A rollator is a wheeled mobility aid with hand brakes and a folding frame. Four-wheel rollators carry a padded seat and larger casters for outdoor use; three-wheel rollators are narrower for tight hallways and turn in less space. Drive Medical models include the Nitro euro-style line with 10-inch casters, and convertible rollators that switch to a transport chair.
Types in this collection
Four-wheel rollators
Four casters, hand brakes and a padded seat between the side frames. Seats run 12 to 18 inches wide and sit 20 to 23 inches off the floor. Casters range from 6 to 10 inches; larger ones roll over thresholds.
Three-wheel rollators
A single front caster and two rear wheels make a triangular frame that turns in less space than a four-wheel base. There is no seat, which keeps it narrow and light. The two models here weigh 13.5 and 14 pounds.
Convertible rollator-transport chairs
The three Duet models work both ways. The backrest flips over so the frame becomes a transport chair with footrests, and the same frame pushes as a rollator. Seats are 13.5 to 17.5 inches wide.
How to choose a rollator
Handle height
Stand in the shoes you wear outdoors, arms relaxed at your sides. Measure from the crease of your wrist to the floor; that figure is your handle height. Handles here adjust between 30 and 38.5 inches.
Capacity, frame weight and width
Capacities run 300 to 500 pounds, most rated 300 or 350. Frame weight runs from 11.5 pounds for the carbon-fiber model to 26 for the bariatric one. The six models that publish an overall width measure 23.3 to 25.8 inches across the rear wheels.
The question that decides it
Do you need to sit down while you are out? If yes, a four-wheel rollator with a seat. If you also need to be pushed part of the way, a convertible rollator-transport chair. If not, three wheels are narrower.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a rollator and a walker?
A rollator rolls on wheels that stay on the ground and stops with hand brakes, so it is pushed continuously. A walker is lifted or pushed forward in steps on rubber tips or two front wheels. Most rollators include a seat; most walkers do not.
How do I measure for the right handle height?
Stand in outdoor shoes, arms hanging relaxed, and measure from the wrist crease to the floor. Set the handles there; elbows should bend slightly on the grips. The range here is 30 to 38.5 inches.
How much weight does a rollator hold?
Models here carry 300 to 500 pounds, most rated 300 or 350. The Go-Lite bariatric steel frame carries 500 on an 18-inch seat. The rating covers the user seated as well as walking.
Do all rollators have a seat?
No. Four-wheel rollators carry a seat 12 to 18 inches wide and 20 to 23 inches off the floor. Three-wheel rollators have none. That is the trade: somewhere to rest, against a narrower frame that turns in less space.
How does a rollator fold for transport?
Most fold across the width: pull the strap or lever in the middle of the seat and the side frames draw together. Knockdown models come apart further for a trunk. Frame weights run 11.5 to 26 pounds.
