Posts Tagged ‘wheelchair armrest’

The Cup Holder – Best Wheelchair Accessory?

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Wheelchair accessories are designed with the sole idea of making mobility even more comfortable to the people moving around in the wheelchair. Nowadays, many of the wheelchair accessories have become a necessity rather than a convenience. One such wheelchair accessory is the wheelchair cup holder. The cup holder, as the name itself suggests has proven to be a practical and useful accessory for both the manual and the power wheelchairs. When you buy a wheelchair, you might not be given the option of accessorizing it with the cup holder. However, it is very easy to find a cup holder accessory for the wheelchair. You can simply buy it from a wheelchair accessories store or through online shopping. The cost of a typical wheelchair cup holder can vary anything from ten USD to thirty USD.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind while buying a wheelchair cup holder. You should always search for a cup holder which will attach to the wheelchair at a convenient position. In other words, you should make sure that you will not have to stretch your arm too much in order to reach your cup and the cup is within reachable distance. In addition to that, you should avoid cup holders that attach to the wheelchair tray as they are not stable.

While moving around in your wheelchair, there is a possibility that your drink might spill out from the cup in spite of placing it in the cup holder. This might happen due to the instability of the cup holder. In order to avoid this, you should go for the cup holders that either mount on the frame or can be attached to your wheelchair armrest as they remain secured in these positions.

Whether be square tubing or circular tubing, you can always find the cup holders are devised for any shape of your chair frame. Most of these cup holders are fixed to the chair with the means of a pair of metal clips. The adjustable mechanism of the cup holder makes the installation faster and easier. There are also foldable designs available in cup holders which enable the cup holder to fold up and make the mobility easier whenever you are moving through narrow passages.

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Wheelchair Frames and Armrests

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Wheelchair armrests are designed to help user’s upper body balance while seated. If the user, however, has adequate upper body strength, wheelchairs without armrests or shortened armrests can be purchased. Wheelchair armrests, lap trays, or forearm troughs are commonly used while the occupant is in his or her wheelchair. Rigid arm boards often are preferred to the use of slings while the patient is in the wheelchair because they allow the humeral head to approximate the glenoid fossa at a more natural angle and are less restrictive. Wheelchair armrests will certainly add weight and complexity to the wheelchair. Depending on the type of armrest the added weight may be considerable.

Wheelchair seating power functions are also available such as tilt, elevating or recline. Additionally, available wheelchair armrests include removable flip-back, height-adjustable, etc. Wheelchair seat depth is measured from the front to back of the seat. To determine the existing size you need only measure the distance from the front edge of the seat to the back where the seat meets the back upright. Wheelchair should fold quickly and easily for storage and transportation. Most available wheelchairs come complete with braked handles for use by the attendant or owner.

Folding wheelchair frames typically have about 1 to 2 inches of seat width growth in the cross brace. If your frame does not, a growth kit can be ordered from the manufacturer, which typically provides a new cross frame and footplates. Folding frames have a cross-brace system that allows the wheelchair to be collapsed for storage or transport. Rigid frames may have a folding back and quick release wheels.

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Wheelchair Luxury without Cup Holders?

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Wheelchairs have revolutionized the mobility of people that need them. The basic design of the wheelchair has come a long way. That is a great thing with the latest wheelchairs being motorized and custom designed.

You can get a luxury wheelchair for folks that like the outdoors. Some are lighter and designed to make inside moving around easier. There is even a climbing wheelchair. There are seatbelts and a number of accessories on these great scooters wheelchairs; but a cup holder is not a standard item. Mini-vans and motorcycles come with cup holders. Even the snack food companies recognize the utilization of a cup holder by tailoring food in packaging that fits them.

This is why some very insightful companies offer a large array of cup holders for wheelchairs. You can choose a cup holder for cans or bottles. There are drink holders for large cups and small cups. You may even want a self-leveling or pivoting cup holder that folds up when you’re not using it.

Then what is the use of a great cup holder if you don’t have a mount to properly or safely attach it to your wheelchair. So these companies naturally offer devices for this convenience as well. You’ll want a sturdy one but it needs to be simple to use. You need to take into consideration whether it will fit round or square tubing. You can get it to fit both. There are metal clip mounts or Velcro, adjustable ones. The choice is yours.

No matter how many other accessories you have on your power wheelchairs you’ll need a cup holder. It’s just a small thing, but it will add comfort and convenience to your lifestyle.

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