Wheelchair Lights for Safety & Holiday Decoration
Would you love to be in a wheelchair that cannot be spotted in the dark or illuminate the path it's navigating in darkness? Installing electric wheelchair lights that illuminate the environment with your favorite colors not only makes the wheelchair stand out but also positively impacts your health.
There are different types of lights that can be added to a wheelchair. You can clip-on LED wheelchair lights to the rear and front sides, attach strip lights to the wheelchair frames, and embed spoke lights to the wheel spokes. While some wheelchair lights offer customizable light colors, the majority have a fixed color.
Benefits of Installing Lights on a Wheelchair
It costs to own a wheelchair, and thus, enhancing its safety is essential. Again, being the Christmas season, keeping a wheelchair in theme will boost your celebration mood.
According to Myluminette, blue hues bring calmness, relaxation, and reduce stress. If employed with white color, a sense of soul rejuvenation is evoked. Besides health benefits, lights on a wheelchair are like a guardian angel to both the wheelchair user and the wheelchair.
Let’s now discuss why it’s important to install lights on a wheelchair in detail.
1. Installing lights on a wheelchair enhances safety
Wheelchair users don’t stop going around in the house, along the paths, or to celebrations because it's dark. Lighting up the way with lights installed on the wheelchair in the darkness enhances the safety of both the wheelchair and the user. Turn signal lights on wheelchairs indicate turn directions, which helps avoid collisions.
2. Bright wheelchair lights improve visibility
Wheelchair headlights and taillights illuminate the path and routes the wheelchair is passing through. With the lights on, the wheelchair user and his wheelchair are visible from afar to other people. Mounting lights on a wheelchair at the rear, front, and sides makes it visible.
3. Decorating the wheelchair
With customizable LED strip lights, you can make a wheelchair as attractive as you want. Holiday seasons are characterized by decoration, and so should be wheelchairs. Installing colored electric lights on a wheelchair makes it look more attractive.
4. Act as signals
When using a wheelchair on the road or in the streets, you have to follow traffic rules for your own safety. Lights on a wheelchair can be used to signal “Stop” or an intent to turn in a different direction.
Types of Lights That Can Be Installed on a Wheelchair
Wheelchair lights are manufactured in different shapes, forms, colors, control mechanisms, and functions. Their installation processes are also different. You can clip-on, mount, or securely attach lights to nearly every part of a wheelchair.
These are the common types of wheelchair lights, and how to install each type.
1. Wheelchair Strip Lights
Screenshot courtesy of Bedazzlelit
Strip lights that can be added to a wheelchair are flexible strips with small bulbs connected in a single thin cable. Strip lights are available in two versions: fixed single and color-changing strips. Wheelchair strip lights can be attached around the tyres, on the frames, and at the backrest to make it look cool.
How to Install Wheelchair Strip Light
Step 1: Decide whether to install a single or a color-changing strip light.
Step 2: Design strip light aesthetics on the wheelchair.
Step 3: Run your strip light along the mapped parts while securing it with masking tape.
Step 4: Secure the cable and inverter with zip ties.
2. Wheelchair LED Lights
Screenshot courtesy of cheelcare.ca
Wheelchair LED lights are available in different designs. While some take the form of strip lights with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), others are designed with only one or two bulbs. They can be used as headlights, side lights, signals, and decorative lights. Since they are electrical lights, a battery is needed to power the LEDs.
How to Install Wheelchair LED Light？
If you go for a strip LED light, follow the steps explained for installing wheelchair strip lights. For a one or two-LED light, follow these steps to install:
Step 1: Prepare where to mount the LED light on the wheelchair.
Step 2: Secure the LED light with the provided mechanism.
Step 3: Depending on the power connection system, connect the light to the power source.
3. Wheelchair Side Lights
Sight lights for use on a wheelchair come in pairs; one for the left and the other for the right side. They mostly feature LEDs because they require minimal energy to keep lighting. Mount the wheelchair side lights on the wheelchair frames on the sides.
How to Mount Wheelchair Side Light？
Step 1: For side lights with adhesive, clean the surface to stick the light.
Step 2: Peel the adhesive and stick your side light.
Step 3: For non-adhesive side lights, secure them with zip ties or the provided system and connect to a power source.
4. Clip-on Lights for Spokes
Clip-on lights for spokes are meant for decoration and visibility. They are easily attached to the tire spokes by just clipping on the spokes. One or two small batteries are used to power the spoke lights. The clippings can be used on spokes of different sizes.
What to Consider When Choosing the Right Wheelchair Lights
To achieve your intended goal, select wheelchair lights meant for that purpose. If you want to decorate your wheelchair, clip-on lights for spokes that keep flashing, combined with a color-changing strip light, will work best.
Besides considering intended use, consider the following to choose the right wheelchair light.
a. Durability and resistance to harsh conditions
For a wheelchair that’s used outdoors and on rough surfaces, check the durability of the light covers, cable, and attachment system. Ensure the wheelchair light can also withstand harsh conditions, such as rain and sunny conditions.
b. Purchasing and maintenance cost
You don’t have to buy a costly wheelchair light for one-time use. Equally, choosing a light that requires frequent battery replacement is a waste of resources. Consider buying wheelchair lights that are powered by the wheelchair’s battery if it's electric, or lights that are powered by powerful batteries.
c. Battery life
If the wheelchair light comes equipped with a battery, read the battery specifications, and you’ll avoid lights with a low-quality battery.
d. Brightness
For a Christmas light on a wheelchair, brightness is an important factor. Consider selecting LED lights with a high rating to illuminate the surroundings effectively. Signal and headlights should also be bright for better visibility.
Additional Tips
Wheelchair lights waterproof ratings
Sometimes wheelchairs are used in rainy conditions or left out in the rain. For your wheelchair lights to remain safe during rainy seasons, select lighting fixtures with a IP65 or IP67 waterproof rating.
Safety Warning
When installing lights, ensure cables do not interfere with the braking system or folding mechanism.
Decorate Your XSTO Wheelchairs with Christmas Lights
Would you love to go out independently this festive season using a well-decorated wheelchair? SXTO Mobility manufactures wheelchairs for every season and occasion in mind. Out of the many Christmas offers in the market, SXTO has the wheelchairs that you can easily decorate with Christmas lights.
XSTO M4 and XSTO X12 wheelchairs’ frame structure offers the best platform for installing electric wheelchair lights. Whether it’s headlights, side lights, or Christmas wheelchair lights, there’s a surface to install, mount, or attach your desired light.
Summary
Even though wheelchair decoration is inevitable this Christmas season, electric wheelchair lights that enhance the wheelchair user’s safety and visibility are more important. Don’t run away from the festive theme, but integrate safety and decor, and your wheelchair will stand out for the occasion.