wheelchair, it’s decidedly less so when converted to a transport chair, which was another factor in our relatively low rating of this model and configuration.

Other Excel Wheelchair Models

As we mentioned, the models we outlined above represent a good cross-section of the products sold by the company. Derived from these, you’ll find a number of variants on the company’s sales portal, which we’ll include here for your reference:

• The X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X 8, and X9 Lightweight
• Pediatric and Bariatric chairs based on the X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, and X9 variants (which are themselves, variants of the X1 design)

Extras and Add-Ons

Excel offers a modest number of “extras” that will fit on any of the chairs they sell. These are:

Wheelchair Cushions

A Zip-Top Shopping Bag

This handy shopping tote is well-designed and roomy.  Use it for a quick trip to the grocery store or a day at the park or on the hiking trail.  It’s big enough to hold a wide variety of supplies and conveniently designed with additional straps that can be looped over the push handles of a wheelchair.

Still, most aftermarket wheelchair accessories will fit onto Excel’s chairs (minus the mobility scooter), so although the company only offers a few, if you want something that they don’t sell, you can likely find a product that will fit from any number of third-party vendors, which significantly expands your options on that front.

Pros & Cons of Excel Wheelchairs Review

The thing we think you’ll like best about any of the Excel products (even if you disagree with our assessment of their scooter) is the fact that they’re top-quality machines and built to last.  These chairs are a reflection of the Brits who made them.

They tend toward conservatism but are thoughtfully designed and wonderfully pragmatic. Proper care and maintenance will last you a lifetime.  Sure, you’ll pay a premium for ordering something abroad, but if you want European quality, that goes without saying.

In our view, here are the features you’ll like best about Excel’s products:

The only real downside is that Europeans tend to be smaller than Americans, and Excel’s chairs were all designed with the European market in mind.  If you’re bigger or taller, then no matter how much you admire the craftsmanship, you may not fit into any of Excel’s chairs, which is understandably a deal-breaker.

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Excel Wheelchairs Review Conclusion

We sense that the people who would find these chairs to be an ideal fit are those who place a particular emphasis on product quality and durability, which is where Excel really shines, and people who are interested in a slightly different or unusual aesthetic than what’s offered by other mainstream brands.

If you’ve shopped all over the web for the “right” wheelchair, and nothing has quite the look and feel you want, Excel might be precisely what you’ve been searching for.  While it’s true that there’s nothing groundbreaking about Excel’s designs, they are solid, reliable products, and except for their little scooter, we recommend them.

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Official Manufacturer Support

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

• EXCEL Wheelchairs, Official Brand Website.
• Buying Tips for Those Considering a Mobility Scooter, Very Well Health.
• What to Look for When Choosing a Mobility Scooter, Research Institute for Disabled Consumers
• Wheelchair Cushions: Selection Guidelines for Providers and Consumers, Rehab & Community Care.