A flat vinyl armrest pad is fine until your client leans on it all day. These waterfall arm pads replace the standard pads on a manual wheelchair and put a gel and foam core under the forearm instead. The front edge curves down over the end of the armrest tube, so the arm rests on padding rather than stopping against a hard lip.
They are worth considering for anyone with thin skin, pain or bruising at the elbow and forearm: rheumatoid arthritis, low body weight, or fragile skin after long term steroid use. The vinyl cover wipes clean and the pads bolt on from underneath using the existing fixing holes on most standard armrests, so it is a quick change rather than a new armrest assembly.
Choose desk length if the client sits at a table or a desk in the chair and needs the armrest to tuck under, or full length for standard armrests where forearm support along the whole length matters more. They come as a pair, one left and one right. If the forearm needs to be held in position rather than simply cushioned, an arm trough with a strap is the better answer.
Good to know
- Check the bolt hole spacing on the existing armrest before ordering; most standard manual wheelchair armrests take these pads
- Fixing screws are supplied with the pads
