Do you have any family member at home that has recently undergone surgery of lower limbs? Or do you have aged members at home who require some assistance in movement? If the answer to both these questions is yes, then certainly you need to provide them with the facility of mobility aids such as rollators and walkers. These are two highly popular mobility aids that are used by a high percentage of people who face a challenge in their movement or balance and stability.                                        

Mobility aids are not only good for adult family members; they are equally beneficial for children also if they are facing some issue in their movement or balance and stability. This allows them to enjoy their freedom despite being challenged. They can go to school and even play with friends by using rollators and walkers.  

What is the Difference Between Rollators and Walkers?

The main difference between rollators and walkers is of wheels. A walker is a frame with four legs that stay intact with the ground when you use it for mobility. The person using walker needs to lift walker for movement whereas rollators can be called as ‘walker with wheels’. A rollator is aided by three or four large wheels, handlebars with brakes and seat.

Walker doesn’t consist of built-in-seat, so if your condition is such that you require to stop in between and take rest, then rollator is a better choice for you. You can stop and take rest on the seat when needed if you have rollator. Rollators also include front basket or pouch where you can place your essentials while moving around.

As walkers don’t have wheels, so you need to lift them for movement, whereas rollators have wheels, so they are just pushed for mobility. Walkers allow slow pace while rollators allow free movement at a faster pace.  Though walkers are not easy to navigate, they are more stable. So if you are not able to walk and balance your body on two legs, then walker is a better option for you. And if you can walk and balance your body but only need assistance or get fatigued while walking, then rollator should be your choice.

Factors To Consider While Choosing Rollators And Walkers

Some factors need to be considered to remove any confusion while choosing rollators and walkers.

• Strength- Determine the strength of the upper body of the concerned person. This is important as these mobility aids require to be lifted at times to move them away from an uneven surface, so the if the upper body is strong enough, a person will be able to lift them easily.
• Ease of use- Determine whether the concerned person can handle the product with wheels or not. This is crucial to check especially if the patient is having difficulty in maintaining balance and stability.
• Storage and transportation- Another factor that you need to consider is the storage and transportation feature. Suppose you frequently go outside and are involved in various activities. In that case, your mobility aids should be such that they can be folded easily, providing you with the facility of storage and portability without any hassle.
• Height and weight-Don’t forget to consider the physical body elements such as height and weight to choose the best mobility aid into which the body perfectly fits in. Considering these two factors is very important to provide ease and comfort to the patient during movement. For instance, if you bought rollator or walker of less height and patient’s height is more, then he/she would have to bend while moving. This will create discomfort in the lower back after some time.
• Budget- Last but not least, consider evaluating your budget or patient’s budget while choosing which product will be best within your budget range.

Hope this small article has thrown enough light on major points related to rollators and walkers. Now the readers can easily decide what product will suit them and what factors they need to consider while selecting the best one for them as per their needs.