Permobil M5 Corpus

Power Base

The M5’s is the outdoor-focused mid-wheel drive base in Permobil’s range. An inch longer, and two wider than the M3, it is not quite as compact – but mid-wheel drive still allows for precision turning, aided by the exceptional low-end torque that lets you pivot like a pro.

Outdoors is where the M5 truly excels, with uprated Flexlink Pro independent drive wheel suspension. This keeps all six wheels on the ground and provides a level of smoothness to your ride above the M3’s performance, letting you tackle more adventurous terrain with confidence. The suspension helps ensure you maintain your positioning in the seat, allowing you to feel more secure and reducing fatigue as you drive. Uniquely, Permobil chairs maintain full suspension at any seating position (including with lift and tilt activated), unlike other powerchairs which may lock the suspension out at certain seating positions.

The M5 comes with a 7.5 mph top speed as standard, as well as larger 70 Ah batteries for an impressive 20 mile range. The aggressive tread to the tyres provides additional traction, but if you love off-roading, even chunkier snow/mud tyres are available that are capable of handling Swedish winters – so the relatively mild climate of South East England is a breeze by comparison.

If using special controls, we would recommend the ESP module (gyro), which maintains straight-line driving without the need for constant corrections to your course, making for a more relaxing driving experience.

Seating

As with all Permobil powerchairs, the M5 features the Corpus seating system, which we can completely customise to meet your comfort, support and function requirements. The seat will be tailor made to your exact size, with a wide array of backrests and cushions (including third-party ones) available to provide the ultimate comfort for you. Roho’s air cushions and backrests are a popular upgrade for those that require higher levels of pressure relief, and positioning options such as headrests, lateral supports, hip guides and more can be fitted. This results in a seat bespoke made to precisely fit you, and which can be adjusted in the future should your requirements change.

The power seating functions available on the Corpus seat are at a level beyond that found on other manufacturers’ powerchairs. They are completely customisable, with three memory positions available as standard for optimal pressure relief and relaxation. The power recline goes back to a full 180°, lying you completely flat – most powerchairs of this level don’t recline anywhere close to flat, and even those with “lie-flat” recline tend to go to around 175° at most. Bio-mechanical anti-shear and a close pivot point ensure your positioning accessories (such as the headrest) support you consistently all the way back, and helps to reduce friction. The power tilt is an impressive 50° for optimum pressure relief – when tilt, recline and power elevating leg rests are combined they are an ideal treatment for oedema, raising your legs above the heart.

The Active Height seat riser lets you remain active whilst elevated up to 14 inches – more than the 12 inches on most risers, including the M3. You can drive at a good walking pace of 3.2 mph whilst fully elevated – and with full suspension – ensuring you never sacrifice comfort for function. The riser lets you meet people eye to eye, reducing the need to look up all the time.

Active Reach is a feature unique to Permobil chairs – it’s not found on seating systems from other manufacturers such as Invacare or Sunrise Medical. A combination of anterior (forward) tilt and the seat riser, it lets you interact with the environment around you, putting the world within your reach. With this, you can reach beyond obstructions, into high cabinets, or even just be assisted with forward transfers.