I have over the last couple of years had the pleasure of delivering a number of Vela Tango chairs. The Tango broadens the offering from backworld in that it has been designed from the start for people with reduced mobility, to help prevent trips and falls and maintain independence for the user.
Vela was founded in Denmark in 1935 and is still run by the two sons of the founder.
We have some office chairs that we can adapt to help with a number of postural issues but the Tango has been designed from the ground up with safety and stability in mind. Although to the untrained eye it looks like many other office chairs, it has several features that provide much more than even an adapted office chair can provide.
It has 4 large wide set wheels. Most office chairs have a 5 spoke base with 65mm castors. These are fine for moving very small distances about the desk, but nothing more. The Tango chairs have 100mm wheels set 550mm apart which makes the chair stable when moving, and suitable for walking about the home or office.
People with restricted mobility tend to lean on a chair’s armrests when getting up and down. This can cause the chair to roll away, and the user to fall. The Tango has an easy to use handbrake so the chair stays put. Again some office chairs can be retro fitted with a brake device, but they tend to be rather clunky and on a 5 star base the chair is inherently less stable than a Tango.
And maybe most useful of all the Tango has an electric lift system. This brings all sorts of benefits. In order to move the chair easily the chair needs to be at the right height for the user. It means that the chair can be adjusted for eating meals at a dining table, or for jobs like loading a dishwasher. Or the chair can be raised and tilted for use as a perching stool, for example when cooking or working at a bench.
The chair is a modular design and as well as many different seat cushions and sizes there are many adaptions that can be provided. Many Tango customers are simply ageing, and need help to stand on their own. Some have unfortunately had accidents, have lost legs or suffering in other ways. And many have more complex needs, whether from birth, or issues that have developed, for example, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Motor Neurone and many more.
The one area where people sometimes struggle with the Tango is moving it. Their legs have become so weak, or often there’s a carpet that makes the chair much harder to move.
Now Vela has added the option of a powered wheel to the chair. Controlled by a joystick it’s not a powered chair designed to take you shopping, but gives the extra help some people need to move about the home, while at the same time, keeping the user as active and involved as possible in their own movement and fitness.
The best way to experience a Vela Tango chair is to try it out in your home or office. We have a demo chair in stock and we’re happy to bring it to you.
