Golden Ally GP303 Power Wheelchair – Lightweight Portable Chair

The lift, before anything else

Forty nine and a half pounds in your hands.

Ready to drive, the Ally weighs 56 lb. You almost never lift all of it at once. The heaviest single piece is 49.5 lb, and that is the number to plan around when you picture yourself at the back of the car.

iYou do not always have to lift it. Two brake levers sit on the back of the chair, one on each motor. Push them down and the drive releases, so the Ally rolls by hand across a room or up a ramp.

Into the car

One latch, and nothing to unbolt.

Press and hold the frame release latch, take the push handle, lift a little, then push in towards the footplate. There is a latch on each side and either one will do. No tool is needed and no parts come off, so nothing gets left behind in the trunk.

• ✓It folds as one pieceNo armrest, footplate or seat back to take off first, and nothing loose to store
• ✓Standing size 41 in long by 24.5 in wide by 36 in tallMeasured before it is folded, which is what a trunk has to swallow

iOn the folded size. Golden does not publish one, so measure your trunk against the standing size above. It goes in as a single piece rather than a pile of parts, which is the part most people worry about.

The seat, and the doors

A 17 in seat, on a chair 24.5 in across.

The Ally has a 17 in seat on a removable memory foam cushion, with 18.5 in of clear space between the flip up arms. The seat sits 21.5 in off the ground, about the height of a dining chair, so moving across to it is a shift sideways rather than a climb. The chair is 24.5 in across at its widest and turns inside 28.5 in.

iWhere it rolls best. Pneumatic 10 in drive wheels at the back, 6 in casters at the front and 2.5 in of clearance under the frame. That suits smooth floors, sidewalks and maintained paths, which is where most days happen.

Range

Up to 14.4 km on one charge.

Golden publishes 14.4 km on a full charge, on level ground. A real day usually comes in a little under that. Top speed is 8 km/h. The Ally carries riders up to 330 lb, and the more weight on board, the fewer kilometres you get.

• ✓The 24 volt 12 Ah lithium pack lifts outA lockable latch on each side releases the 5 lb pack, and Golden asks that both are locked again before you drive
• ✓The charger is off boardThe pack charges indoors while the chair waits in the car
• ✓Golden calls the pack airline friendlyRules differ by airline, so please confirm with yours before you fly
• ✓Hills, rough ground and cold shorten itEvery lithium battery gives back less in a Canadian February

iAlso running off it. Front and rear lights, USB-A and USB-C charging ports and spoken alerts. Golden lists the Ally in teal, white and black.