Purple seat cushion

Sitting, Standing, Walking, Rolling, Hauling, Relaxing

Sitting

Seat Cushions

I take a seat cushion everywhere I go, especially when navigating the usually awful chairs of the medical model. These make waiting in a doctor’s office more bearable.

I used to use coccyx pillows like the ComfiLife and the Aylio. Now, I use Purple seat cushions and will never go back to a coccyx pillow. I travel with the Purple Simply. One is always in the car. I use the thicker Purple Royal at home. If I’m sitting, it’s probably on one of these cushions.

Purple seat cushion

The Wirecutter reviews Purple cushions in their guide to best ergonomic seat cushions.

Task Chairs

If you love your spoonie to the tune of 800 – 2000 bucks, I can recommend the Steelcase Leap, the Steelcase Think, and Soma Ergonomics chairs. We’ve had all three around the house for several years, and they are well-built survivors. The Leap is approaching twenty years old and still holding up comfortably.

Black Steelchase chair

Wirecutter recommends the Steelcase Gesture. I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it’s good.

Portable Moon Chairs

Moon/saucer chairs certainly aren’t for everyone, but I take a big KingCamp moon chair with me to outdoor events. I use them at home too for lounging outside. I like the room big saucers provide, and they support my curved back more comfortably than upright chairs.

Black and white moon chair

A light, cheap, packable option for brief sits is the Coleman Event Stool.

Standing

Standing Mats

Black standing mat

I couldn’t cook or wash dishes without standing mats in the kitchen. These extend my functional time and reduce painful bouts of sciatica, paresthesia, and fasciculations. I use the ComfiLife flat mat suggested here.

Walking

Be kind to your feet.

Cozy Slippers

Cozy slippers make life better.

Black booty slippers

I like to sit outside, even as the temperature drops. Baffin Base Camp booties are sleeping bags for my feet that keep my feet warm through a full winter season of porch sitting. They’re great in the house too. I slip contractor boot covers over mine when I want to trudge around in them outside.

Crocs Lined Clogs have a cozy microfleece lining.

Pink Croc clog with fleece lining

Custom Orthotics

Custom orthotics are one of the best investments I ever made. I’m a flat-footed over pronator who’s had a lifetime of grief with my feet, including having my feet forcibly shaped by hard plastic orthotics as a kid.

The orthotics of today aren’t those wretched things I had as a kid. For too long, that childhood experience prevented me from giving orthotics another go. I don’t walk more than 20 steps without the 3/4 length orthotics I have now. Without them, even a brief walk of just one minute induces foot pain.

Orthopedist fitting individual orthopedic insole for patient foot
Orthopedic insoles. Orthopedist fitting individual orthopedic insole for patient foot

My podiatrist used a plaster cast method, and I’ve been very happy with the results. A portable cast of your foot transforms every shoe.

If you want to change the life of someone with foot issues, spring $500 for custom orthotics.

Motion Control Shoes

Grey running shoe

My go to motion control shoe is the Brooks Beast. These are expensive shoes, so expensive that I wear them years longer than I should. Funding fresh motion control kicks for the over pronator in your life is a nice move.

Yankz and Lock Laces

Our dyspraxic family uses Lock Laces to avoid knot tying. Yankz is a similar brand. I’ve never owned Yankz, but I see both them and Lock Laces recommended in the #ActuallyAutistic community. The main difference seems to be the tensioning clip in the Yankz. I don’t need that part.

Pink lock laces

Accessible Shoes

Black running shoes

There isn’t much selection in accessible shoes, making Nike’s Flyease all the more appreciated. Every shoe company should have an accessibility line. We buy Flyease.

Folding Walking Canes

My Switch Sticks folding walking cane has been a reliable companion. Adjustable and durable, this fits and hasn’t let me down. They come in many colors and patterns and are tote bag stuffable.

Folding cane with colorful bubbles print

Hiking Stick/Cane with Folding Seat

Cane with seat

One Stimpunk uses this seat cane A LOT.

Rolling

Rollators

My Drive Medical rollator has also been reliable. It assists me on longer bouts of walking and avoids the often fruitless search for seating. I sometimes wish I had a side-folding rollator for navigating narrow doorways, but those are more expensive, and the seat hinges down the middle, which bothers some.

Red rollator

Wheelchair Upgrades

Person in a wheelchair with wheelchair covers with stylized birds painted on them

Spinergy wheels, Surge handrims, Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and izzy wheel covers are popular upgrades many wheelchair users would love to have. Check with them first; wheelchairs are very personal.

Hauling

Utility/Grocery Carts

Utility cart filled with groceries

I picked the Wellmax WM99024S Grocery Utility Shopping Cart from the competition based on Amazon reviews. I haven’t had cause to regret the choice. When driving to out of town hospitals and staying in hotels, the cart handles schlepping our coping array to and from the car. At home, we use it for bringing in groceries from the car.

Save trips and save your back. Get some wheels.

Collapsible Wagons

When we’re hauling more than the utility cart can hold, we go wagon.

Collapsible red wagon

Relaxing

Heating Pads and Blankets

I have too much kyphosis (curvature) in my spine. The result is constantly aching back muscles stretched like cables supporting a poorly designed suspension bridge. I pretty much live on a heating pad to ease the deep, abiding ache. Check out the Wirecutter recommendations for heating pads and electric blankets. I use their top recommendation, the PureRelief XL – King Size Heating Pad, daily.

Grey heating pad

Continue with “Reaching, Gripping, Grabbing, Fastening, Finding, Opening, Lighting”

Continue with “Reaching, Gripping, Grabbing, Fastening, Finding, Opening, Lighting“.

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