Kortlund

I'm writing this because I genuinely believe in what Cheelcare has built. I am not being paid or compensated in any way for this review.

After a spinal cord injury, your arms, especially your shoulders, take on the work your legs used to do. I've had surgery on my right shoulder and dislocated my left, so even at 39 I felt that strain soon after discharge from Craig Hospital. That's what led me to look at front-end attachments.

I was close to buying the Firefly, despite mixed reviews calling it bulky, hard to maneuver in tight spaces, and a hassle to attach and detach. Then a distributor told me to hold off and try the Companion by Cheelcare first.

Within five minutes, I knew it was the one. I tested it on pavement, grass, rocks, dirt, my apartment hallways, and then the real test: the elevator. It spins on a dime, attaches and detaches easily, and stays stable at higher speeds. That tight turning radius is a massive advantage over its competitors.

The ultimate test came last week in New Orleans, where my wife and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. Any wheelchair user will tell you cobblestone is the hardest, most uncomfortable surface there is. With the Companion, it was a breeze.

After five days of beating it up on those streets, an error message popped up late Saturday night, and we had to leave early Sunday for a football game, one of the main reasons we made the trip. I figured there was no way I'd get support in time. Instead, the owner, Eugene, contacted me right after I sent a message. At 6 a.m. Sunday, he FaceTimed my wife and me and walked us through the repair step by step with Allen wrenches and a multi-tool I luckily had on me. Within 30 minutes, it was fixed.

Without him, our last day would have been a nightmare, for me and for my wife, who would have had to help me over those bumpy, broken roads all day. Instead, it was enjoyable and memorable. Eugene, I can't thank you enough.

That weekend is just the most recent story. I've had my Companion for almost three years, and it has literally taken me around the world, including Egypt, one of the toughest places I've been as a manual wheelchair user, and Moldova, whose old streets rival New Orleans.

If you're a manual wheelchair user looking for a low-profile device that protects your shoulders, handles any terrain, and comes at a fair price compared to others on the market, the Companion is it. But what truly sets Cheelcare apart is the people behind it. When something goes wrong, they show up, even at 6 a.m. on a Sunday. I recommend the Companion without hesitation, and I would choose it again tomorrow.