Wheelchair Modifications UK: Customise Your Chair

Made to Measure Vs Adjusted to Fit

Vida Active by Roma Sport says from concept to completion, truly made to measure rigid active wheelchair, made in Great Britain, 100% bespoke. Design, manufacturing and testing under one roof in Bridgend, South Wales using high-grade aircraft aluminium alloy 7020, stronger and lighter than standard aluminium, extremely efficient.

Customisation options extend well beyond frame colour. There are multiple Spinergy wheel colours and sizes, various castor and fork configurations, plus multitude of coloured accessories and personalised graphics.

Built-4-Me from Sunrise Medical: bespoke wheelchairs speciality. They listen to needs, analyse risk factors and deliver unique wheelchair. They have created thousands of bespoke wheelchairs — from personalised paint jobs, tailored upholstery to individual options. Process: initial consultation, assessment thorough physical, design detailed proposal, manufacturing hand-crafted, fitting and adjustments. They need product, client measurements, social details like day-to-day environment, and details of adaptation — drawings, pictures useful, plus photo of how currently seated.

Bespoke process: consultation discussing needs, lifestyle; assessment thorough physical; design proposal; manufacturing hand-crafted; fitting and adjustments.

For measuring that affects all custom work, this complete buying guide covers seat width, depth and height, and why weight capacity really matters.

Frame, Wheels and Finish

Max Wheelchairs lists options to make wheelchair pop:

Colours: Polished or 23 powder coated colours standard.

Anodising and hydro-dipping: You can have wheel hub, rims, sideguards, footrest and backrest anodised or hydro-dipped. Wide range options. Unique within UK and enables chair truly reflecting personality.

Upholstery: Black nylon standard. Upgrade to leather sides and breathable centre pad tension adjustable.

Cushions: Range foam cushions with nylon or breathable covers, plus full range pressure cushions.

Backrests: Range rigid like JAY or ADI, aluminium or carbon fibre, combined with lateral supports. Ergonomic seating for greater pelvic and spine stability.

Footrests: Tubular metal standard, carbon fibre plate, ABS plastic plate, aluminium plate.

Brakes: Scissor, push to lock or D’s locks.

Castor wheels: 3”, 4” or 5” inch, colour coded or anodised.

Wheels: Standard 24” or 25” spoked. Upgrade to Spinergy range, all anodisable. Hubs and rims or even hydro-dip.

Sideguards: Aluminium, carbon fibre straight or fender style, powder coated any colours or hydro-dipped.

Push rims: Aluminium, Titanium, Natural Fit, Surge.

Push handles: Removable with height adjustment, or retractable, both for children and adults.

Anti-tips: Single or double, fixed or removable.

Vida adds aircraft grade aluminium and Contour Body Mapping device replacing tape measure, eliminating human error. First fitting session chair presented in tacked stage making it possible to try out chair to gauge feel and make small alterations, mirroring tailored suit.

For handling, see self-propelled wheelchairs and tyre and wheel configurations explained.

NHS Chairs — What You Can and Can’t Modify

With NHS chair you might need to check that’s okay. They have rules on adaptations and usually anything clip on and off is fine, but push handles are big adaptation even if removable.

Forum advice for Argon2 good chair comes as standard with everything you need, most modifications seen are cosmetic. Spoke covers in various colours common, check bike accessories. Clip-on mods generally fine for NHS chair.

Examples safe for NHS chairs:

• Raised push handles: Can go up and down and further out than normal so person pushing isn’t kneeing you or kicking anti-tipper. Check with wheelchair services — clip on/off usually okay.

• Cup holder, little bag for front somewhere (under seat, on leg bar), phone holder: Bike, push chair, mic stand accessories often good. Same bar based construction so what fits on them often fits chair. Most clamp or velcro so should be fine for NHS chair.

• Under seat storage: Specific shelves or bum bags strapped around bum of seat. Pouch for wallet and keys, bike frame bag for water bottle which goes on front downtube. Backpack — adjust straps short and put on backrest.

• Gloves: Bike and weight lifting ones popular.

• Push rim covers: Alternative to gloves, decorative, coloured wraps giving extra grip, pop on and off so fine for NHS chair.

• Spoke covers, wheel lights, coloured wraps, reflective tape, badges or patches on back rest: Bike accessories good. Frame decoration less permanent important for NHS chairs — wrap on sticky bandages, sports tape.

• Grip tape on footplate: Comes in many designs, good way to both decorate and make footplate functional.

• Quad cuffs and grip for footplate: Went to local skateshop and got it put on and works wonders keeping feet in place.

Check portable and compact models for overall weight when adding mods.

Practical and Fun Mods

Practical: Cup holder number one, small bag like Jansport adaptive crossbody, hand sanitizer front frame, adapted backpack, lapstacker by Adaptefy, walking stick holders.

Safety: Lights and reflectors for dark, bike hub lights — check fits Spinergy, fanny pack clipped around seat pan, grip tape on footplate, RibGrips push rim covers.

Fun: Spoke covers most commented. Ground effect lights with remote, Bluetooth speaker, custom painted motorcycle style — Invacare TDX SP2 with 70s metal flake green and orange. Under-seat LED £10 TV back RGB with power bank, aoooga bell horn, reflective straps, metal badges, wheelchair truck nuts ironic humor.

For accessories, browse range of useful accessories and bariatric models with higher weight limits and transit wheelchairs for carers and folding powerchairs that travel easier.

For posture and safety that modifications affect, see guide to posture and pain relief and how anti-tip wheels improve safety and step-by-step guide to safe transfers and routine maintenance checklist.

In UK, for custom propel alternatives, MPS Active and Spokz for wheelchair parts and accessories, Ffora not UK based but liked. Ability Plus offers 3 year warranty and callouts included, 12 months free adjustments, dedicated engineering team, optional insurance.

FAQs

Q1. Can I modify NHS wheelchair?
Usually anything clip on and off is fine, but push handles are big adaptation even if removable, so check with services. Clip-on mods like cup holder, bag under seat, phone holder, spoke covers that clip on, push rim covers that pop on generally fine. Nothing permanent.

Q2. What are most useful practical mods?
Cup holder number one, small bag like Jansport adaptive crossbody, hand sanitizer on front frame, adapted backpack, lapstacker, walking stick holders, grip tape on footplate, quad cuffs and grip, raised push handles.

Q3. How to customise colour and make less medical?
Choose polished or 23 powder coated colours, anodising and hydro-dipping for wheel hub, rims, sideguards, footrest and backrest, upgrade upholstery to leather sides and breathable centre pad, ergonomic seating, footrests carbon fibre plate, castor wheels colour coded, Spinergy wheels anodised, sideguards powder coated, push rims aluminium, titanium, Natural Fit, Surge. Custom painted by friend who paints motorcycles.

Q4. Where to get custom propel parts UK?
MPS Active and Spokz for parts and accessories both sell some, Ffora not UK based but liked. Ability Plus offers customisable active wheelchairs with support with NHS PWB vouchers, free home assessments and demos, try before you buy, 3 year warranty and callouts.

Q5. How does bespoke process work?
Initial consultation discussing needs, lifestyle; assessment thorough physical; design detailed proposal; manufacturing hand-crafted; fitting and adjustments. Vida uses Contour Body Mapping replacing tape measure, eliminating human error, and offers second fit in tacked stage to gauge feel.

Q6. Will adding accessories make chair heavier to push?
Just remember if using manual chair you need keep in mind how much weight you add — hence cup holder won’t live permanently on chair. If power chair less concern. Keep added weight low, use lightweight bags, remove when not needed.