Rainy season is on its way or may have already arrived, depending on where you live. Anybody who has used a wheelchair during a downpour knows that it definitely poses some challenges with staying dry, keeping clean, and protecting your equipment.
Here are seven products and six tips to help you stay stress-free during wet weather.
Veltop Cosy Plus 2
The Veltop Cosy Plus 2 is a full-body enclosure that attaches to the back of your wheelchair. The bottom half of the Veltop is removable if you’d like to use the canopy only. The canopy has shaded panels on top, making it also work for sun protection. The length of the bottom half is adjustable. Unlike some other rain protection options, this one has the advantage of covering the joystick when used on power chairs.
Not for the light of wallet, this futuristic-looking rain cover comes in at $599.20. The company offers an installment plan with three interest-free payments. There is also a canopy-only version for $508.25.
Wearable Pop-Up Pod
If you’re looking for rain protection with a firm structure but are on a budget, check out the Wearable Pop-Up Pod. This pod has cinched elastic around the bottom opening that helps keep moisture out and body heat in. However, unlike the Veltop, it does not offer lower leg protection.
It is easy to use – it simply slips over the top of a person and the back of their chair. Additionally, it has zippered panels on the front and sides, with zippers inside and out (the side panel openings are particularly handy if you need someone to push your chair).
The Pop-Up Pod is $89.99. It is 32 inches long by 37 inches high with a 32-inch diameter, which folds to a 15-inch diameter.
Raindek Raincape Plus
The Raincape Plus by Raindek offers you head-to-toe protection, in the fullest sense. This one-piece protective suit has a hood, long sleeves, and completely encloses your shoes. The sleeves are reinforced with Cordura fabric to withstand friction from pushrims and tires; the bottom of the Raindek is reinforced with Cordura as well. Raindek also offers other styles and levels of weather protection on their website. The unlined version of the Raincape Plus in an adult medium goes for $149.99.
Cropped Raincoats
Coats that aren’t adapted to fit people who are sitting down most of the time come with extra fabric that bunches up at the waist and hips. When it’s a raincoat, this extra fabric can create nooks and crannies for rainwater to pool into and eventually overflow, spilling water into your lap. This ends up soaking your pants and seat, leaving you to figure out if the cause of the wetness was you or Mother Nature.
While finding shorter regular coats is relatively easy, finding raincoats that have a shorter fit or are cropped can be challenging. An extensive web search found just a handful for women, including this black jacket from ASOS for $24.99, a cute handmade yellow coat from Etsy for $35.34, and a transparent pink jacket from Domdrich for $135.00. Short raincoats for men are particularly hard to find. Men may end up having to find a tailor or do the alterations themselves.
Ponchos
There is an abundance of wheelchair ponchos to choose from. They are made from a variety of materials, with some covering just the body and others both body and chair.
If you need warmth, there are fleece-lined ponchos such as the Wheely Cape. It has a nylon shell with a Polartec Fleece inner lining to keep you warm in brisk temperatures. This cape has a cut that is longer front-to-back and shorter on the sides, offering more rain protection for your legs and the back of your chair and less fabric to drape over the wheels. There is a front pocket with an optional access port. The Wheely Cape costs $249.19 for an adult medium size.
In places where it gets wet but doesn’t get too cold, simple nylon ponchos, such as the Vive Wheelchair Poncho, may be more suitable. This poncho has small straps near the bottom side edges that you can tie to your wheelchair frame, ensuring the fabric won’t get caught in your wheels. The lightweight material can fold down into its own small zippered carrying bag. The Vive is a steal at $22.99.
When looking for ponchos, consider how they might drape over your wheels. No one wants to get yanked to the side or stopped short by snagged fabric. In addition to snagging issues, ponchos with fabric that meets your wheels tend to get wet and dirty on the underside. Remember this when taking the poncho off, or that mess may end up all over those clothes you tried so hard to keep clean and dry.
Wheelchair “Slippers”
If you’re looking for a way to keep your floors clean after coming in from the rain, you might want to try wheelchair “slippers” – fabric covers that slip over your wheelchair tires. Keeping a set of these near the front door could save you or someone else in your household from having to clean the carpets or mop the floors to get rid of wheel marks. They’re also easy to bring with you if you know you’re going to be visiting somebody else’s house (particularly if it’s a “shoes off inside, please” household). RehaDesign makes a pair for manual wheelchair tires for $39.99, which range from 20 to 25 inches, as well as a pair of smaller “socks” for front casters, also $39.99; the socks range from 3 to 10 inches.
For power chair users, this blog post walks you through one woman’s trick for modifying the RehaDesign manual wheel covers to fit her son’s 12-inch power chair tires. Additionally, these tire covers from rainbowstar on Amazon will fit 16-inch tires.
When inclement weather causes your tires to become particularly wet or muddy, RehaDesign makes a pair of wheel covers called Mud Eaters for $59.99. These 24-inch neoprene covers are waterproof. Mud Eaters require full upper body strength or outside assistance to put on and take off.
Sleeve Guards
Anyone who self-propels a manual wheelchair probably knows the frustration of long shirt sleeves falling victim to whatever they’ve been rolling through. This can happen particularly often during the rainy season. (Do those worms have to cover the entire sidewalk?)
For the relatively low price of $20.95, you can get a pair of sleeve guards from Mobility-Aids.com that simply slip over your lower arms to provide a barrier between you and your wheels. These sleeve guards have elastic wrist cuffs, adjustable arm straps at the tops, and reflective fabric strips down the sides for added safety when wheeling under storm-darkened skies.
6 Tips for the Soggy, Slick Road
Tread Firmly
Wet wheels on wet ground can sometimes equal less traction. If you notice that the tread on your wheels has worn down, you may want to have them replaced before the rain comes.
Stick to Dry Land
Pay extra attention to the terrain you’re traveling. Hard-packed dirt easily traversable when dry may become slick and muddy when wet. Puddles and standing water can be deceiving and may hide deeper water than you’d expect, so proceed cautiously.
Avoid the Ick
After the first rain of the year, oil and other fluids that have been collecting on roads and sidewalks during the dry season begin to get washed away, which causes them to loosen and spread. When this happens, it not only creates slippery spots but can also grease up your wheels (this is when those sleeve guards may really prove their worth). Take extra care if you go outside during this time.
Water is the Nemesis
Getting water in your wheels may pose problems for manual chair users. Front casters can have ball bearings that need to be lubricated to run smoothly, making water the nemesis of this lubrication. If your casters don’t roll as easily as usual after going through water, it may be time to repair or replace them.
Protect the Chair
Considering all its electrical components, using a power chair in the rain can be risky. It is, however, not realistic to assume that someone who uses one is going to stay home every time it rains. Choosing some form of protection that covers the entire chair – such as an extra-large poncho – may be your best bet if you must brave the rain. At the very least, you can use a plastic shopping bag to cover the joystick. Making sure to dry off all the chair’s components as soon as possible will help avoid breakdown.
Stay Cozy Out There
Getting around safely and comfortably in wet weather while using a wheelchair might take some ingenuity and may be frustrating at times, but it is doable. While the weather turning colder and wetter might pose problems, don’t forget to enjoy some of the cozy things this time of year brings, like warm drinks and snuggles with a loved one (human or animal) – all while listening to that rain hitting the roof.
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