Over the years, we’ve seen it time after time: The higher initial cost of our products makes individuals, clinicians, and healthcare facilities reluctant to sign on the dotted line. Even when research and advice from clinicians and therapists indicate one of our products would be the best option, administrators are sometimes shocked at the upfront cost of high-quality medical equipment.

This exact situation happened recently when we visited a skilled nursing facility in California, where the staff members and administrators were excited to try out our chairs. After an in-person demonstration, the facility’s administrators were ready to start ordering Broda’s products for their patients. Despite this energy, the facility’s leadership was wary because of our prices.

A wholesale change to our products would have been quite expensive, and skilled nursing facilities operate with notoriously low margins. To calm their fears, we worked to showcase how the clinically proven comfort and durability of our products would help cut costs through high-quality patient care.

In the end, the administrators agreed to identify the facility’s most at-risk patients and use a few of our products on a trial basis. Through continuous monitoring and evaluation, they were able to measure the benefits of our products under controlled conditions before they outlined a plan to purchase more when their situation and budget made it possible.

The same trepidation can strike family members who are used to finding discounted wheelchairs and medical equipment online. They might begin a conversation with our sales team expecting a similar discount, but we try to explain the difference between one of our chairs and a bargain-bin purchase. Once we demonstrate the superior quality, comfort, features, durability, support, and customization of our products, they typically decide to treat their loved ones to the best.

High Quality Is Always a Better Deal

The durability of our products is underscored by our industry-leading product warranties. The Food and Drug Administration requires all durable medical equipment registered and categorized as manual wheelchairs to carry a lifetime warranty on side frames and cross braces. While most equipment carries a warranty of less than five years, our warranties on our frames last for 10.

That durability stems from our use of high-quality, high-performance materials. For example, we use cold-rolled, electrically welded steel tubing because of its consistent dimensions and durability. It’s the most expensive, but steel also has an incredibly high fatigue and endurance limit.

We also reinforce our equipment with the highest-quality frame components available, regardless of cost. We have turned down more affordable suppliers simply because their components didn’t match our quality standards. We only purchase premium components from industry leaders, and it shows in our equipment.

It also shows in the premium price of our products, which is sometimes the only thing consumers see. Once these potential customers learn that the components they commonly find in discounted alternatives — including cheap springs and knock-off cushions — can cost them more in product failures down the road, they typically understand the importance of quality.

A New Definition of Quality

We’ve talked a lot about the quality of Broda’s products, but it’s a subjective concept. The key factors we consider include safety, durability, reliability, and comfort. Our focus on these areas truly differentiates our products from the competition.

  1. Safety
    The unique Tilt-in-Space maneuverability of our chairs is essential for safely absorbing patients’ rigid movements and reducing the risk of falls. Everything is customizable to each patient’s needs, from the degree of tilt to the height of the seat and the extent of the front pivot point. Swing-away armrests accommodate patient lifts and other medical equipment, and the foot-to-floor placement adjusts as needed for maximum safety and mobility.
  2. Durability
    Tilting seat surfaces help prevent falls by accommodating various weights and centers of gravity. This also allows Broda’s chairs to properly support patients with minimal postural deviations, even for large or obese patients. For example, our bariatric positioning chair (Vanguard Tilt Recliner) has a maximum weight of up to 600 pounds.
  3. Reliability
    The ability to adjust a chair to meet any patient’s needs includes the ability to support a wide range of positions, particularly for the upper extremities. In addition to swinging away, our armrests adjust to any desired height. Users can also remove the arms entirely and lay our chairs back to accommodate a supine transfer from the chair to a bed. This can make it much easier to achieve daily living activities, including bowel and bladder movements.
  4. Comfort
    While durable yet adjustable components improve mobility and maneuverability, our unique Comfort Tension Seating straps provide optimal support and comfort even for immobile patients. Each individual strap conforms to the patient’s body, offering maximum physical support at multiple points. Using straps instead of traditional cushions also allows for optimal airflow, reducing heat and moisture that can help bacteria and yeast thrive.

These four factors mean that Broda’s chairs not only last longer than the competition, but also provide a much higher level of satisfaction, functionality, and enjoyment for the people who use them. There’s a reason our customers have come to expect excellence in both quality and performance from every product that we provide.