SPAN AMERICA SHORT-WAVE SEAT AND BACK CUSHION

The Span America Short-Wave Seat and Back Cushion is Span America's one-piece wheelchair seat and back cushion, 34 inches long so a single cushion covers the seat and continues up the backrest. Span America is a Savaria company. Westin Healthcare stocks it and delivers it to homes and care sites across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

This page is the Short-Wave, which Span America builds for standard wheelchairs. It is not the Geo-Wave, which is the longer 68 inch cushion built for a reclining geri-chair and has its own part numbers and its own page. The two share a family name and nothing else on the order form. If a clinician has named a recliner cushion, follow that link instead.

Size options

Use Cushion size. Match the width to the measured wheelchair seat width. Every Short-Wave is 34 inches long, because that length is what lets one cushion cover the seat and carry on up the back, and Span America builds it to fit a seat 16 or 18 inches deep. Each of the three codes on this picker is a single cushion supplied with its cover.

• 16 in W x 34 in L, seat and back, with cover (SWAVE16-01)
• 18 in W x 34 in L, seat and back, with cover (SWAVE-01)
• 20 in W x 34 in L, seat and back, with cover (SWAVE20-01)

Span America also lists each width as a four-per-case code. Those are not on this picker and are quoted separately for facilities ordering in quantity, which is the same approach our Geo-Wave page takes. Ask us if you need a case.

Who this is for

This cushion is for a wheelchair user who needs support at the back as well as under the seat, and who would rather have one cushion doing both than a separate seat pad and back cushion that shift against each other. Span America designs it for standard wheelchairs and says it is readily adaptable to other seating applications.

It suits someone who spends most of the day in the chair and whose weight is inside Span America's 300 lb rating. Because the cushion runs continuously from the seat up the backrest, there is no seam or gap at the junction of the two, which is the spot people most often report as uncomfortable when a seat pad and a back cushion are bought separately.

• Standard wheelchairs with a seat 16 or 18 inches deep
• Seat widths of 16, 18, or 20 inches
• People up to 300 lb, which is Span America's published rating
• Anyone who needs seat and back support from a single cushion

Construction and how it works

The Short-Wave is a one-piece, non-powered cushion 34 inches long. It lies along the seat and continues up the backrest, so one article does the work of two and there is no join in the middle to shift or bunch. Span America's own framing on the catalogue page is short: it is designed for standard wheelchairs and readily adaptable to any seating application.

Span America supplies every Short-Wave code with a cover fitted. Its catalogue item description for each code reads Short-Wave cushion with cover, and that is the extent of what it publishes about the cover, so this page does not describe a cover material or a cleaning method it cannot source.

Span America rates the cushion to 300 lb and lists an 18-month warranty. There is no pump, no power, and nothing to inflate. Span America does not publish the internal construction of the Short-Wave, so if the seating plan asks about a particular foam or surface design, ask us and we will confirm the detail with Savaria Canada before you order.

Span America Short-Wave Seat and Back Cushion specifications

These figures are Span America's, for the SWAVE codes on this page. They are not the Geo-Wave sheet, even though the two products sit on facing pages of the same catalogue.

Delivery in Brampton and the GTA

Westin Healthcare's own team delivers across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area, on its own or alongside a chair, bed, or lift setup. We have three stores in the Brampton and Toronto area if you would rather see one first. For a scheduled drop-off, call (905) 451-7743 and we will book the next date that works.

This is a single-cushion carton. The Canada-wide free ground-shipping offer on smaller goods can apply when it ships on its own. If it travels with a hospital bed, the bed is oversized and White-Glove Delivery is described on the shipping policy. Any charge is confirmed on your order.

Which wheelchairs this cushion fits

Span America publishes three widths, 16, 18 and 20 inches, and builds every one of them 34 inches long. It states that the cushion is designed to fit a seat 16 or 18 inches deep. Measure the wheelchair seat width and depth before you choose, and match the cushion width to the seat width.

Because the cushion continues up the backrest, the backrest height matters as well as the seat. On a standard adult wheelchair the 34 inch length sits comfortably across the seat and up a full-height back. If the chair has an unusually tall or short back, tell us the measurement and we will confirm the fit before you order.

Span America does not name a wheelchair brand or model for the Short-Wave, and it does not publish an attachment method for it, so we do not describe one. If you need to know exactly how the cushion is secured to a particular chair, ask us and we will confirm with Savaria Canada rather than guess.

Funding help in Ontario

The Span America Short-Wave Seat and Back Cushion is an ADP positioning device category item. Ontario's Assistive Devices Program (ADP) can fund 75% of the cost of positioning devices such as cushions and back supports when they are prescribed through an assessment by an ADP-registered occupational therapist or physiotherapist with an eligible mobility device, and some income-support programs cover the full cost. Not every product qualifies, so talk to us before you buy. March of Dimes Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and community programs can also help. Westin Healthcare's staff work with these programs every week and will point you to the right route for your situation. Visit our funding page or call (905) 451-7743 to talk it through.

Service and warranty

When something needs work, you call the shop that sold it. Westin Healthcare has a service and repairs department.

Span America manufacturer warranty

Span America lists an 18-month warranty on the Short-Wave, the same term it gives the Geo-Matt seating range. We handle the warranty claim with you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Short-Wave?

It is Span America's one-piece wheelchair seat and back cushion. At 34 inches long it lies along the seat and continues up the backrest, so a single cushion supports both instead of a separate seat pad and back cushion working against each other.

Is this the same as the Geo-Wave?

No. The Geo-Wave is 68 inches long and built for a reclining geri-chair; the Short-Wave is 34 inches and built for a standard wheelchair. They share no part numbers. If the care plan named a recliner cushion, see our Geo-Wave page.

What widths can I get?

Three: 16, 18, and 20 inches. All three are 34 inches long.

Will it fit my wheelchair?

Span America designs it for standard wheelchairs and for a seat 16 or 18 inches deep. Measure the seat width and depth first, and tell us the backrest height too, since the cushion carries on up the back. We will confirm the fit before you order.

What is the weight limit?

Span America lists 300 lb for the Short-Wave. Tell us the person's weight when you order. If you need a higher rating, the Geo-Matt PRT bariatric sizes go to 500 lb, though those are a seat cushion only.

Does it come with a cover?

Yes. Span America supplies every Short-Wave code with a cover fitted. Its catalogue does not publish the cover material, so we do not describe one; ask us and we will confirm with Savaria Canada.

Does this cushion need a pump?

No. The Short-Wave is non-powered. There is nothing to plug in and no air to check.

How does it stay in place?

Span America does not publish an attachment method on the Short-Wave catalogue block, so we will not describe one we cannot source. Ask us and we will confirm with Savaria Canada how the cushion is secured before you order.

Can I buy more than one?

Yes. Span America lists each width as a four-per-case code as well as the single-cushion code shown here. Cases are quoted separately rather than sold from this picker. Ask us if you need a case and we will price it for you.

Why does it bill under two Medicare codes?

Because it does two jobs. Span America states that the Short-Wave bills under both E2601 for the seat and E2611 for the back, concurrently, which is unusual and reflects that a single article is serving as both a seat cushion and a back support. That is a US billing note; in Ontario, funding runs through an ADP assessment instead.

How do I clean it?

Wipe the cover with the disinfectant your clinician allows and let it dry fully before the person sits again. Span America publishes no cleaning method or wash cycle for this cover, so we do not quote one.

What is the warranty?

Span America lists an 18-month warranty on the Short-Wave. Westin Healthcare processes the warranty work through our service and repairs page.

Related products at Westin Healthcare

For a reclining geri-chair rather than a wheelchair, see the Span America Geo-Wave. For a seat cushion on its own, see the Geo-Matt PRT, the Geo-Matt Cushion, Gel-T, or the Equalizer, and for a tapered anti-slide seat see the Geo-Matt Wedge. Browse cushions, gel cushions, and wheelchairs for the rest of the range.