Choosing a Rollator (Walker)

Terminology

walker = a four-legged device to assist a user with walking which has wheels only on the front two legs (and traditionally has tennis balls on the back two feet).  Body weight is transferred to the walker through the user’s arms; the user holds onto to either end of the rail which wraps horizontally in front of the user in a C-shape.

rollator = a three or four-legged device to assist a user with walking which has wheels on all legs and hand brakes.  The horizontal rail on most models is similar to that on a traditional walker; some models have a horizontal rail that is more akin to the handlebar of a shopping cart.  The wheels range from 4″ to 12″ in diameter; most indoor / outdoor rollators have 8″ wheels; and the front wheel/s may be different in size than the back two.  Some models may also be used as a transport chair.

transport chair = a wheeled chair.  Synonymous with ‘transport wheelchair’, ‘companion chair’, and ‘rollabout chair’.  The user sits in the chair and another person provides the locomotion.  Most models have four wheels and are pushed from behind.  As with the rollator, the wheels range from 4″ to 12″ in diameter; most have 8″ wheels; and the front wheel/s may be different in size than the back two.  Many models of rollator can also be used as a transport chair.  The user faces the direction of travel (“faces forward”) on most single purpose transport chairs but faces away (backward) on most dual purpose (rollator and transport) chairs.  Some models of transport chair may be converted to a manually operated wheelchair with a change of the back wheels.

manual wheelchair = a wheeled chair for which the (seated) user provides the locomotion.  Most standard wheelchair models have two large (at least 24″ in diameter) rear wheels and two small (typically 8″ in diameter) front wheels.  The rear wheels on specialty manual wheelchairs such as court chairs, racers, and handcycles tilt in at the top (instead of rotating in parallel vertical planes perpendicular to the ground).  Court chairs generally have two front casters instead of wheels; racers and handcycles generally have one front wheel  – which in the case of handcycles is typically larger than the rear wheels.

power wheelchair = a wheeled chair for which a motor provides the locomotion.  Synonymous with ‘electric wheelchair’ and ‘power chair’.  Three, four, and six wheeled configurations with wheels ranging from 4″ to 14″ in diameter.

Considerations

Height of the walker (Can it be used without slouching and with arms at a comfortable height?  Can the height be adjusted?)

Size and location of the grips / handles / bar

Weight (of walker)

Price

Seat – including seat width and depth and the back support (or ability to insert a stadium seat with the desired back support)

Location of the brake handles and ease of use for someone with arthritis in their hands

Ability to push walker from behind when a person is occupying the walker’s seat

Number and position of the wheels

Size of the wheels and the surfaces over which they will operate

Weight capacity

Size when collapsed / folded

Ease of collapsing / folding

Durability

Available through health insurance

Attractive Models

Lumex HybridLX Rollator/Transport Chair.

Solo Walker – Combination Walker / Wheelchair

Excel Translator Rolling Walker / Wheelchair by Medline

4 Replies to “Choosing a Rollator (Walker)”

  1. Thank you for this information. What would you suggest would be the deciding factors as to whether to purchase a 4 wheeled rollator vs. a 3 wheeled rollator?

    1. I’d opt for 3 over 4 wheels for greater stability using the example of a 3-legged vs. a 4-legged stool. That said, given that the weight is often not centered over the wheels, there may be usage scenarios in which 4 wheels are better than 3.

  2. Well, I don’t think your readers will ever want to access the full post. The terminology and points mentioned under ‘considerations’ are enough to help people learn what it takes to make an informed decision when choosing a rollator. Here’s what I figured out after going through the contents:
    When choosing a rollator, a person must keep in mind some important factors including:
     His/her height, so that keeping the arms of the rollator becomes easier later
     Position and type/size of the grip or handle on the rollator
     Weight of the rollator; since you have a mobility limitation, it would make complete sense to go for a light-weight product
     Last but not the least – Price

    Cheers!

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