Adaptdefy Hacks

How to pump up wheelchair tires the quick way.

There's a specific kind of tired that comes from pushing a chair with deflated tires. Every stroke takes more out of you than it should, and you can't always tell why. You just know that today feel...

How I clean my wheelchair cushion, and one tip to keep it fresh all the time.

You sit on your cushion more hours than you sleep on your mattress. Most of us never think about it until the day it starts to smell. I've been a full-time wheelchair user since 2012, and figuring ...

How I clean a wheelchair frame, and why it’s important to me.

For me, a dirty wheelchair is the same as wearing dirty clothes. My wheelchair is an extension of myself, and I want it to be well presented.  There's a difference between a chair that looks cared ...

How to clean wheelchair castors, and get them rolling smoothly again.

There's one task in wheelchair life that is so important to the upkeep of your chair, but it's rather gross. It’s a tiny area that's quite easy to miss. It's your castors, and they're full of hair....

Wheelchair maintenance at home: what you can do yourself.

I'm not asking you to become a mechanic. Most of what actually matters is small, boring, and takes less time than reading this article. This is the practical version, not the clinical one. Quick r...

How to carry things in a wheelchair at the airport: a practical guide.

There are so many wheelchair travel guides that tell you what to pack. But none of them tells you how to carry it once you're actually moving. A bag on your lap is at risk of sliding off or catchin...

Flying with a wheelchair: our complete guide to stress-free air travel.

I'll be honest: the first time I flew after my injury, I spent more time worrying about the airport than the destination. This guide has everything I wish someone had handed me before that first tr...

What to pack for wheelchair travel: My complete packing list.

Most wheelchair travel packing guides read like they were written by someone who has never actually left the house with a chair. Vague advice about "comfortable clothing" and "a small bag." Nothin...

How do wheelchair users carry things? 10 options, from purpose-built to DIY.

I've been working it out since 2012. Some of these I stumbled across. Some came from other wheelchair users. One I invented because nothing else was good enough. Here's every method I know of, rank...

Wheelchair wheelie skills: fear, freedom, and what's on the other side.

Face your fears  View this post on Instagram A post shared by adaptdefy® (@adaptdefy)   Here's the thing about wheelchair skills that nobody talks about. The barr...

How to carry things in a wheelchair: LapStacker vs lap tray vs bags.

There are a number of methods wheelchair users can use to carry things. I've rounded them up, and here are my thoughts. LapStacker is the best solution for carrying things while you're actively mov...

"Game changer" How Wayne uses LapStacker to shop independently.

Wheelchair user Wayne Fisk shares how to shop independently as a wheelchair user. See how he carries groceries without dropping them using LapStacker. 

Wheelchair women's fashion: advice from our community of wheelchair users.

We asked our community of wheelchair users to share their best clothing tips. Over 100 responses came back. Most of the women didn't just want to be comfortable. They wanted to look good. This arti...

Best pants for wheelchair users: what actually works, from people who've figured it out.

We asked our community of wheelchair users to share their best clothing tips. Over 100 responses came back. A big chunk of them were about pants. Not adaptive pants from specialist brands at $120 a...

How to stay warm in a wheelchair? Tips from over 100 wheelchair users.

Staying warm is harder in a wheelchair than most warmth advice accounts for. Your legs sit still. They don't generate heat the way walking legs do. For those of us with reduced sensation, cold can ...

Wheelchair clothing tips: four things that actually make a difference.

Nobody hands you a clothing guide when you become a wheelchair user. You figure it out the hard way. Sleeves caught in wheels. Shoes that slide off footplates. Freezing from the legs down on a cold...

The coat mistakes most wheelchair users make, and how to fix them.

I’ve been a wheelchair user for over 30 years, and living in the UK, I'm well used to cold, drizzly weather. Everyone in the UK knows the importance of having a good coat,  but as a wheelchair user...

Thirty years in a wheelchair, and these adaptive jeans finally get it.

In my 30 years of wheelchair life, I never thought to try adaptive jeans. I just couldn’t see how they would differ that much from regular jeans. And then I tried these adaptive jeans, made for whe...

We asked, 100 people answered - the ultimate guide to wheelchair clothing.

You'll find dozens of guides out there, from different perspectives, an adaptive clothing brand, or a caregiver.  So we did something different.  We asked our community. View this post...

The Old Ghost Road. I believe I'm the first wheelchair user to bike it.

13 years ago, I was climbing mountains, sailing oceans, and mountain biking any chance I could get. I was a stereotypical New Zealander, happiest when I was chasing the next hit of adrenaline. That...