Wheelchair upholstery fabric

[smoop]

Hi all. Yesterday we meet with a w/c vendor to order Analise's (3.5) new TiLite. I was wondering if it's a poor choice to choose an upholstery fabric other than black for a 3.5 year old. Analise liked the purple (it's somewhat light) but my concern was that it would show too much dirt. Should I stick with what will look better in the long run or just give her a color she'd prefer?

[LisaJoy]

Will you be able to reupholster without replacing the chair? And do chairs for young children have to be replaced frequently anyway, or do they "grow" with the child? I have no experience of wheelchairs, but my incllination would be to let her have the purple. But you should probably listen to other moms rather than me!

[Gymp]

Hi Smoop...
My wife's wheelchair seat and backrest are made by "Jay" (both are thick and pre-molded) with a outer rubber type shell and those came with slipcovers that are easy to remove and are machine washable.Her's are gray & black.We bought a few extra of these slipcovers so she could use one while the other is in the wash.

Perhaps Analise's new chair seating will have the same type of slipcover where once it looks dirty you remove it and toss it in the wash,if so colour wouldn't make any any difference as you just wash it with the laundry.

Hope this helps
Gymp

[dahliafaolan]

I've always had black seat covers, but I can't say that dirt was ever a problem. It was the more "biological" messes we had to worry about, but a good toss in the wash was usually enough to take care of it. And yes, chairs can grow with the kid if they're chosen properly. I had the same chair for 8 years (age 3-12) when I was growing up, but after that it tended to be every 4-5 years that I needed a new one.

[Summer25]

Coming from someone that works for a wheelchair company, give her what she wants. If you don't, she will never like the chair. The Ti colors are awesome too! I just saw one recently that is a prototype that had red. I sure wish I had those when I was a kid.