A mobility aid is a device designed to help people with difficulty walking move around more efficiently. Although commonly associated with the elderly, they prove very useful for people living with disabilities and people in rehabilitation from injuries that might have negatively impacted their ability to stand or move around.
Table Summary
| Walker | Rollator |
| Requires sufficient arm or upper body strength. | It does not require arm or upper body strength |
| Always four wheels | It comes in three or four wheels |
Getty Images / Tetra images / Blend Images – JGI/Tom Grill
Definitions
Walkers, also known as Zimmer frames, are mobility aids with a metal framework consisting of four legs. Walker’s design provides stability to the user as the frame supports the user on three sides.
Rollators are generally regarded as a type of Walker, considering they typically consist of the same design of a metal framework and four limbs. However, the Rollator’s limbs end in wheels and would come with a handbrake, and some even come with seats.
Walker VS Rollator
The Walker is designed so that the user has to pick up the frame and place it further in front of them so that they can walk to meet it while holding on for support. It is beneficial for people who cannot bear the weight of one or both legs with an injury to one or both lower limbs. On the other hand, A Rollator is not designed to maintain the user’s weight but to provide balance. It is helpful for people who fatigue while walking and need help with stability to prevent accidents like falling. A Walker is also not suitable for users with little or no arm strength. Both Rollators and Walkers could also be modified for specific needs; for example, an individual can opt for two-wheel Walkers, which combine the two aids.