For manual wheelchair users, your hands and arms are extremely important. It is your means for self proportion and is what moves your wheelchair when you do not have someone to help push you forward. Keeping your hands safe and healthy is not an option but a necessity to keep you moving in your chair independently of having to rely on someone to push you around. Wheelchair gloves can help keep your hands safe and stronger for longer periods of time while you are in your wheelchair. The benefits of wheelchair gloves are great.
Choosing the right wheelchair gloves can dramatically improve grip, protect the hands, and allow for longer times without getting tired using a wheelchair. Let’s explore why wheelchair gloves are important.
What are the benefits of wheelchair gloves? Wearing wheelchair gloves protects your hands from the push rim, allows for a stronger grip, and makes gripping more comfortable for longer allowing wheelchair users to manually use their wheelchairs for longer periods of time before feeling hand fatigue.
Why are wheelchair gloves so important?
Your hands regarding manual wheelchair users are one of the most important areas of the body you need to keep protected to move the wheelchair around. It’s the grip of your hands that is used on the back wheels push rim of the wheelchair that propels the wheelchair to motion.
Important aspects of wheelchair gloves.
- Protect your hands from the everyday use of pushing a wheelchair
- Protect your hands from the elements of outdoors like cold, rain, and heat
- Getting a better grip on the push rim
- Getting a stronger grip than without gloves
- Promtoes longer use because your hands stay stronger, longer.
Not only do wheelchair gloves protect your hands from the excessive force to grip and propel and get the wheelchair in motion but it also helps to get a better grip for longer on the wheelchair. Protecting your hands are extremely important for the long-term success of manual wheelchair users.
- Protect your hands from outdoor elements. Wheelchair users at some point will either be in hot weather, cold temperatures, rain, or snow. Having the proper wheelchair gloves on can help protect your hands from elements.
- Getting a better grip on push rims. The push rims are what you grip onto allowing you to turn the back wheelchair wheels. Getting a better grip on the rims allows for easier pushing for longer.
- Get stronger grips. It is a proven fact that you get a stronger grip while wearing gloves. When wearing gloves your hands stay healthier for longer even when gripping tighter.
- Hands stay stronger for longer. When using gloves your hands stay stronger for longer allowing you to push your wheelchair further without your hands getting fatigued as quickly.
Things you should look for in a wheelchair glove
If you concluded that wearing wheelchair gloves is important then good for you because they are. They help win many aspects of using a manual wheelchair. We have put together a comprehensive guide on choosing the top wheelchair gloves that you should check out. In the meantime below are some important aspects to look for in a wheelchair glove.
Make sure they are comfortable
Comfort goes without saying. If the wheelchair gloves are uncomfortable you will not wear them. In fact, uncomfortable gloves can make pushing even worst over time. Also, keep an eye out for waterproof materials as this can help for those that could be in environments that are more conducive to water.
Support of the wheelchair glove
When wearing gloves you should get ample support while still having enough flexibility to move your hands freely. when you have gloves that are too lose you can expect to get blisters. You want to make sure the gloves fit snug while providing the proper support needed.
Padding
Make sure the wheelchair glove has adequate padding around the palms. Padding can consist of gel or rubber in most instances. Padding helps with the pressure of holding onto the rim and other parts of the wheelchair allowing for a more comfortable grip.
Matrials
Materials will allow the glove to be comfortable, durable, breathable, and functional. When searching for wheelchair gloves look for materials like neoprene and lycra. These types of materials are light, flexible, and very breathable.
Final thoughts on the benefits of wheelchair gloves
After researching the benefits of wheelchair gloves you can quickly see what benefits they provide to manual wheelchair users. They can help reduce calluses, blisters, and keep your hands healthier for longer while using a chair.
When the weather gets too cold gloves can also help with keeping your hands warmer allowing you to gain independence even when the conditions may not be ideal. The same holds true for rainy days. Having wet hands can make the wheelchair rim slick causing slippage and more. Wheelchair gloves help with this problem.
