Boughton-based business Loopwheels marks 10 years since launch of shock-absorbing wheelchair wheels

A business has marked 10 years of trading since it reinvented the wheel — helping wheelchair users enjoy a smoother ride.

The work of husband and wife team Sam and Gemma Pearce, Loopwheels integrate suspension into the wheel itself and were initially launched in 2013 for folding bicycles after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The idea attracted attention from wheelchair users, who thought the shock-absorbing wheels could help them traverse uneven ground and obstacles like kerbs more comfortably — and so Loopwheels for wheelchairs first entered production in 2015.

The business began as a team of three — Sam the “engineer and inventor”, Gemma running the business, and one employee.

Since then the brand has gone from strength to strength, growing to a team of eight at its Boughton Industrial Estate site and introducing new styles of Loopwheels which are lighter and able to be used with power chairs as well as for manual propulsion.

Gemma said: “We’re really proud of what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved. We’re grateful for all the support we’ve had from our customers and distributors — it’s lovely feeling we’re part of a bigger team across different countries.”

Loopwheels has worked with companies across Europe to enhance its product — with ergonomic push rims from German manufacturer CarboLife Technologies and wooden options from Austrian manufacturer Lignorim. By 2020, the couple were selling the wheels in 22 countries around the world.

It’s not always been smooth sailing for the business, which faced challenges during covid-19, but Gemma explained it was a “really good feeling” to have made it through, and that the 10-year milestone was a chance to look back at everything Loopwheels has achieved.

The product has also recently been the subject of a study by the University of Pittsburgh, in the US, which found that the wheel significantly reduced vibration and shock for wheelchair users — improving both their immediate comfort from back pain and their long-term health.

Study participants using Loopwheels reported less pain, less fatigue, a decrease in pain interference in daily life, and a smoother, more comfortable ride.

“Mainly what we are now doing is looking at new markets,” Gemma added.

“I’m going to Australia in May as I was invited to work with a company there, to meet therapists and dealers. It’s our first serious look at the Australian market.

“A major thing for us was also the study by the University of Pittsburgh, proving the reduction in vibrations. We’d really like to continue working on our evidence base.”