In a Nutshell:
On paper, the Omegatrac Wheelchair looks like it should be a good chair, but it’s heavy, hard-to-use, and the company has been plagued by support issues. Based on the above, we cannot, in good conscience, recommend this chair.
Customization options
Ease of Use
Comfort
Performance
Overall Rating
2.5/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued and is currently unavailable. Check out other wheelchairs we’ve reviewed.
Do you suffer from a mobility issue that’s keeping you from enjoying the great outdoors as you once did? Are you looking for a great, top-quality, go-anywhere type of chair you can use both indoors and out, sold by a company with world-class customer service and support?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, we’re sorry to say that this is not the chair you’ve been looking for. On paper, the Omegatrac Wheelchair offered by Teftec is a beast of a chair, but as you’ll see in the sections that follow, it suffers from a few critical problems that make it virtually unusable, in our view.
While it pains us to have to write reviews like this, they’re an essential part of the site, because our goal is to help steer you toward the mobility aid that’s perfect for you, and unless you have a strong masochistic streak, this one just isn’t it.
Having said that, your conclusion may be different from ours, so we’ll go over what the Omegatrac can and can’t do in the sections that follow, and let you decide for yourself. Let’s do this.
An Overview of the Omegatrac Wheelchair
Big, brutish, and burly.
Those are the kinds of words that spring to mind when you first set eyes on the Teftec Omegatrac Wheelchair. It’s a beast of a chair, constructed of solid steel, and made right here in the United States.
When we saw that it was an American-made chair, we had high hopes of exceptional quality, but alas, those hopes were dashed. Right off the bat, too, we noticed some serious issues:
First, although this chair is described as being for both indoor and outdoor use, its extreme weight (more than four hundred pounds), and its size (36.3” to 43” long and 30” wide) makes it impractical for indoor use. It won’t fit through a standard-width doorway, even with the hinges removed.
Not a good start and this is the primary reason we took points off for versatility – it just doesn’t serve well in an indoor capacity, and according to the company selling it, it should.
The upshot is that the Omegatrac Power Chair will support over a thousand pounds of user weight and gear, which makes it a rugged outdoor vehicle capable of towing whatever gear you feel like pulling behind it. It’s also offered in three different seat width configurations, 17”, 19”, and 21”, so if you decide you want one, you’ll be able to customize it for an optimal fit.
Another problem is the fact that, as outdoor chairs, we expected something that could handle uneven terrain better. Here, its weight gets in its own way. If you’re traveling on dry, level ground, it handles well, but it will struggle over even modest obstacles like large rocks or downed limbs more than just a few inches high.
If you encounter even the least bit of mud, all-terrain wheelchair tires aren’t going to be enough to save you. The sheer weight of the machine is going to get you stuck in the mire. It’s so heavy that you’ll need to get creative to rescue it.
Interestingly, the company also sells what could be considered beach tires for the device. We didn’t try it based on its poor handling on even slightly wet ground, and we honestly don’t want to. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
One final curiosity to point out: The chair features attendant push handles on the back. Why? We’re not really sure.
Unless you are being attended to by some country’s Olympic Wrestling Team, they will struggle to push this chair if the wheelchair battery dies, and if it gets hung up on something, you’re better off getting a truck and a winch to get it out, rather than breaking some poor soul’s back trying to get it unstuck manually.
Adjustability & Comfort
Here, we were somewhat impressed by the Omegatrac Power Wheelchair. The armrests are independently adjustable, the control module can be mounted on either arm (specify at the point of sale), the footrests are individually adjustable, as is the headrest.
The seat is akin to a conventional wheelchair seat in its design, although the seat cushion offers about twice the padding as the backrest. That’s good. It’s not what we’d describe as a luxurious seating experience, but it’s certainly comfortable, and the headrest makes it even better.
This is not a chair you’d want to spend the whole day in or take a long nap in, but if the plan is to spend a few hours riding around outside in it, you’ll be pleasantly comfortable.
Only One Extra Offered
As we mentioned, the only “extra” the company sells are “flotation tires” for use at the beach or on the water. We see two problems with this: First, the Omegatrac doesn’t handle well on wet ground, and second, given its extreme weight, if you relied on the “flotation tires” to keep you afloat in the water, you’d sink like a stone. For those reasons, we don’t recommend investing in the company’s one offered extra.
The upshot is that this chair traces its design roots back to the conventional wheelchair, so most of the aftermarket add-ons you can buy for traditional wheelchairs will work well enough here too.
Not Portable
Another issue with the Omegatrac is that it doesn’t collapse and can’t be considered portable. Unless you have a full-sized van with a ramp, a pickup truck with a ramp, or a very powerful lift, capable of handling 500+ pounds, you’re not taking this chair anywhere.
Easy to Use, But…
We gave the Omegatrac Off Road Power Chair a dismal score here, although the controls are simple and straightforward. You won’t have any trouble mastering the basics, although it will take a few minutes to get used to the handling of such a heavy machine.
No, the real kiss of death for us is the fact that Teftec’s customer service is virtually nonexistent, and customer service is an undeniable dimension of ease of use because eventually, all machines break.
Unfortunately, when the Omegatrac breaks, you’re basically on your own. Good luck getting help, or even getting a response from the company. This left us extremely disappointed. We expected so much more from an American company.
Pros & Cons of the Omegatrac Power Chair
We think we’ve been tough but fair in this review, so let’s spend a moment summarizing:
There are some good aspects to this design. They include:
And here are the things we find problematic:
Omegatrac Power Wheelchair Review Conclusion
This chair should be awesome. We think the Omegatrac Wheelchair could be awesome, but for that to happen, it needs to shed some pounds, get better at handling uneven ground, and get something that resembles proper customer service and support.
If those things change, we wouldn’t have any problems recommending this chair. As things stand now, we don’t recommend it to anyone, for any purpose, except maybe target practice.
Official Manufacturer Support
References & Resources
- Jim Finch: Paradigm Shifter, New Mobility.
- “All Terrain” Wheelchair Rides Like A Cadillac, Farm Show Magazine.
- What is the Definition of a Wheelchair Under the ADA?, ADA.
- Wheelchair Measuring Guide, Amica Medical Supply.