What is a Cooling Wheelchair Pad? A cooling wheelchair pad is simply a cushion for the seat of a wheelchair or mobility chair. This is very important to those who are confined within a wheelchair for long periods of time. Not only does a cooling wheelchair pad provide extra comfort for a person who has no other choice but to spend a significant amount of time within a mobility chair or wheelchair, it also helps in relieving the many ailments that could arise.

What can a Cooling Wheelchair Pad do for me?

A cooling wheelchair pad is a helpful measure of prevention against ailments such as, bruises, pressure sores, pain, and discomfort that can arise from the heat and vibration that typically comes along with wheelchair use. Additionally, the right cushion for you should be able to provide relief from pressure, absorb heat that occurs when sitting for prolonged periods of time and throughout use the cushion must have the ability to maintain its original shape.

A cooling wheelchair pad is generally designed to create a reduction in the heat and moisture that builds up through prolonged mobility chair or wheelchair usage. Typically, when a person sits for an extended period of time, the moisture and heat begins to build up underneath the buttocks and legs. A cooling wheelchair pad can assist in relieving this, provide pain relief, as well as allow the user to sit comfortably for several hours.

What should I look for in a cooling wheelchair pad?

A cooling wheelchair pad can be made of a various materials that are all designed to add comfort to a wheelchair user. A few of the materials that cooling pads are made of are foam, elasto-gel, and thermoplastic urethane. We will describe these materials in efforts to help you make a decision on what type of cooling wheelchair pad is best for you.

Elasto-Gel - This type of material possesses properties that are vapor transmitted. The entire make up of the elasto-gel cooling wheelchair pad, is a sheet of elasto-gel on top of a foam-based cushion.

Thermoplastic Urethane - This is a type of material that possesses the look of a honeycomb. This is generally a popular choice among wheelchair users, because the honeycomb like shape creates cells that allow air to easily circulate throughout the cushion and keeps the body cooler. Additionally, this type of material is extremely lightweight. Even though popular some people who have used the Thermoplastic Urethane pad, has found it to be too firm for their preferences.

Foam - There are advantages and disadvantages to foam wheelchair pads. A specific advantage is that it is lightweight and easy to use. A specific disadvantage of a foam pad is that it does have the tendency to compress after usage over time. Another advantage to foam cooling wheelchair pads is that they are porous and have the ability to keep moisture away from a user’s skin and allows for better circulation of air.

In conclusion - A Summarization.

It is extremely important that any wheelchair user that is confined within a wheelchair seventy-five or more percent of the time use a cooling wheelchair pad. You should make certain that the wheelchair pad that you choose would be able to provide enough support to you as well be able to act as a preventive measure against pressure sores by distributing weight evening. Another key factor in choosing the right cooling wheelchair pad is that it has the ability to keep the user comfortable as well as dry and cool, at the same time.