FAQ
Answers to the twenty questions we are most often asked, grouped by theme. For everything else, our contact form answers within 48 working hours.
Product and use
1. How long does it take to get used to the exoskeleton?
The first few minutes are enough to feel the difference. Our landscape users report a 5-to-10-hour adaptation phase to find the right gesture. After a week, the exo becomes a natural extension of the body. One user we interviewed puts it this way: « After a week, I didn't feel it anymore. »
2. What tools is the HPXO compatible with?
Any tool up to 15 kg: petrol or electric hedge trimmer, long-reach hedge trimmer, brush cutter, pole pruner, mechanical pole crescent, pulverising lance, drone cleaning pole, angle grinder, overhead drill. A quick-release swivel lets you swap tools in less than ten seconds.
3. Is it suited to my size and build?
Yes. The harness is universally adjustable, from a 1.55 m / 50 kg user to a 1.95 m / 110 kg user. Men and women. A few minutes of initial fitting, and the exo stays set to you.
4. Can it be used all day long?
Yes, that's its purpose. Our landscape users report 8 to 9 hours of daily use during the trimming season, with up to 3 to 4 continuous hours without removing the exo. For more intermittent work, the exo comes on and off in seconds.
5. Is there a risk of muscle dependence?
No. The HPXO does not replace your muscles — it relieves your joints during the most costly phase of the gesture. You still hold and guide the tool. Your muscles remain engaged, but no longer in a traumatic way. No study to date documents muscular weakening in regular users of passive exoskeletons.
Price, order, delivery
6. Why one single European price?
Because pitting sellers against each other on a small-series product distorts the trade relationship. €3,490 excl. VAT is the price for you, for your neighbour, for a German, Dutch or Spanish buyer. The only choice to make is the colour.
7. Are there discounts for group orders?
From ten units ordered together, please contact us. For twenty units or more, we also offer custom branding in your company colours at no significant extra cost.
8. How can I pay?
Three options: bank transfer, card payment through the online shop, or professional financing (leasing or finance lease) through your usual bank. We supply all the documentation needed for the application.
9. What are the delivery times?
24 to 48 hours after order confirmation. Free shipping in mainland France. For the European Union, please contact us — fees depend on weight and destination.
10. Can I try before I buy?
Yes — in fact, that's what we recommend. Two options:
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Trial at an Ambassador HPXO user near you. Meeting, demonstration, real-conditions trial. If you then place an order, the Ambassador receives a commission. Introduction form.
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On-site demonstration — for a planned fleet of ten units or more, we come to you.
Financial aid
11. Can I get public funding to buy the HPXO?
Depending on your professional situation, yes — but the route varies. Three schemes must be distinguished:
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Self-employed landscaper or small agricultural business → agricultural scheme, MSA fund.
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Landscape company with employees or drone operator under the general scheme → CARSAT fund.
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Employee recognised as a disabled worker (RQTH) → AGEFIPH (private sector) or FIPHFP (public sector).
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The three sections below detail each route. We help you build the application in every case.
12. I'm a self-employed landscaper under the MSA scheme. What aid can I apply for?
The MSA offers two schemes depending on the size of your business:
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AFSE (Simplified Financial Aid for Operators) if you have no employees or less than 0.5 FTE.
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AFSA (Simplified Agricultural Financial Aid) if you employ between 0.5 and 10 staff.
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Both schemes cover 50 % of the investment excl. VAT, capped at €3,000 — roughly €1,500 maximum for a HPXO.
Cumulative conditions:
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Be MSA-affiliated and up to date on contributions.
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Not have received MSA aid over €250 for prevention in the past five years.
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Have completed or started your Single Occupational Risk Assessment Document (DUERP).
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Submit the application before purchase, validated by a prevention adviser at your MSA fund.
Honest caveat: exoskeletons are not on the standard list of eligible equipment. Some regional funds (notably MSA Gironde) explicitly exclude them, others (MSA Auvergne, MSA Languedoc) actively support them. The decision depends on your local prevention adviser. We help you build a solid application upstream.
13. I'm a landscape company with employees under the general scheme (CARSAT). What aid can I apply for?
For companies with 1 to 50 employees, the CARSAT « Ergonomic Risk Prevention » subsidy can cover up to 70 % of the investment excl. VAT, capped at €25,000 — potentially up to €2,443 of aid for a HPXO.
Two cumulative conditions:
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A prior ergonomic assessment conducted according to the INRS methodology (brochures ED 6315 and ED 6416). The assessment itself is 70 % subsidised through the TMS Pros Diagnostic scheme.
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Recommendation of the HPXO by the occupational physician through Annex 4 of the ergonomic report.
Honest caveat: CARSAT's official position remains that exoskeletons « adapt the worker to the work » rather than the reverse. They are therefore not on the standard FIPU (Prevention of Wear and Tear Investment Fund) list. The aid is nevertheless available if the ergonomic assessment concludes that they are suitable for a given workstation.
14. I am an employee with Disabled Worker Status (RQTH). What aid?
This is the most mapped-out and most certain route. Depending on your status:
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Private sector: AGEFIPH funds workstation adaptation, including the exoskeleton, up to €5,250.
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Public sector: FIPHFP funds the same kind of adaptation, with the same caps.
In both cases, for a HPXO at €3,490 excl. VAT, the full price can be covered.
Process: occupational physician's opinion, file submitted by the employer with support from Cap Emploi (formerly SAMETH). Decision in 2 to 3 months. We provide the technical quotes and product documentation.
This is the route most passive exoskeleton makers recommend when the MSA or CARSAT path remains uncertain.
Service and warranty
15. How long is the commercial warranty?
Two years on the whole HPXO, parts and labour included. Five years on the aluminium 6061 frame. Statutory warranties (conformity and hidden defects) also apply without time limit for the cases they cover.
For the full conditions, see Article 9 of the Terms and Conditions of Sale.
16. How does the after-sales service work?
Directly with us, no intermediary. A call or an email to contact @ exhauss.com is all it takes. Wearing parts (straps, foams, pads) are shipped within 48 working hours. For major repairs, the exo is returned to our Amplepuis workshop; return shipping is covered under warranty.
17. What if I'm not satisfied?
Two cumulative options:
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14-day right of withdrawal for private buyers (consumers), under the French Consumer Code. Return shipping is at your expense.
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Two-year commercial warranty on manufacturing defects.
For professional buyers, the right of withdrawal does not apply, but the commercial and statutory warranties remain in full.
18. Are the wearing parts easy to replace?
Yes. Straps, foams, pads, buckles and external screws are considered wearing parts. Shipped within 48 working hours. User-replaceable without full disassembly, in less than ten minutes depending on the part.
Regulations and MSDs
19. Is the exoskeleton classified as personal protective equipment (PPE)?
No. In France, exoskeletons are not classified as PPE but as load-assist equipment. They fall under the general framework of the Labour Code (Articles L4121-1 and following, musculoskeletal disorder prevention obligations). The INRS has published two reference brochures on their integration in the workplace:
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ED 6315 — Acquiring and integrating an exoskeleton in the workplace.
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ED 6416 — Methodological guide for selecting a professional exoskeleton.
Both brochures are available for free at inrs.fr.
20. Does the exoskeleton prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)?
Upper-limb and back MSDs account for 87 % of recognised occupational diseases in France. A landscaper exposes shoulders, elbows and back to millions of arm-raising cycles over a career. The HPXO fully relieves these joints during the most costly phase of the motion.
We make no medical claim. An occupational physician's opinion is needed to assess the effect in an individual case. However, our users report unanimously a very noticeable reduction in end-of-day fatigue and chronic shoulder and back pain. Read their stories.
The information above is provided for guidance and does not replace the advice of a health professional or prevention adviser. For any confirmed musculoskeletal condition, consult your occupational physician. Amounts and conditions of public aid may change: check with your MSA, CARSAT, AGEFIPH or FIPHFP fund before building a file.
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