How to Choose a Professional Exoskeleton? The B2B Buyer’s Guide

Why this guide?

The market for professional exoskeletons has significantly developed in recent years. Given the diversity of models — passive, active, back, upper limbs, lower limbs — it has become difficult to navigate. This guide helps you structure your purchasing approach.

Step 1: Identify the real need

Before looking at models, ask yourself the right questions:

• Which area of the body is affected? Back, shoulders, arms, knees, full body?
• What type of effort? Lifting loads, bent postures, raised arms, repetitive movements?
• What frequency? Continuous for 8 hours, intermittent, occasional?
• What environment? Indoor/outdoor, heat, dust, confined space?

The INRS recommends starting with a job analysis before any purchase, involving end users and the occupational physician.

Step 2: Passive or active?

This is the first major distinction:

• Passive exoskeleton: operates with springs, elastics, or mechanical structures. No battery, no motor. Lightweight (300g to 3kg), low maintenance, affordable cost (€500 to €3,000). Ideal for daily prevention.
• Active exoskeleton: motorized, with sensors and battery. More powerful but heavier (3 to 12kg), more expensive (€5,000 to €45,000), and requires maintenance. Suitable for significant efforts or rehabilitation.

For most industrial and logistics positions, a well-chosen passive exoskeleton will be the best compromise between efficiency, acceptance, and budget.

Step 3: Selection criteria

• Weight: the lighter the exoskeleton, the more it will be adopted. Aim for under 2 kg for daily use.
• Ease of donning: an exoskeleton that takes 2 minutes to put on will not be worn. Less than 30 seconds is the goal.
• PPE compatibility: check compatibility with helmets, harnesses, high-visibility vests, and safety shoes.
• Morphological adjustments: adjustable one-size or multiple sizes? Every body is different.
• Freedom of movement: the exoskeleton should not hinder the technical gestures of the job.
• Certification and warranty: check standards (AFNOR X35-800), warranty, and after-sales service.

Step 4: Test before buying

Never choose an exoskeleton from a catalog. The INRS (guide ED 6315) emphasizes the importance of field testing: have your operators try the model in their actual positions for several days. An effective exoskeleton at a competitor's site may be rejected at yours.

Step 5: Deployment and follow-up

Once the model is chosen:

• Train users (even for a simple model)
• Plan an adaptation period of 1 to 2 weeks
• Conduct follow-ups at 1 month and 3 months (comfort, adoption, pain)
• Involve the CSE and the occupational physician in the process

What Exoleton can do for you

As a specialized distributor, we assist you in choosing, testing, and deploying. Our comparator allows you to compare models based on concrete criteria, and our field tests provide feedback in real conditions.