Toilet seat transfers made easy AXS Wingman
Is this the best design for toilet seat transfers in the world?
Comfort and Safety in the Bathroom
The AXS Wingman, A Safe Inclusive Toilet Seat
Wheelchair users who regularly do toilet seat transfers will know what a problem this can be. We were really pleased to discover this new brilliant design from the US. It is a toilet seat with a difference, there are supports built in to the seat which make transferring from the wheelchair to the toilet much easier and safer. The name ‘Wingman’ gives you some idea as to how it works. It has wings! These ‘wings’ mean that you have quite literally something to hold on to and lean on when you’re hauling yourself onto the toilet.
To see just the transfer click below:
Support on all sides for safer use with the AXS Wingman
Installing the super strong toilet seat
The Wingman can be fitted on any standard toilet in place of a normal seat so you won’t need any special fitting equipment which will cost you extra. No hidden costs at all. This is a very simple, effective design that installs with a minimum of fuss and with maximum benefit to people needed to transfer.
Using a transfer wheelchair toilet seat
People who use a wheelchair regularly know how hard it is raise and lower yourself onto a standard toilet seat. There’s not much to hold on to and it’s not great having to hook your hands around a wobbly toilet seat, especially if the toilet you’re using is in a public place. It’s just not very hygienic to put your hands so close to the toilet bowl. The AXS Wingman is perfect because you don’t have to put your hands as close to the actual bowl of the toilet itself, much nicer to use. The surface of the Wingman is made from material which is easier to grip and has “smoothly integrated palming surfaces” as it’s designer describes them. This is a very well thought out bit of equipment.
Easy and safe toilet transfers
With the Wingman you can lean and hold onto the wings and at the front of the seat without worrying about breaking the seat, and for added stability too. Twisting your body and leaning to either side isn’t such a worry, because you have something sturdy to hold on to.
The AXS Wingman wing can take the weight of 767lbs, it is a very strong toilet seat!
When you lift yourself from your chair, you can easily hold onto one or both of the wings or the shaped front of the seat and hoist yourself onto the toilet. No more worrying about breaking the seat or falling whilst transferring. The surface of the Wingman is made from material which is easier to grip onto as well, so this is a very well thought out bit of equipment.
Durability – a very strong toilet seat
Traditional toilet seats can end up breaking over time because of the pressures put on them. The AXS Wingman has been tried and tested so you know you can trust it to support you even after a lot of use. If you have a wall bar in your bathroom, it makes using this toilet seat even easier as you have even more handholds. You can use this seat in whatever way you find most comfortable for you.
Designed for a need
The AXS wingman was created by inventer Stephen Cowen who saw that his 87 year old father was struggling with a traditional seat. It is being made in small batches at the moment. Seats produced are going into ‘Case and Pilot studies’. When installing a public toilet, architects should be thinking of installing a toilet that is easiest for anyone to use, particularly in a disabled toilet. For wheelchair accessible toilets in shop or an office, this design should be added to the budget.
Unfortunately it isn’t available in the UK. As soon as it is we will let you know. The best way to keep in touch with them is via the Wingman Google + page. or via twitter @axswingman
@silverandblue Alumni Universal Design Product in six Campus locations including Events Center for ease of transfers twitter.com/AXSWINGMAN/sta…
— AXS-WINGMAN (@AXSWINGMAN) December 1, 2012
Until the Wingman is available there are a range of seat raisers and rails available here 
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Hi Duncan. This looks like a fantastic product. The design is very clever!
Best wishes, Alex
Thank you Duncan,
I have been in product design, in one form or another, for over 33 years. Never before, has someone so accuracy described a product of my work.
I particularly appreciate your point regarding WINGMAN in the shop or office. The largest market for WINGMAN is clearly residential, but it’s not enough that people are comfortable in their own homes. They need to get out and about. We need to grow the opportunities for more inclusive participation in the social-economic environment. There is no single answer for accomplishing this goal, but I think WINGMAN will help: a lot.
This is my dream.