Foam, gel, or air? What is the best wheelchair cushion material?

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[@westiepower2020]

It’s amazing all the information and knowledge you have gathered and learned over the years since you were injured. Brittney, you are doing a great service by being willing to share all of this knowledge with all of us. My friend here, for one, now can make an informed choice. Thank you!

[@louisakelly3373]

I have been using Varilite for over 30 years. I tried Roho and Jay, I disliked both as I found one leaked and the other moved around too much. Thank you for the information. Well done.

[@endtimeawakening5557]

Those that must sit for hours in a wheelchair should have the option of having an alternating pressure pad in their chair. This takes all the risks of pressure sores out of your hands. I'm sure that it could easily be designed with an ac/dc option for plugging into the wall at the office. Power chair batteries could supply the power when mobile. You can buy these systems to fit an entire bed for less than $100. Don't see why they aren't available at a reasonable price for wheelchairs...

[@endtimeawakening5557]

@alexhills38 Hi, Alex. Stability would definitely be an issue depending on the level of injury and core muscles. I had a crude version of one many years ago and haven't checked the market recently, but it was very expensive and not well designed (~ 20 yrs ago). I use one with my bed at home and haven't had any issues with pressure sores in over 20 years. The only pressure sore I ever had was the result of a hospital stay. As far as I know, hospitals still don't use them for immobile patients, which simply doesn't make logical sense. Thanks for sharing, Alex. God bless!

[@EmpoweredPara]

Great question! There should be all kinds of things that we need that are reasonably priced but as soon as medical is added to the description then the price goes up 1000x

[@endtimeawakening5557]

@EmpoweredPara Very sad that this is true. None of us are perfect, but I seriously wonder about the Spirit of the individual(s) who takes advantage of their fellow man for the gain of mammon, especially the needy! Sowing and reaping is a promise of our Maker, and they will certainly find themselves on the receiving end when the reaping arrives...

[@stjoelawyer]

ROHO Low profile 16x16 in. Best ever insure properly filled and have a spare incase a leak. Even as a C6-7 quad and 64 with 47 yrs in the chair still the best have had no issues and as I age my skin is thinner, less fat and muscle mass. The spare and extra covers are good to be able to wash cover and avoid odor. As a person who is in the public [judge] needs to work always.

[@EmpoweredPara]

You must be doing something right! 47 years in a chair and no issues! Bravo!

[@averagejoesmiling456]

This was a great video, jam-packed with very important information. Making informed choices is critical in instances such as this. Thanks for taking to time to research this information and present it to us in such a clear manner. Looking forward to the live video!

[@EmpoweredPara]

Thanks for always leaving such kind feedback!

[@gregelliott3556]

I've been a T10 paraplegic for 41 years, and I have tried many different cushions over the years. But I always go back to a ROHO air cushion because they work the best for me in preventing pressure sores.

[@nygirlinancworld1628]

Same here. I have used other brands, but always go back to Roho.

[@gregelliott3556]

@alexhills38 Probably depends on your level of injury. I don't have any problem with transfers or stability.

[@EmpoweredPara]

And for so many others! They are definitely effective, just too high maintainence for this gal.

[@gregelliott3556]

@EmpoweredPara Really ??? What maintenance? All you have to do is be careful to not puncture it. And wash the cover once in a while.

[@EmpoweredPara]

@gregelliott3556 The being careful not to puncture it lol. That makes it a no go for me. I'm not careful

[@marcofacen9564]

I go to this process with every new chair, as the seating position will vary from chair to chair. Actually going back to ROHO, air cushion, as it is relatively light and variable in seat hight to a certain degree. I had no problems with it popping in the past, but its hard to clean. Next (heavier and much denser) possibility is a slimline. All "pressure sore preventing". Try to test them for days before buying. My last cushion felt great for 2-3 days, before my back started to hurt because of bad stability support of the cushion. I think that foam doesn't do the job for someone who has to sit in a chair everyday.

[@Jeriann-027]

So true, Brittney, my first chair, I had no input, and it was awful. Thank goodness they let me get a different chair and let me pick and choose everything with them explaining what did what. My chair now is super comfortable. So far no pressure sores. I have a Axiom SP visco cushion.

[@EmpoweredPara]

I've never heard of that! I'll look it up@

[@infidel169]

I put myself in a Wheel over 20 year ago at the age of 38 with a t7 break. and have never had a pressure sore. I chose the "supracor stimulite" contour cushion: At the time I was going to the wheelchair fitness gym and almost everybody there was using the roho air cushion and many where getting sores I didn't like the idea of a cushion that could go flat and I wouldn't even know it. I sit all day in blue jeans on hot sweaty Texas days no problem. Now it could be that the reason I'm able to do this my legs spasm all the time, every 13 seconds

[@DanOnWheels]

I’m hard on my cushions too. I tend to work with wood and cut metal while doing various projects. I’ve tried a couple different ROHO cushions, but they both developed leaks that couldn’t be patched. I then went to a foam cushion, but it retained too much heat and caused problems. My current cushion is a Supracor Stimulite cushion. It’s a thermoplastic (kind of like your dry gel) with honeycomb cells, and seems to be doing okay for me at this time. Also, I’m a heavier guy and spend 12 to 16 hours a day in my wheelchair. Thanks for the video.

[@EmpoweredPara]

That was the other cushion on my list!

[@GAINZonWHEELS]

Roho quad 2x and 1 jay extreme active. Air and the Jay foam and liquid gel…

[@guillaumevardon620]

Prenez soins de vous....take care...

[@GaryonWheels]

I love my vicair cushion!

[@EmpoweredPara]

I hated that cushion lol! So uncomfortable for me. But I have lots of friends that love them!

[@charles_wipman]

This is also usefull for people with a desk job, that the only exercise that they do it's to walk up to .and out of their cars, before return home to watch 2h of TV before go to bed, and spend most of their time seated.

[@EmpoweredPara]

yeah definitely!

[@Jack-pu4rf]

I have to wear a leg brace and a carbon fibre cast which I can only wear for three or four hours a day because it makes my leg sore, I wear long John's it helps but in the summer it just makes me sweat more, I use an air cushion to sit on

[@janetapplegate4163]

thanx

[@infidel169]

Also I should mention is that I've only bought two cushions over 20yrs and their both as good as new, except for the cover.

[@EmpoweredPara]

seriously! That's crazy! what cushions?

[@EmpoweredPara]

Nevermind! I see you named the cushion in the previous comment! A stimulite cushion was on my short list!

[@kratt87]

Hi. Thanks for the great overview. I am building a seat for my ATV, as a paraplegic with high risk of pressure sores due to some previous bad decisions. The seat is used max 5-6 hours at a time. Currently I have used memory foam for that, but it is getting really hot and it is not good for delicate/most high risk parts of my bottom. The foam is integrated under the regular seat cover of the ATV /where polyurethane foam is removed and replaced with a high layer of memory foam. What would be your suggestions for such a purpose, which is not a regular wheelchair but a seat for an ATV. - I've been thinking gel pad or gel foam, but maybe you have some concrete ideas and suggestions. For a wheelchair cushion I use ROHO air and it is presumably too unstable to integrate or use upon a ATV seat - also it can't be cut into shape as required.

[@EmpoweredPara]

Gel is the best material for anything that vibrates a lot, so it's go with that. Where do you live. Blake Medical sells sheets of gel that you can cut and customize to your needs. They don't sell in the US though

[@westiepower2020]

Brittney, I was reading something earlier today from a friend of a new friend of ours. I’m not sure I was getting the whole idea. Are Pressure Wounds more of a problem for people if they are thinner, I.e., as they lose weight?

[@EmpoweredPara]

Yep, because there is less tissue between the bones and skin

[@westiepower2020]

@@EmpoweredPara Ahh, now that makes sense. You explain things well. I’ll have to tell my older friend in longterm care to watch more for this. Sorry to bother you at dinner time - I just sometimes forget to ask if I wait til later.

[@janab.7037]

I don’t know if ypu mentioned it, but what kind of cushion are you using yourself?

[@EmpoweredPara]

Geo-Matrix Hybrid by Blake Medical

[@edl5731]

Hi! Do you have any tips on maneuvering a wheel chair? I am new to a wheel chair, (due to being hit by a car while in a cross walk) I can handle going forward and backwards and turning, but maneuvering in tight squares and "parallel parking" are illusive

[@EmpoweredPara]

I will think about how to do a video about this lol! Most of it is just intuitive! Practice makes perfect after a while:)

[@edl5731]

@@EmpoweredPara I am getting better, by the time you could record one, it will no longer be useful to me. I don't know how I got on to your channel in the first place, might have been because I was I am a fan of Josh Sundquist (amputee comedian) and followed you because you were interesting. I also started following footless Jo. Having followed the three of you for about 6 months I have learned much about coping while disabled. You can not fathom how much having following you three and what I learned before my accident has aided in my coping with my temporary disability. Your experience and personal hell is a thousand times worse than mine, but your videos have had an immeasurable benefit to me, you have taught me more about wheel chair life than all my doctors, nurses, PT and OT people combined. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@terminal8]

aerogel obviously

[@AlCleveland]

Should the date be changed to 2024? Onscreen the banner says this happened last year, fyi.

[@EmpoweredPara]

omg I'm the dumbest sometimes!

[@rlr53130]

2023 or 2024?

[@EmpoweredPara]

lol did I say 2023 in my video? I should have said 2024!

[@rlr53130]

At the 23 second mark the live stream caption at the bottom say 2023@@EmpoweredPara

[@EmpoweredPara]

@@rlr53130 lol so I'm told by many people now! I can't change it once it's uploaded to KZbin so my dumb mistake will have to live on forever! Thank you for telling me though!

[@stjoelawyer]

You do not like air ROHO you use and promote gel. You will be on air in another ten years, unless ELON gets us to stand up.

[@EmpoweredPara]

You're probably right! But for now I like gel. I did say in the video that air is the best for those with high pressure relief needs:)