DIY Wooden Wheelchair Headrest from Scrap Lumber — Cheap Custom Build

I made a removable headrest for our wheelchair using leftover scrap wood.

Wheelchairs that come with built-in headrests tend to be bulky and hard to fit in a car (we drive a compact).

I did try a cheap clip-on headrest from Amazon, but it forced the user’s upper body too upright and was uncomfortable.
Properly designed wheelchair headrests, on the other hand, are pricey.

So I decided to build one myself using some scrap lumber from previous projects.

Here’s the finished version:

It attaches to the wheelchair by sliding into place, as shown in the photo. It comes off easily when we need to fold the chair into the car.

To install it, you slide it down into the slot like this:

The lower part hooks onto the wheelchair’s frame bar.

The headrest pad itself is a soft cushion with a built-in elastic strap.
I added a small wooden stopper at the bottom so the cushion doesn’t slide down.

Now the user’s neck doesn’t get tired even on long rides — it’s been a hit with the family.
The “homemade” look is pretty strong, but nobody seems to mind, so I’m calling it a win.