Question for those who use SN buggy/wheelchair

[sickoftheholidays]

I've just set up a small business making custom items for baby car seats (rather like poshbugs/snunkie/chunkle munkle but for car seats only at the moment) but it struck me that there isnt anything really funky/cool/fun out there in the way of muffs/leg warmers for older kids who use a buggy/wheelchair.
What I would like to know from you guys, is there a market for colourful, fun, practical footmuffs/stay put blankets for children/young adults who use a wheelchair/buggy beyond the usual age range for baby items?
I have a friend who has a severely autistic son, and she has said that change bags and mats are also a problem for bigger kids/young adults as obviously baby change bags and mats dont cut the mustard.

My daughter needs a Maclaren Major (SN buggy) and a waterproof fleece lined leg protector would be great. She wears a waterproof coat but then gets cold wet legs, and we don't have a raincover for it (she wouldn't go under a raincover).

Do you think a footmuff style or a stayput blanket style would work better on the major buggy? I'm not sure what age they go up to, how old is your daughter?

Rackety's make them for kids and adults (others too, can't remember off the top of my head right now).

yeah, I looked at Rackety's - they look a bit boring if I'm honest! I'm thinking bright and colourful, funky and fun.

Which other companies did you look at? I think that warm, dry, easy access, bright and colourful and waterproof can be a challenge.

Yer problem is that waterproof is paramount. They don't make rain covers for SN buggies past a certain size, and anoraks only cover your top half. Plus a lot of kids with disabilities have poor circulation and feel the cold so a waterproof cover is also more windproof than plain fleece. So you are looking at boring waterproof fabric - or start sourcing PUL like the nappy manufacturers do.

I can put a layer of waterproofing fabric directly under the cotton drill outer layer, so the inner fleece and any padding stays dry, and when it does get wet, there is only the top layer of cotton to dry out.

I agree warm dry easy access bright and colourful can be a challenge!
would a central zip down the front be best, or would side access work better?

I know a lot of children/people with disabilities who crawl in their wet weather gear, as well as sitting sedately in a buggy/chair.

I would love a change mat which will fit DS - either his head or bum is off the end at the moment!

I did write to a company that made gorgeous colourful fleecy and waterproof covers for buggies but I can't remember what they were called. I asked them if they would be able to make them for the Majors as ds was really feeling the cold at the time and I didn't fancy paying out a fortune for the boring Maclaren one. They seemed interested and said they would make a sample one for me to try if I sent the dimensions of the buggy, which I did. Unfortunately I never heard any more and eventually forgot all about it. It wasn't until a long time later that I realised I'd changed my email address so they might have tried to get hold of me after all. Oops!

But yes, I would have loved one when ds was smaller!

There's a lady on ebay who makes the covers for mac majors and wheelchairs, she also makes blankets and cosytoes. Don't think she does changing bags though. Would be nice to see some of the nice baby prints in bigger versions.

And do make sure you let us know if you start doing this!

I'm just doing a footmuff for a cameleon now, and I have a couple of car seat orders, but I'll be looking at a pattern for a major buggy next week. One of my main problems is not having a major buggy to take a pattern from, so if anyone could oblige me with some measurements that would be fab. I need to know the width of the seat, the length of the back rest to the crease of the seat, the length from the crease to the edge of the seat, and finally the length from the edge of the seat to the footrest.
Would really appreciate this info then I can make a start.

Measures for the major.

That said, some chilren use inserts/extra bits.

For covering over a wheelchair (particularly those with annoyingly unwaterproof seating), in the past I've managed to find large men's waterproofs/cagoules that go over the chair and me, then cut in for handles (cheaper than the covers that don't always fit great anyway).

Not sure what I'll be doing this winter, maybe getting it wet (larger, moulded + matrix, so no chance of doing the above).

Hi sickof, my DD is 6.7 and 120 cms tall with long-ish legs.

Not sure how it would work but I'd want something that zipped around her legs rather than just being tucked in, as she would fiddle with it.

But then I'd want it to stay put on the Major and not slide off with her if she wriggles around (she can be quite squirmy).

She loves animals so I would love a pattern for her that isn't the usual girlie/boyish patterns - <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=wallstory.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/junglepoolparty.jpg&imgrefurl=wallstory.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/jungle-mural-new-monkey-mural-doorhugger-design/&usg=_YHFhCXvR72faaThvSbjP1kgjsnE=&h=338&w=520&sz=41&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=-GmcQEoXkMW-M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=168&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djungle%2Bpattern%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D585%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=560&vpy=272&dur=756&hovh=174&hovw=268&tx=162&ty=96&ei=o-eTTPDDGIWAswaDtIiGCQ&oei=o-eTTPDDGIWAswaDtIiGCQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">something more like this

ebay has a larger change mat sometimes

Note further that some SN buggies have a 5-point harness. And some don't. Yer standard wheelchair typically doesn't. And there is a whole realm of highly specialist wheelchair/buggy hybrids for kids with medical/positional needs which have all sorts of inserts and stuff to contend with - for instance, they may need ankle straps. That's one reason that a lot of things already on the market are a very different design to the standard "baby footmuff" envelope that you are thinking of - an apron design accommodates a wider variety of chairs. Might be worth googling some buggy/wheelchair sites - of course you can decide that's not your market, but it will help you to understand queries from prospective purchasers!

Personally, we need a wide/loose apron style because DD1 loves to cross her legs in her buggy and something that allowed that would make her very happy. I was thinking of making something that actually hooked onto the front of the buggy frame with bungee cord - we have the SN version of the mountain buggy so the frame will withstand falling buildings a bit of bungee will be fine!

Hi,
You guys are great! This is exactly the sort of info I was needing, as I dont have a child with physical problems, I dont know the ins and outs of the specialist equipment.
The stuff I would be doing would be made to order, so you get in touch, you tell me your requirements and the sort of fabric you want and I make it for you. I will hopefully have several different options/patterns available.