Foam, Gel, Air or LiquiCell Membranes?
If you are planning to change the wheelchair cushion of your family member or friend, it is imperative to do thorough research on the best foam wheelchair cushions available in the market that suits their needs. Find out about the quality of material, thickness of the foam, ease of maintenance, and resilience. Take feedback from previous users and make a decision. Also, note other factors like budget into consideration before making the final call. You can explore other options with advanced technology that can enhance their comfort level and offer them relief from back pain, even if they are sitting in a wheelchair for hours!
A Foam Wheelchair cushion is just what the name says. Some kind of foam, most of the time a molded foam with a cover. Molded foam tends to seem firm but inside it squishes. So, after one is sitting for a while the cushion effect is not there and the vertical pressure from sitting creates pressure points. To avoid these pressure points, one shifts to the left or right and this misaligns the spine, hip and neck causing a myriad of issues.
Gel Wheelchair Cushion. At first thought it seems like a good idea. A soft gel material on top of some kind of molded foam. But in the long run, this soft gel gets hard and eventually starts breaking up with the heat and pressure. Here again the molded foam settles and does not support one for long sitting.
Air Cushions. Are they the answer? Air Cushions got popular for wheelchair users because they don’t have the issues that are mentioned above of the Foam and Gel Cushions. The challenge with the Air cushions is that eventually the air starts leaking just like in automobile tires. If this leak is not noticed or addressed in time, the person sitting on it, especially in wheelchairs who don’t have an inkling that the air pressure is low develop lower hip pain what shoots up the spine and neck causing pain and discomfort. Besides there is always pressure when sitting on the air chambers one the edges on the ridges that stops the blood flow. One is always aware of this pressure when sitting on Air Cushions.
LiquiCell Technology – Better than Gel, Foam and Air. Ergo21 Seat Cushions utilize the LiquiCell Membranes. 4 membranes are hand stitched on a piece of cloth and placed on top of a high resilience foam. The Membranes come in between the sitting bones and surface thus eliminating hot spot and vertical pressure. This is illustrated in the LiquiCell Technology video. The foam used here is open cell foam that does not squish but at the same time provide the support and comfort needed for long-term sitting. That’s the reason most airplane seating use the open cell phone. This requires proper stitching of the cover, but it is worth it when comfort is needed.
