Quantum Tarta Original Custom Back, 5 Vertebrae

The Quantum Tarta Original Custom Back, 5 Vertebrae is the mid-height build of the Tarta modular back support from Stealth Products: a 13.75 inch (35 cm) back height with five adjustable vertebrae, built for the trunk length most adults carry. Every stave and every vertebra adjusts to follow the spine, including scoliosis curves, and the pad set reshapes with minimal tools as needs change. Westin Healthcare measures, orders and fits it across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

This page is the 5 vertebrae height. The same back ships as the taller 6 vertebrae, 16.5 inch build and the shorter 4 vertebrae, 11.5 inch build, and the seat-to-shoulder measurement decides between them.

What the Tarta Original is

A fixed back support holds the shape the factory gave it. The Tarta Original is the opposite: an aluminum central column carrying individual vertebrae, each one adjustable in and out and along the staves, with washable foam pads in twelve shapes clicking into place between the column and the rider. Where a scoliosis curve, a kyphosis or an asymmetry would leave a standard back pressing on one side and gap on the other, the Tarta is set vertebra by vertebra to the actual back in the actual chair.

Stealth builds the frame in a black anodized finish, and the open column and spaced pads keep air moving behind the back, which matters for riders who sit all day. The design has won five international design contests, which is the manufacturer's record, not a comfort claim.

Because the structure is modular, the back grows and changes rather than getting replaced: pad shapes swap, vertebrae move, and on the pediatric side the backrest length changes with the child. Adjustments are made by a trained fitter, and the owner's manual is explicit that fitting and installation belong to a healthcare professional qualified for the purpose.

The 5 vertebrae height, plainly

This build is the 13.75 inch (35 cm) back with five vertebrae in the column. It is the middle of the three factory heights, and the one most adult prescriptions land on: support through the lumbar and thoracic spine without riding up to the shoulders. Riders with longer trunks, or who need support to the top of the shoulder, move up to the 6 vertebrae build at 16.5 inches; shorter trunks and lower-profile needs move down to the 4 vertebrae build at 11.5 inches.

Width and depth are chosen with the height. The four width sizes run Small for 11 to 13.75 inch wheelchairs, Medium for 13.75 to 15.75, Large for 15 to 17, and Extra Large for 13.75 to 17.75, and each height comes in a Standard or Contour depth. Three heights, four widths, two depths make the 24 factory configurations of the Tarta line, and the order form also takes client measurements for a custom build beyond them.

Sizing and fitting

Stealth's order form is measurement-driven: shoulder width, chest width and depth, hip width, seat to point-of-ischium, seat to axilla, seat to top of shoulder, left and right. The pre-configured part numbers cover the trunk width classes: Small for 9.5 to 13 inch trunks, Medium for 10.5 to 11, Large for 13 to 15, Extra Large for 14.5 to 17. Mounting hardware is ordered with the back and one hardware set is included with every Tarta order: single-point adjustable height, two-point removable, or rigidizer hardware, sized to the wheelchair frame width and cane configuration.

Our fitters take the measurements, prepare the order with the therapist when the back is part of a seating prescription, and fit and adjust the vertebrae at delivery. A first fitting usually moves several vertebrae from their shipping position, and that is the system working as designed.

Quantum Tarta Original Custom Back, 5 Vertebrae specifications

Stealth publishes no stand-alone weight rating or product weight for the Tarta back, because the working rating is the assembly of back, mounting hardware and wheelchair, so none are invented here.

Who it is for

The Tarta is the back support to assess when a fixed back has failed the posture: asymmetrical spines, scoliosis management, riders who pressure-map poorly against flat or pre-contoured backs, and growing riders whose back needs to change on a schedule. It pairs with the cushion the therapist prescribes, and on Quantum builds it sits behind seating systems such as TRU-Balance 4 when tilt and recline are part of the plan. For a simpler contoured back cushion on TRU-Balance 3 seating, see the TRU-Comfort 2 back cushion.

Related products

The same back in the other heights: Tarta Original, 6 Vertebrae (16.5 in) and Tarta Original, 4 Vertebrae (11.5 in). The chairs it mounts behind include the Quantum Edge 3 and the Q6 Edge HD, with mounting hardware chosen to the frame. More back supports and cushions sit on the backrests and cushions pages.

Delivery in Brampton and the GTA

The Tarta is measured, ordered, fitted and adjusted, which is why it is not a click-to-ship part. Our team measures across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area, the vertebrae are set at delivery, and the first follow-up tweak is expected, not exceptional. Call (905) 451-7743 or send a message through contact us to book the measurement visit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the 5, 6 and 4 vertebrae backs?

Height. The 5 vertebrae build stands 13.75 inches tall, the 6 vertebrae build 16.5 inches, and the 4 vertebrae build 11.5 inches. The vertebrae count is how Stealth names the three factory heights of the same back; the measurement from seat to shoulder picks the row.

Is the 5 vertebrae the standard adult size?

It is the mid height of the three, and the most common adult prescription, but "standard" is decided by measurement, not habit. The seat-to-shoulder and seat-to-axilla measurements on the order form place the rider in a height, and the fitter confirms it in the chair.

Can it follow a scoliosis curve?

Yes, that is the design intent. Every stave and every vertebra adjusts independently, so the support surface can be set in and out along the curve rather than forcing the spine toward a flat plane.

Does it fit my wheelchair?

Mounting hardware is ordered with the back and one hardware set is included: single-point adjustable height, two-point removable, or rigidizer, each sized to frame width ranges and cane configurations for rigid and standard frames. Bring the chair to the measurement visit and the hardware is specified to it.

Can the pads be washed?

Yes. Each pad is washable foam in a breathable technical material, and the spaces between pads keep the back ventilated. Twelve pad shapes exist, and pads can be recombined as the posture changes.

Can the height change later?

The modular structure exists to make length changes easy, which is the feature Stealth highlights for children whose backs grow with them. Changing between the 5, 6 and 4 vertebrae heights is a parts conversation; tell us the goal and we will price the change with the order.

Who adjusts the vertebrae?

A qualified fitter. The owner's manual states the product is to be fitted, applied and installed exclusively by a healthcare professional trained for the purpose, and our fitters do exactly that at delivery and follow-up.

What warranty carries?

Stealth's warranty repairs or replaces products with defects in material or workmanship, at their discretion, and excludes misuse, abuse, misapplication and unauthorized modification. The full terms are in the owner's manual attached to this page.