Today's Deep-Dive: The $1000 Wheelchair

All right. So imagine this, okay, you're online and, uh,

you're ordering a wheelchair. It's like as easy as ordering, I don't know,

take out or something. Right. You just punch in like a few clicks,

your measurements, all that. And boom, like a couple of weeks later,

it just shows up at your door. It's wild and under a thousand dollars.

It's crazy. Like that even possible.

That's exactly what not a wheelchair is trying to do.

And that's what we're diving into today. Like how are they actually making this

happen? This isn't like, you know, some fantasy.

This is real. They're already shaking things up.

And we're going to look at how they're trying to completely change,

like revolutionize how wheelchairs are made and sold and,

and just the whole market really.

So who are the people behind this? Well, there's Zach and Cambry Nelson.

Zach, you probably know him.

He's the brains behind that crazy popular YouTube channel, Jerry rig,

everything.

Yeah. You know tech, you know Zach. Totally. And Cambry,

she uses a wheelchair herself.

And that's really what makes their story so interesting, right?

You have the tech side and then the actual lived experience all in one.

But before we get too far,

let's talk about the current state of the wheelchair market.

So we understand why what they're doing is such a big deal.

I mean, let's be real.

Getting a wheelchair right now can be like a total nightmare.

You're jumping through hoops, dealing with insurance.

Yeah. You're a hundred percent right. It's usually like this whole process,

right? You've got doctors, seating clinics,

those insurance companies we talked about, DME suppliers,

all these people adding time. And let's be honest,

extra cost onto the whole thing. And for anyone who's like, wait,

what's a DME supplier? We're talking about durable medical equipment.

That's just a fancy way of saying that people who like supply wheelchairs and

other mobility devices. Right. Exactly.

And because of this whole complicated system, people end up waiting months.

And then the price, forget it. You're talking thousands,

tens of thousands of dollars sometimes. And not a wheelchair.

They're trying to blow that whole system up, right? Their whole thing is going

directly to the people who need the chairs, no middlemen, just straight to you.

And they're using technology to make the whole process faster,

way more efficient and most importantly, way more affordable.

Yeah. It's pretty mind blowing.

Like you can go to their website right now and customize like the dimensions of

the chair, pick your colors, even choose some of the features all online.

Imagine that designing your own wheelchair right from your living room.

That's wild. It's like ordering, you know, I don't know,

like customizing a pair of sneakers or something, but it's a wheelchair.

Exactly. Yeah. But how can they afford to make them so cheap?

That's where Zach's YouTube channel comes in.

That thing has millions of subscribers.

We're talking millions of people watching his videos,

which means he's making bank on ads and partnerships.

So it's like they're taking internet fame and using it for like a good cause.

It's pretty amazing. You don't see that too often in this industry,

having that kind of money to play with from the start.

And here's the really cool part.

They're putting all that money back into the company.

They've got this insane manufacturing facility,

like 26,000 square feet of high tech, everything robotic laser cutters,

computer controlled things that bend tubes.

They even have a powder coating station. I mean,

it's like something straight out of, you know, Ironman or something.

It's definitely not your grandpa's wheelchair factory. That's for sure.

This tuck focus is how they're cutting those wait times down and making the

whole process super efficient.

And they've gotten so efficient, they can make a whole chair in just a few hours,

which is crazy. But the big question is,

can you really make a thousand dollar wheelchair that's as good as the ones that

cost like five or 10 times that?

That's the million dollar question, right? And to be fair,

the fives and dollars gets you their most basic model.

They design it to be simple, but functional. Think of it as a starting point,

right? Like a blank slate. It's how they keep the costs so low.

But for those who want something, I don't know, a bit more exciting,

they have all kinds of upgrades, different materials, different color options.

You can add things on. You can definitely personalize it to a certain extent.

And yeah, the upgrades cost extra obviously,

but even with all the bills and whistles,

it's still way cheaper than going through the traditional route.

And don't forget, we're still talking about custom built wheelchairs here.

Okay. That actually sounds amazing. They're really trying to change things up, huh?

It'll be interesting to see how the big wheelchair companies react to all this,

but that's something we can dive into a bit later.

It's like they're totally changing the game, right? But like with anything new,

there are going to be questions, things to think about,

like going straight to the customer is cool, but what about getting, you know,

a professional fitting? That seems important.

You've got a point there. I mean, usually you'd go to a seating clinic,

talk to specialists, make sure the chair fits you perfectly.

That's important for everyone,

but especially for people who are in their chairs all day, every day,

helps avoid pressure sores and all that.

Right. Exactly. So that's something to keep in mind.

If you're thinking about buying one of these chairs, I mean,

they do have like measuring guides on their website and they say,

you should talk to a professional if you need to,

but it's not quite the same as having someone there in person.

It does make you wonder about the whole like long-term support thing too.

What happens when your chair needs an adjustment or a repair a few years down the

line? Not everyone's a, oh, a handyman, right? Yeah.

Yeah. That's a good point.

Although I did see Zach talking about this in one of his videos,

he was saying the chairs are built to last and you can fix most things yourself

with like normal tools.

They're even going to sell replacement parts on their website.

It's a very like do it yourself approach, which kind of fits with their whole vibe,

but I'm not sure how well that'll go over with everyone, especially folks who,

you know, usually rely on professionals for that stuff.

Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how that all plays out,

but let's switch gears for a sec and talk about like the story behind not a

wheelchair because it's just as unusual as their business model. Like we said,

Zach's this YouTube guy with millions of people watching him take apart phones

and stuff. Oh yeah. Don't forget those crazy durability tests he does totally.

But his whole journey into the wheelchair world,

it all started with Cambry.

And she's been incredibly open about like what it's like to use a wheelchair,

sharing her experiences with all of Zach's followers.

And this is where it gets like really real.

She's talked in interviews about how frustrating it is to wait months for a new

chair. I've had a lot of wheelchair users can relate to that. The delays,

the paperwork and never knowing if insurance is going to cover it. It's a lot.

It can be so dehumanizing. Yeah, totally.

And for Zach who wasn't really connected to like the disability world before

this, it was a total wake up call.

It definitely shows in how they're building, not a wheelchair.

Like this isn't just some business opportunity for them. It's personal.

Yeah. It feels like they really want to make things better, not just for Cambry,

but for everyone who uses a wheelchair, you know? Oh, absolutely.

You can tell it's coming from a genuine place. And I think people see that,

not just people with disabilities, but Zach's regular viewers too. Yeah.

They're all in on this.

It's like they've tapped into this whole community online who really care about

this stuff. It's a pretty amazing story when you think about it. Okay.

So we've talked about their vision, who they are,

but let's talk about the actual product for a minute,

because that a thousand dollar price tag,

it's definitely got people talking. As it should. I mean,

most custom wheelchairs cost like five grand at least, even with insurance.

And remember that thousand dollars that gets you their basic model.

They kept it simple, focused on function over everything else. Right.

Like it's their way of making it affordable.

But what about if you want something, I don't know, a little more personalized?

They've got options. You can change up the materials, pick different colors,

add stuff on. It's not like unlimited,

but you can definitely make it your own. Of course, those extras, they'll cost you.

But even with upgrades, it's still way cheaper than going through the usual channels.

Don't forget, this is still a custom made wheelchair we're talking about. Okay.

But be honest, some people are going to hear all this and be like, okay,

but is a thousand dollar wheelchair actually any good?

Can it really compare to the expensive ones? Right.

Like can they really pull it off? Well, the early reviews are looking good.

And this is key. They're really good.

Even magazines that are all about mobility devices, like new mobility,

you know, they got their hands on these chairs early and they were impressed.

Well, that's awesome. What did they say about them?

They loved the build quality, said it was a really smooth ride.

And the chairs just like worked well overall.

They even said the basic model, the thousand dollar one was just as good,

if not better than a lot of the more expensive wheelchairs you see out there.

Wow. That's high praise coming from a magazine like that.

Obviously it's still early days, right? We need to see how they hold up over time,

but it's definitely got people excited for good reason.

Not a wheelchair is changing things. They're doing something new,

doing it their own way. And that's a good thing. Totally agree.

At the end of the day, this isn't just about wheelchairs, you know,

it's about making sure everyone has access to what they need to live their lives.

It's about having choices and hopefully making things more affordable.

It's about time someone shook things up. I couldn't agree more. Okay.

So we've covered a lot,

but there's one more thing about not a wheelchair that we need to unpack.

How is this all going to affect the wheelchair industry as a whole?

It's like they've come in and like shaken the whole industry up,

thrown a grenade into the mix or something. For years, it's been the same old story.

A few big companies running the show and they haven't exactly been like racing to

make things more affordable. It's like they haven't had to,

no one's really challenged them before so they could get away with it,

which is rough because it means people who need wheelchairs,

they're stuck with like limited choices and high prices. Exactly.

And that's why what not a wheelchair is doing is such a big deal.

They're not just making a new wheelchair.

They're trying to change the whole way the industry works,

going straight to the customer, being upfront about their prices,

letting people customize their chairs. It's a whole different way of thinking.

It's like they're calling out the big companies,

showing them that things can be done differently.

Little competition never hurt anybody.

And honestly, it might be what these companies needed.

It could force them to actually try to make better products,

offer better services, and actually listen to what people want.

It's about time, right? I mean,

people who rely on wheelchairs deserve to have options.

They deserve to have control over their own mobility.

A hundred percent. And it goes beyond just wheelchairs. You know,

this whole thing is sparking a bigger conversation about accessibility in

general, about making things affordable for everyone and about not being afraid

to challenge the way things have always been done.

It really makes you think if a company that started on YouTube can come in and

disrupt the wheelchair market like this, what else is possible?

What other industries could use a shakeup?

What other products or services could be made more accessible and affordable?

If someone just came in with a fresh perspective,

it's definitely something to think about. Now, don't get me wrong,

not a wheelchair. They still have a long way to go.

This is just the beginning for them.

It'll be interesting to see where they go from here, you know,

how they deal with the challenges,

how they grow and change and what kind of impact they ultimately have.

Yeah. I'm really curious to see what happens next, but one thing's for sure.

They've got everyone's attention. This isn't just about a thousand dollar

wheelchair anymore. It's about changing the game completely.

It just goes to show you sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected

places and sometimes it takes someone who's not afraid to break the

rules to make a real difference.

Couldn't have said it better myself. So as we wrap things up here,

we'll leave you with this. What's something in your own life,

your community, or even the world that could use a little shaking up?

And until next time, thanks for joining us for this deep dive.

And until next time, thanks for joining us for this deep dive.