Ocean Ergo VIP

The back to this chair does not hold up to use by the disabled individual. It will pull apart and the person will not have any upper support. The locks will not hold either. Update: after contacting Invacare within a week a new back support and wheel locks were ordered to repair chair. Thank you!!!

I’m breaking my own rule about writing a premature review. You know the ones I’m talking about. It’s those reviews for a game that’s never been opened or chips that they haven’t eaten. However, I believe this is the right thing to do. After researching commode wheelchairs I was frustrated by the lack of comprehensive reviews and/or feedback from consumers. Maybe it’s because it’s such a personal topic? Whatever the reason I thought it was important to share my opinion on this product. Hopefully it’ll help someone else! The reason this review is premature is because I have not actually used this wheelchair in conjunction with toileting and/or shower needs. I’m in the process of building an accessible bathroom. I want to keep the wheelchair “unused” until I am 100% sure this is the wheelchair for me. Here is a little bit about myself so you can understand my opinions better. I have Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Basically my whole body is very weak. I can no longer stand and/or walk. I cannot transfer myself. I’ll now move onto the wheelchair. First, it comes in a giant box. I was not prepared for that. The wheelchair comes mostly assembled. Though the basket that holds the bucket needed to be weaved in and out to open the wheelchair completely. That was a bit of a puzzle. If you are looking for a very sturdy wheelchair then this may not be the one for you. I’m 5’1 and approximately 135 lbs. I feel completely secure in the wheelchair but if you’re a lot bigger than me you might find it a bit wobbly since it is collapsible. The seat itself is hard but comfortable enough. Would I want to sit on it for 6 hours? Probably not but I don’t foresee doing that. The seat easily adjusts so that you can rotate the hole. MAJOR drawback is the basket and bucket feature. (That’s why I deducted a star.) I’m not sure who thought that would work but even a sneeze could cause that thing to tilt. I would not recommend this wheelchair if you are planning on using it mainly as a freestanding toilet. (Meaning you are not rolling it over a toilet.) The bucket would probably work in a pinch but it does not seem reliable. We brought this wheelchair to a bathroom showroom and had no trouble finding toilets that could accommodate the wheelchair rolling over it. We’re purchasing the Kohler San Souci. We will probably swap out the toilet seat that comes with it because the lid is a bit thick. Once you flip it up, it sticks out farther than most so you lose about an inch. The wheelchair hole lined up really well with the toilets hole. The handlebars fit well over the tank. If you were thinking of buying a new toilet to accommodate the wheelchair I would recommend testing it out first. A showroom is a great place to do this. On paper the dimensions might seem like they should match up but then don’t. The wheels are easy enough to roll. It felt like wheeling around in any other manual wheelchair. The brakes are placed well. They’re located right where the seat meets the wheel. Right now, I have trouble putting them on. Off is no problem. I think once the wheels soften a bit I might be able to work the brakes better. If your arms are not weak you should be able to use the brakes easily. Once I’ve fully used the wheelchair I’ll update this review. Please feel free to comment if you have any questions. It’s a complicated purchase and I’d be happy to help if I can :)

Fantastic commode. Very well constructed. Some easy assembly required. Ergonomic seat cannot be beat. If you can afford this product, buy it. My paralyzed brother tried 5 other commodes and all were uncomfortable for different reasons. This one did the job. Heads up it weighs 80lb. Tthe only problem is the castor wheels made the seat about 5 inches higher than his wheelchair seat, which made the transfer very hard, so he had to use the hoyer to transfer.

I spent a lot of time researching for something that could give me some independence to take a shower. This product seemed to give me everything I wanted. Self propelled, locking wheels, etc. and in a perfect world it would be easy to go in, shower, wheel out but it is incredibly useless for the price and expectations. It does not wheel easily when dry at all and once wet it does not work period. The wheels turn but cannot get traction with or without rugs/towels etc. Even though I had a new wheelchair shower installed and all I need to do is wheel it in you can't maneuver it. I have never been more disappointed in a product. The ergonomic seat. You fall down a hole and can't get out. I have been trying to find out if there is a normal seat to use but no luck so far. I am so sorry because this could be a life changing product, not just an expensive mistake.

Well, after using the same shower chair for almost 20 years, obviously, getting into a brand new one had a few things to get used to. I'm a t-3-4 paraplegic. Sure, it's a bit wobbly, as someone had stated in their review, but nothing dangerous, at least in my opinion. Also someone had mentioned the brakes were to hard to engage, while, yes, they do take a little oomph to get fully on, they are adjustable, and you can mellow them out a little bit. I was a little worried at first, as the back on my old chair seemed a bit higher, which resulted in me feeling a little uncomfortable at first, but it's actually pretty much the same height as my wheelchair, so.. but now that I've been using this new chair for a little over a month, I've adapted to it quite well. As silly as it sounds, my only complaint is that it rolls too nicely! lol my old chair had bearings seizing up, and it kinda stayed where I put it, the new chair rolls all over the place (on my slanted shower floor) making me HAVE to use the brakes a lot more! I personally have no issues with the brakes, but that's just me. So far I like the chair, and would recommend it.

The center filler piece pops out when in use. Feels a little flimsy, but it is standing up so far. Nice finish and little assembling to do.

Very well designed. Great breaks ! Good price.

Exactly as our previous one that finally flat wore out. Quality construction. With that said, after 2 months of daily use, the backrest seam is coming unbound on one side. Although though the casters are of high quality, the shrouded bearing construction does not allow cleaning or lubricating. Hair will get wound up in them and eventually clog them up. I found no way to take the shrouding off to clean or lube them on our previous chair. Preventing simple maintenance is silly at this extremely high price point. With that one thing said, the chair is robust and has held up to the daily abuse a C6 quad demands of it. Wish we didn't need it but thankful we have it. Quadriplegia sucks BTW.