A wheelchair cushion is one of the most important accessories used in a wheelchair. it increases body conveniece,support and prevents from ulcer. A lot of research and technology development goes into developing wheelchair cushions.

The results are remarkable and because of this, there is a wide range of products to choose from which makes it even more difficult to decide on a particular wheelchair cushion. Many factors determine the type of cushion a user needs, such as weight, sitting balance, type and extent of injuries, how much time is spent on the wheelchair, etc.

A good wheelchair cushion should easily form into the shape of the person, allocate the person’s weight evenly and should not generate any pressure points. Slipping from the wheelchair should be prevented. If the wheelchair cushion slips, then it would cause a lot of unwanted consequences like rashes, sores, etc., also leading to affect the activities of a person.

Various different types of materials are used make these cushions, having their own benefits and shortcomings. Generally, a wheelchair cushion should be water proof and shock proof so that user can easily move around in tougher terrain and weather conditions.

Selecting the right material is the first vital step, when you go for a good wheelchair cushion. There are mainly three types of materials:

Foam cushion

It is basically made out of polyurethane. they vary vastly in stiffness and density,require little maintainence and are lightweight. Sometimes they can get hot and damaged by moisture and light, so a protective cover is often used to cover them. Foam cushion absorbs the impacts well, which is very helpful in the case collision with other objects. They are less expensive than the other types of wheelchair cushions.

Gel cushion

As its name implies, it’s made with gel on the sitting side, and foam on the other side. This wheelchair cushion distributes weight evenly which effectively diminishes pressure on one single area. It also transfers heat effectively.

Air cushion

It is composed of many pockets of air which are interconnected so that the air is quickly transferred from one pocket to the next. You can easily modify the cushion to ease pressure on a particular part of the body. You should check cushion for air leaks at regular intervals.

Hybrid cushion

It is a wheelchair cushion which combines two or more of the materials from above. The basic thought behind is that you can easily compensate one material’s weakness with the other material strength.

Finally, right wheelchair cushion is selected after trying different brands and self experience.