Allied Medical is proud to now be the exclusive distributor of Vicair in New Zealand. Through our partnership with Vicair, we’re focused on making it easy for assessors to choose and source air-cell cushions designed to support wheelchair users comfort, skin protection and positioning.
Advanced Pressure Care for Wheelchair Seating
The unique foundation of Vicair seating systems is known simply as Vicair Technology, a smart, air-powered solution that redefines how wheelchair cushions manage pressure, positioning and comfort.
What’s Inside a Vicair Cushion?
Every Vicair cushion contains lots ofair-filled units called SmartCells. These aren’t ordinary cells, they’re shaped as tetrahedrons (not quite a triangle or pyramid), designed specifically to package air in a way that delivers performance and durability. When you sit on a Vicair cushion, you’re supported by lots of these SmartCells working together.
The Story Behind the Technology
The idea began with Huibert Pollmann at the Amsterdam Rehabilitation Centre, who believed that air was the perfect medium for pressure redistribution if it could be packaged reliably. Working from this insight, Vicair developed SmartCells that resist leakage even under intensive use. The result is a cushion that delivers both pressure relief and stability in one solution.
Strength in NumbersOne SmartCell alone won’t do much, but lots together provide a stable, adaptable seating surface. Because each SmartCell holds a sealed volume of air, the risk of performance loss is low, even if a handful of cells were to lose pressure, the overall cushion still functions effectively. The SmartCells are designed to move almost friction-free against each other, allowing them to deform under load, contour to the body, and support immersion and envelopment, key elements of high-quality pressure redistribution. |
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Comfort, Stability and Pressure Management
Vicair Technology isn’t just about air, it’s about how that air is structured and used:
- Optimal pressure redistribution: SmartCells evenly distribute pressure, reducing peak loads.
- Minimal shear and friction: Cells slide easily against one another, thereby protecting skin integrity.
- Postural stability and positioning: The multi-compartment cushion design offers a stable seating surface that can be finely tuned.
Customisable Support
Each Vicair cushion has several compartments filled with SmartCells. These compartments are pre-loaded with the ideal number of cells, but can also be adjusted by adding or removing SmartCells to match individual anatomy and postural needs. Adjustments can even be made while the user remains seated.
This makes Vicair cushions ready-to-use, yet highly flexible for ongoing changes in positioning requirements.
The latest SmartCellsYou can recognise Vicair’s current SmartCells by their silver-grey finish with the Vicair logo, they’re softer than earlier versions to maximise comfort while maintaining stability and protection. |
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Vicair Technology delivers a wheelchair cushion that is:
- Comfortable and protective
- Highly adaptable to individual needs
- Durable and reliable over years of use
- Easy to maintain without frequent adjustments
Whether you’re supporting clients with pressure injury risk or seeking adjustable positioning solutions, Vicair cushions offer advanced performance that’s now supported locally by Allied Medical here in New Zealand.
Helpful resources
For more information, click here to view the Vicair Product Page.