LIGHT-UP CASTERS - WHEELCHAIRJUNKIE.COM

They flash, they sparkle, and they turn heads - but who would have ever guessed that they'd become such a craze?

It's "light-up" manual wheelchair casters that I'm speaking of, and while I, too, appreciate their novelty - that is front casters that light up and flash as you roll - I would have never thought that so many people of all ages and backgrounds would go gaga over them. After all, light-up casters are like having disco lights on the front of your wheelchair whenever you roll - that's a fairly over-the-top look to live with.

Yet, people absolutely love light-up casters. Part of the fascination, I suppose, is the kid in all of us who still gets a smile from that which is silly and whimsical like flashing, multicolored casters. The other part of the fascination with light-up casters is that they're somewhat mysterious, with folks wondering, "How's that work?"

In fact, light-up casters contain no batteries, and actually serve as a miniature generator, creating the caster's own electricity as it spins. As the caster rotates, internal components move and create static electricity, which then powers LED lights - quite a spectacular feat for such a simple component.

Another common question is, "How durable are they - will the wheels and lights hold up over the long haul?"

While quality can vary by brand, light-up casters are typically extremely durable, both in tread life and illumination. In fact, they've been known to pass wheelchair drum-roller testing that simulates 5 years of constant bumps and jarring - finishing the test still shining bright, literally.

Light-up casters come in 80mm (3") and 101mm (4") diameters, with 1"-wide hubs and 8mm or 5/16" I.D. bearings, so they're plug-and-play on most manual wheelchairs. If you're changing diameter from your current caster size, however, you may need to confirm compatibility and readjust your wheelchair to accept the smaller size of a light-up caster (and, remember, small casters have limited performance on very rough, soft terrain, so light-up casters aren't suited for especially rugged environments). At under $30 per pair, they're readily available and affordable through online wheelchair providers and skate shops.

Do I think that light-up casters are the absolute cheesiest, attention grabbing, absurdity that one can place on a manual wheelchair?

Absolutely - and, that's all the more reason to have them!