Thursday, December 27, 2012

Jumping Stilt Reviews: Poweriser, 7 Stilts, Air-trekker, PowerStrider

When it comes to jumping stilts, spring stilts, Powerisers, and Powerbocking in general there seems to be a fair amount of Brand Confusion.

The difficulties start at the generic name for jumping/spring/power stilts and the sport of powerbocking. Adding to it is the fact that stilts made in the same factory are often named and branded differently by each importer and customer. Even the model names can be designed to confuse.

The USA enjoys having multiple brands of stilts available for purchase. As an expert, instructor, and independent dealer, DC Power Stilts is in a good position to review all brands of stilts brands to offer and to evaluate jumping stilts on their merits.

The major brands and models available in the USA are as follows:

Poweriser
Models: Standard, Advanced, Kids

The first licensee of the German patent, Hitech & C Co was the company to start mass production and consumer pricing to the market. Essentially they created the recreational market for spring stilts. Manufactured by a Korean company in the Philippines, their production quality has been decent over time. Although their design improvements are mostly related to making the product cheaper to compete better with the Chinese brands, they offer a good warranty and generally hold up well. Poweriser currently hold the patent for inventing the popular kids-sized stilts and generally stands by their products and offers a good value.

Verdict: We offer and recommend this brand for their durability and value.

Air Trekker & Chinese brands
US Models: CZ-Adult, CZ-Extreme, Youth, M115


Broken and stripped parts
The Guangzhou Up Wing Sport Goods Industry in China started as a knock-off producer, with PoweriZer (note the Z instead of S), but the confusion was ended via a court case that forced them to change the product name. They currently manufacture stilts under the following additional brands: PowerStrider, Upwing, Pro Jump, Fly Jumper. The Chinese have brought prices way down by lowering the manufacturing quality.  Many of their stilts were shipped with springs that snapped in half right out of the box (see photo).

On the plus side, the Chinese company has innovated design-wise by copying and mass producing the designs of some of the high-end stilts. As a result, they had some misses like the ill-fated tilting footplate models, but they also had some hits like the CZ Aluminum model which are under eight lbs each instead of ten. Being 20% lighter makes a big difference. While the design of the CZ stilts are very good for the price, the problem is that they suffer from cheap manufacturing and don't hold up with serious use. We recommend the PowerStrider Brand but they closed their doors after being unable to profit due to warranty claims from production quality. Parts for this brand is still available via the Air Trekker line and website.  

Verdict: These are the cheapest which makes them a good choice as a novelty gift or item, but these stilts break in various ways for those who regularly use them. 

The 7 League Stilts
US Models: GT Cobra

In answer to the demand for higher-quality mass produced stilts, stilts enthusiasts in Europe formed Future Tech to refine, improve, and test the designs for mass production in China. The 7 league Boots brand has higher quality parts and some design improvements: the springs are a bit more responsive, the cuff is held more tightly in place, and they are much more durable overall. Their 2012 introduction to the USA market didn't go smoothly because there were several fixes required to be made by the importer.

Verdict: Even though these are the most expensive stilts on the market, DC Power Stilts was impressed enough with this brand to acquire them and now offers the GT Cobra for sale in North America.

Other Brands ($1,500+)
If you would like more information about some of the $1,500+ import or custom build options, send your question and we'll respond with more info.  Generally the mass-produced brands above offer 99% of the same function for a much better value.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Happy Holidays (Last minute Shipping)

Merry Christmas, and happy holidays! There is nothing like watching someone you care about open up a large wrapped box on Christmas and their amazed expression as they realize they have been given an awesome pair of power stilts.
Now I want to help make that magical moment happen. I get lots of logistical questions this time of year because the moment is fast-approaching, and FedEx isn't as fast as Santa's sleigh. Our standard shipping methods are USPS and FedEx Ground. The following shows FedEx shipping time. Note that it also takes about one full business day to process and pack the order. We'll work to try to ensure fast shipping times this season.

7s Stilts (7 League Boots)/everything else by FedEx Ground
DC Power Stilts is happy to send you items using expedited delivery but the shipping cost is approximately twice the amount for FedEx 2-3x the amount for 2-day, and around 3-5x times for FedEx overnight.

Monday, November 12, 2012

New 7s Stilts & Black Friday Discount

This time of year offers many, crisp cool days for outdoor fun and exercise without sweating too much, it's also the season of goodwill and generosity.  Share the gift of a higher perspective!

Announcing the 7s Stilts!
DC Power Stilts has noticed that 7MeilenStiefel (7 League Boots) are the preferred brand for serious bockers in Europe. After putting them through the test, we found that these are the highest-quality jumping stilt in production, which is why we are now offering them to our customers in the USA!

The 7s stilts offer many innovations and are perfectly suited for the teen or adult who wants a highly adjustable, high quality product at great value.
> What makes 7 League Stilts GT Cobra so great?

Thank You
We haven't thanked our stilts community enough for supporting DC Power Stilts so we are offering this deep discount to help you find out about this new product:
BLACK FRIDAY COUPON
Take $70 off each pair of 7s Stilts with the coupon: OhThank7

You can use this coupon right now!  You don't have to wait, or wake up early, or wait in line.  This coupon is good until Dec 1, 2012.

Be a Gift-Giving Hero
Stilts come in a big box, which looks great wrapped under a tree, and there's no better feeling than watching someone receive an awesome gift.  On the other hand, who is more deserving of awesome gift than yourself?

Lets Move for Youth Fitness!
Poweriser Kids Stilts are an awesome way to get kids moving and having fun. Moving faster and standing taller is a huge incentive to get kids outside and doing something easy and safe to use. A perfect gift, still just $195. (for kids 66-110 lbs, ≈ ages 8-12)

5-Star Service:
Customers love us, and we strive to provide consistent 5-star service!  Our goal is to offer quality goods at fair prices and upfront shipping rates to anywhere in the continental USA.  Pay no shipping fee when you pick your order up.
> Unfiltered Feedback (let DC Power Stilts try to earn your 5 stars too.)
> DC Power Stilts Web Shop

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

7 League Boots GT Cobra Initial Impressions

Well I've had enough time after my unboxing video to get a general idea of how these stilts perform straight out of the box. Check out the video below to find out all about it.




Now that you've watched that video let's actually look at them in use. Here is Chris of XD Bockers first try on them.


He takes a bit to become accustomed to the stilts, but warms up to them later in the day as seen in our easter meet video.



In short I found the build quality of the stilts to be great. The lower joint assembly was really silent in use, the springs were smooth although a bit to soft for me. The hooves were fantastic and provided excellent grip. The Cuffs were very comfortable and held up secure.

I'll be doing another follow up for my final verdict in a couple weeks. So if you haven't already please subscribe and watch for it.



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

7 League Boots GT Cobra Unboxing

Hey everyone! It's been a while, recently I just received a set of 7 league boots GT Cobras. Here is the unboxing video!




I've already had a chance to try them out and will be following up with my first impressions within the next couple of days. Be sure to watch for it!
 

Poweriser Authorised USA Dealership PowerStrider Authorised USA Dealership
jumping stilts and spring stilts