He was skeptical to start with, especially on the flat, but after climbing a relatively steep slope he conceded, “I would usually have to stop halfway up here and would definitely be more out of breath than I am.” He also noticed that walking on the flat, “alters my natural stride, and I feel like I’m someone with a disability that’s being held as I walk.”

Asked if he’d spend $1,200 on it though, Dad laughed.

The Dnsys X1 is heavily discounted as part of the brand’s crowdfunding campaign, with pricing from $750, which is slightly more palatable than the suggested retail price if and when it makes it to the market—though at $1.2 million and counting you’d assume it will.

My final prototype sample certainly had issues. Without the benefit of the Dnsys app, the controls on the X1 are fiddly and confusing, with various tones and tiny lights representing power modes and battery life.

The app makes everything easier, but it’s not great. I had to ask the brand what the different power levels actually represented, as there was no guidance. Levels one and two, for instance, are designed for women “with regular body weight”; levels two to four are for long-distance walking and climbing hills; and levels five and six are for trail running and intensive sports activities. Hopefully this basic info will be added to the app before proper launch.

During testing, the unit also failed several times. According to the engineers, this was a safety feature that kicks in when the straps are not in the right position. This in itself is a good thing, but I couldn’t tighten the straps any more, and the unit was unable to reset itself. Hopefully, for the Kickstarter backers, these are just teething problems.

Pensioner Power

There’s no denying the Dnsys X1 Exoskeleton works. It really does power you along and take the strain out of your legs when walking uphill. It’s too heavy, though, and the waist strap needs to be comfier.

Judging the Dnsys X1 as it stands now, it gets the score here—and it should be underlined that, even though this is a final-stage prototype, Dnsys was insistent we could fully review this model. If the glitches we found can be sorted out, it’ll be interesting to see how the shipped product, supposedly coming in September, differs.

I can’t help thinking, however, that the brand is currently targeting the wrong audience. Not a single person in the marketing literature looks like they actually need help hiking, walking, or running.

I’m lucky enough to be relatively fit and healthy, but as I get older and bits start to crumble, I’d love to know that there is a way for me to still get out and explore. Yes, my dad initially scoffed at the price, but he’d almost certainly spend big to keep doing what he loves—and I for one would love to welcome more Mighty Morphing Power Pensioners to the trails.