If you’ve used a manual wheelchair before then you understand that they require a lot of self-propulsion as compared to other wheelchairs. This is especially true if you are going through the hills or rough terrains. This means that if you don’t have family members and friends to assist, your palms, hands, fingers, and wrists could develop a lot of complications. Thankfully, there are some things that you can always do to help prevent this scenario. One of these things is getting wheelchairs for sale the best wheelchair gloves.

If you purchase good quality wheelchair gloves you’ll not only reduce the pain but also shield your hands from any damage that may occur on them. Once you choose well-designed wheelchair gloves that are comfortable to wear you’ll ensure that your wheelchair pushing becomes a very easy process. Since there are several wheelchair gloves in the market you need to look for the best one for your needs. Failure to do this you may not protect your hands and fingers the way you are supposed. If you are searching for the best wheelchair gloves, click here to read our in-depth review.

Why you need to use wheelchair gloves while pushing your wheelchair

To protect your hands

The main reason why you need to use wheelchair gloves is to protect your hands. As a wheelchair user then your hands are perhaps the most important parts of your body. This is because they are the things that you need to maintain your freedom and independence. The best wheelchair gloves will prevent your hands from forming blisters and calluses and ensure that your hands remain stable while operating the wheelchair. In addition, the added stability that you’ll get by using them will reduce the pressure that may occur on the nerves and other parts of the body. Even if you already suffering from blisters and calluses the best wheelchair gloves can really be helpful for your needs. On the same note, if you are experiencing chronic hand pain the best wheelchair gloves will significantly reduce the pain that you may experience. For more details about this checkout www.nationalwheelchairservices.co.uk.

The gloves will make up for the limited mobility that you have in your upper body

If you are suffering from limited upper body strength then you need to look for the best wheelchair gloves. Using a wheelchair not only requires some amount of strength but also flexibility in your hands, arms, and even in your core back. The best wheelchair gloves will, therefore, reduce the amount of force and effort that you need to operate the wheelchair and ensure that you operate the wheelchair in an easy and efficient way.

The best wheelchair gloves will significantly improve your grip

Even if you don’t have limited upper body strength and you are not suffering from calluses and blisters wheelchair gloves can significantly improve your grip of the wheelchair. Just like power lifting and cycling gloves, wheelchair gloves are majorly designed to allow you to improve the grip that you have on the wheelchair. With the increased grip that the wheelchair gloves will bring, you’ll not only be able to move your wheelchair with relative ease but also be able to make tight maneuvers while riding your wheelchair. As a matter of fact, many of these gloves are fitted with grip pads that are placed in the most ideal places to allow your hands to come into contact with the wheelchairs.

Main features of wheelchair gloves

Glove material

Wheelchairs gloves are usually made using a number of materials. Each of these materials comes with their advantages and disadvantages. To ensure that you enjoy optimal performance, different materials may be fitted in different parts of the gloves. One of these materials is leather. Leather is not only durable but tough as well thus making it one of the best materials to use for making wheelchair gloves. Since it’s also resilient to wear you can use it for long without any effect at all. More so, it’s flexible, breathable and waterproof thus making it one of the best materials to use as wheelchair glove material. Most wheelchair gloves are usually made of leather in a combination of other materials out other.

An alternative glove material that can be used is neoprene. As a rubber-like material this wheelchair glove material will provide you with a bit of sturdiness and stability that you need while riding your wheelchair. However, as compared to leather it’s flexible, light and waterproof. This is according to National Wheelchair Services.

Lycra. Since this material is elastic it’s also one of the best materials to use for wheelchair gloves. Apart from being elastic, it’s also flexible as well thus making it to naturally fit your hand without any issues. However, as compared to leather it’s not as waterproof and as durable as leather or neoprene.
Suede. Although this wheelchair glove material looks stylish it does not come with a lot of advantages. This means it’s the least beneficial of all the materials discussed above. To ensure that’s it looks good it’s normally combined with other materials.

Full finger and half finger wheelchair gloves

Since operating a wheelchair requires dexterity it means that you’ll still have to do other things as well. Because of this traditional full finger gloves may not be the gloves to use. Thankfully most wheelchair gloves manufacturers are nowadays designing half finger gloves that leave the end of your hands and fingers exposed so that you can use them to perform other things. Although your fingers can move freely they usually remain exposed with no protection from soreness, blisters, wetness, and coldness. This is why most manufacturers are nowadays creating both full finger and half finger wheelchair gloves to ensure that you enjoy the best of both worlds.

Padding

If you want your wheelchair gloves to be as comfortable as possible then you need to choose the best padding. Basically the best wheelchair padding should be thick and should cover the whole area of the hand that comes into contact with the hand rim of your wheelchair. Good wheelchair padding will also significantly protect the glove wearer from calluses and blisters. When you are looking for maximum grip then you need to choose padding that’s made of rubber. More so, padding that’s made of gel will offer you cushioning and protection that you need while using the wheelchair.

Straps

To ensure that your wheelchair gloves are comfortable during use they should comfortably stick to their position. The best gloves should, therefore, feature cuffs and fastenings. Most wheelchair gloves fastenings are made of Velcos that are not only sturdy but also easy to use. There are also some that are equipped with a stretchy cuff to provide one with a firm and comfortable attachment.

Types of wheelchair gloves

Global leather wheelchair gloves

Made of leather these wheelchair gloves were originally made by the developer of the gloves himself. Made using the best leather, these gloves have been constructed with comfort in mind thus making them some of the most comfortable wheelchair gloves out there. These wheelchair gloves have also been made using stretch cuff and Velcro strap to ensure that you get the flexibility and the comfort that you need while using them. As compared to other gloves out they are durable hence are must-have gloves for any wheelchair user. There are also classic fingerless ones that one can purchase and use.

Fingerless wheelchair gloves

Unlike other wheelchair gloves out there these wheelchair gloves have been made for specific users to ensure that they can still engage in other activities even when they are wearing the gloves. Apart from providing you with protection and greater grip these wheelchair gloves will also allow you to engrave in other things.

Harness wheelchair gloves

These are perhaps some of the best racing gloves out there in the market. A compared to other gloves these gloves are been made using the finest materials and workmanship to ensure that they are some of the best gloves out there. Since they are some of the most innovative gloves, these wheelchairs gloves will always ensure that every stroke counts while one is using a wheelchair. These gloves are also padded well so they can absorb the shock that might come while using the wheelchair. Whether you have been using a wheelchair for some time or you are just beginner these are some of the wheelchair gloves that you need to try out.

Women wheelchair gloves

Did you know that women are physically different from men? Due to this fact, there are gloves that are entirely meant for them. For instance, women wheelchair gloves refer to the gloves that have been made using lightweight materials to ensure that they comfortably use the wheelchairs. Since they are fitted with no-slip padding they will always provide the women with firmer grip while they are using the wheelchairs.

Quadriplegics wheelchair gloves

These wheelchair gloves are not only unique but also different from other wheelchair gloves out there. They are meant to help those with limited dexterity to ensure that the process of maneuvering the wheelchair is not only less strenuous but also more efficient. Since they will provide the wheelchairs users with a lot of independence they can significantly improve the quality of their lives. They have also been made with easy tacky palm insert and quality suede thus making them some of the most important wheelchair accessories that they can ever have.

Winter wheelchair gloves

If you are a wheelchair user then you know the challenges that might come about during poor or cold weather. Luckily winter wheelchair gloves are the types of wheelchair gloves that are meant to be used during this time. This is because they will not only provide you with the warm but also the protection that you need while using your wheelchair during this time. These wheelchair gloves have also been made with high-quality materials and heavy stitching to ensure that they outperform all the other wheelchair gloves out there. This is why they are the right wheel gloves that you need to use during winter.

The cost and maintenance of wheelchair gloves

Depending on the material that they’ve been made of wheelchairs gloves can vary in prices. Although there are some that can cost even up 20 dollars there are other affordable ones that every person can afford to buy. There are also other sophisticated ones that can cost you even up to 60 dollars. When shopping for one the most important thing to do is to look for the one that you can afford and also consider what you need in wheelchair gloves.

When it comes to maintaining wheelchair gloves you need to consider the material that the gloves have been made of so you know the best way to take care of them. From leather to rubber it’s important to know the gloves materials so that you may not end up destroying them through poor maintenance. There are also some of these gloves that you can wash inside a washing machine and use dry cleaner to dry them. If you are not using your wheelchair gloves it’s important to look for somewhere safe to hang then so you can easily get them the next time you want to use them. This will not only make them last longer but may also eliminate things such as bad odor that may come about as a result of constant usage.

How to hand wash your leather wheelchair gloves

First, you need to get lukewarm water and mild detergent and then immerse your leather wheelchair gloves inside. Next, you need to wash them gently using your hands. Once you are through with the washing you need to remove the gloves and then rinse them thoroughly in clean water. After squeezing out all the excess water of the gloves you need to hang them out to dry. If you have colored gloves then you need to wash them together with articles of similar color.

How to machine wash leather wheelchair gloves

Before anything else you need to ensure that the temperature of the water is below 30 degrees. You also need to ensure that you get mild detergent that’s recommended for washing woolens. When washing your wheelchair gloves you need to avoid using string washing material or fabric conditioners they end up damaging the leather material. Once you are through with washing them you need to make sure that the glove is thoroughly rinsed. However, when drying them you need to avoid putting them inside a radiator or tumble drying them.

How to store your wheelchair gloves

To prevent the color from, fading you need to avoid storing your leather wheelchair gloves from direct sunlight. Since leather is natural material you may realize that the surface has some minor variations. However, this should not worry you as long as you are taking good care of the gloves.