Wheelchair Tyres

Pick the Right Wheelchair Tyres for Your Needs

Since you have a wheelchair to provide you with mobility it is important that you use the right type of wheelchair tires for your wheelchair and to suit your needs. While many people like to customize the wheels of their wheelchair or buy the most expensive carbon fiber ones, it is not the wheels that actually make any difference in how wheel your wheelchair rides it is the wheelchair tyres that make the majority of the difference in the way your wheelchair rides and handles.

There are two basic types of wheelchair tires, there are pneumatic tyres and solid tyres and each of them has their advantages and disadvantages depending on where you go with your wheelchair and how you like to ride it. Some manual wheelchair tyres and nearly all electric wheelchair tyres are pneumatic; this means that they have a tube inside just like a bicycle that must be filled with air. The good news with pneumatic wheelchair tyres is that they offer you good control and a much softer ride as they absorb the bumps; the bad news is that they are prone to punctures which can leave you stranded.

The other type of wheelchair tyres are the solid rubber ones and are the ones that commonly come on most wheelchairs and are tough enough to stand up to the worst terrain you can imagine. Unlike the pneumatic tire they do not get punctures nor will they leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Of course everywhere you go you will feel every little bump in the road, but then think of it this way the guy with the pneumatic tyres is replacing them every few months while you solid rubber tyres will last for a very long time.

Listed among the latest in wheelchair accessories are the newest wheelchair tyres, similar to the solid rubber tyres, these tyre have softer rubber insert on the inside to provide a softer ride while still maintaining the puncture proof advantage of the solid rubber tyre. These tyres are rapidly becoming popular as replacements on powered scooters favored for their softer ride and the fact that unlike the original pneumatic tyres that most power scooters come with do not go flat or puncture.

Of all the wheelchair accessories that people buy the one that must be purchased only after due consideration is the wheelchair cushion. There are four different types of cushions available and each of them can be the right one depending on who is going to be sitting in the chair. The most common one is the standard urethane foam cushion which is capable of providing all around support and a fair degree of comfort.

Then there is the gel filled cushion, originally designed for those patients who have atrophied muscles these cushions can work well as long as they do not spring a leak which is something they are well known for. Speaking of leaky cushions there are air filled cushions available that for the most part seem to be comfortable, but may cause stability problems if the person in the chair has a hard time sitting still.

Finally the latest in seat cushion comfort and technology is the honeycombed thermoplastic seat the offers plenty of comfort at a price that most people can afford and they are very light which is a big plus. Choose your seat cushions carefully so that you will always be comfortable and be able to enjoy getting out and about.