If your wheelchair gives you excessive wrist pain, Rotator cuff tear, or Carpal tunnel syndrome, you may want to replace your wheelchair hand rims. An uncomfortable wheelchair hand rim grip will cause you to use excessive propulsion force, resulting in shoulder pain and upper extremities pain. To reduce and prevent these painful effects, you should choose the wheelchair hand rims that are comfortable for you to operate. Luckily, you have many push rims options to choose from. Let’s explore some of the wheelchair hand rims available for your use.

Push Rim Options to Choose From

1. Anodized Aluminum Handrims

This type of push rims are made from Aluminum and are beautifully finished using the anodizing process. Because these handrims are anodized, the normal wear and tear effects such as dings and scratches are prevented. This is unlike the painted aluminum push rims that sustain wear and tear more easily. Additionally, the finish offers a sturdy grip that ensures you push your wheelchair more effortlessly.

2. The Natural-Fit Handrim

Introduced in the market in 2003, Natural-Fit has become the most popular ergonomic contoured wheelchair hand rims. These handrims boost the performance and efficiency of your wheelchair because you don’t have to push on the tire. Because of the oval surface of the natural-fit handrims, your hand gets an ergonomic grip without you having to pinch-grip the push rim. This reduces the pressure in the carpal tunnel and also relives upper body pain. Natural-fit also facilitates easier braking and propulsion. The contoured part of the hand rim ensures proper braking, while the oval surface makes wheelchair propulsion a breeze. Moreover, because you don’t have to push on the tires, thus your hands will be cleaner and less stressed.

3. Stainless Steel Handrims

These are some of the most attractive wheelchair hand rims available for the over two million new wheelchair users in the U.S. each year. Made from lightweight stainless steel, these push rims are appealing and maintain their unique appearance even after continuous usage. They have a low friction embossed texture that allows easy pushing and braking without getting sticky or hot for your hands to touch. Stainless steel handrims are also easy to clean and mount on your wheelchair.

4. Q-Grip Handrims

If you are looking for fully-coated wheelchair hand rims, Q-Grip Handrims fits the bill. These push rims have a unique neoprene coat that reduces slipping while pushing your wheelchair. They are also latex-free, so your fingers won’t experience high friction when you brake or propel your wheelchair.

There are many more options for wheelchair hand rims in the market, including Surge Handrims, Titanium Handrims, and Vinyl Coated Handrims.

Qualities of Great Push Rims

When selecting a push rim for your wheelchair, you should consider the following factors.

Grip Surface Area

Make sure that the diameter of a handrim provides enough surface area for your hands. You should have a comfortable grip that allows you to break and push your wheelchair with more ease. This will increase your mobility, especially if you maintain an active lifestyle and do more with your wheelchair.

Ease of Mounting And Dismounting

Although this is not a major concern for most users, because they can always get a professional to fix the rims, it makes sense if you are more independent. If you also like to experiment with different wheelchair hand rims while exploring different places, this is a factor to consider.

Durability

Wheelchair hand rims have a higher wear and tear rate because of the friction produced when braking and pushing. You want the high-quality push rims that are made from quality material that don’t wear out quickly. Changing your wheelchair push rims frequently is not desirable.

When it Is all said and done, you want to buy your wheelchair hand rims from a trusted and reputable dealer. By no means should you neglect your wheelchair push rims. Not only would you have limited mobility, but you would also mistreat your hands. Poor wheelchair push rims may cause you wrist pain, shoulder pain, and lower back injuries in the long term.