Best Walkers For tall People

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When it comes to mobility as a taller person, choosing the best walkers for tall people is essential. For many, a walker is the means in which we get around the house. But if an inappropriate sized walker is used it can lead to greater issues.

Due to being tall, if you use a shorter walker it can cause immense amounts of pressure and discomfort on your lower back. After prolonged use it can lead to pains in the back shoulders and even the neck from being hunched over.

Many standard height walkers can only adjust to a maximum of 33 to 35 inches. Which is simply too short for a tall person. A taller user would be looking for a walker that is at least 37-39 inches in height. To best measure what size walker you need you need to first measure yourself.

Grab your partner or a friend and stand up straight with your elbows slightly bent. From there you will need to measure from the bottom of where your hands are in position to the floor. This will give you a safe and comfortable height for which to move the walker. Generally speaking the walker handle bars should come up just above your waistline.

Compare Walkers For The Tall Person

The Types Of Tall Walkers Available

It’s not one size fits all when it comes to a mobility aid like a walker. There are three main types of walkers in which you can use for mobility around the house and even outdoors. Excluding walking canes as they are not considered a walker.

I will present options for each type of walker that is suited to tall people down below. However its important to know the difference between them and which one is right for you. So lets take a quick look at the types of walkers available.

• The traditional walker which has no wheels. This is the most common walker that people use for indoors. These types of walkers are best suited to people that need more assistance. Due to the fact they have no moving part like wheels, they are considered a safer option for stability. Also being the lightest kind of walker means it’s easier to lift and carry the walker over any objects on the ground. These are also the cheapest walkers of the three types.
• Rolling walkers are a similar design but usually have 3-5 inch wheels on the front of the walker. These wheels are typical not swiveling wheels for added safety. They are straight wheels that don’t turn or swivel. This is the next step up for a traditional walker as they can be used outdoors for handling tougher terrains.
• A Rollator which is the most advanced walker is a great solution for assistance indoors and outdoors. But can be more tricky to manage if you consider yourself frail. Rollators have 4 wheels which also have seats and often a carry basket. So they are great for the more active person. You can find the top 5 rollators for tall people here.

Best Medical Walkers For Tall People

Drive medical have been in the mobility assistance industry for some time and have built up a solid reputation. Which is why I have no hesitation recommending the Deluxe Two Button Folding Walker.

It’s a great choice for tall people as it has a maximum height of 39″. While also weighing just 6 lbs it makes for a very easy to maneuver walker. Yet maintaining a heavy duty frame that feels sturdy and reliable.

Add Extra Height To this Walker

To get the absolute most amount of height out of the Drive Medical walker you can simply buy additional height extender legs for it. They are available on amazon here and will add an extra 4 inches of height to this already tall walker. Making the Deluxe walker an impressive 44 inches tall.

Slim Design

This is quite a narrow walker which means it can easily fit between standard door frames. But because of this it makes it difficult for larger people to comfortably use. At a guess I would say if you are heavier than 250 lbs, I would look for a wider and more heavy duty walker.

What makes this walker pretty special is the ‘U’ shape design and how easy it is to fold away for storage or transport. The U shape allows for better height clearance while also acting as an additional support bar. So you can feel comfortable putting your weight on this walker.

There are two plastic buttons on top of the main cross beam. These buttons are easy to use and what they do is cause the walker to fold down to a compact travel size item. What I like about these buttons are that they are big enough that you can use your whole hand or palm to activate. Not those tiny buttons you need to press in with just a finger.

Being a traditional walker there are no wheels. Which makes it a great choice if your condition is fragile and you falling over is a real option. Having no wheels make it the safer option.

The Rolling Walker For Tall People Alternative

One Of The Tallest Walkers

Health Line Products also has a 5 inch wheeled version of the above traditional walker available. Which can also extend to a maximum height of 39″. Being still quite narrow with a 17″ width at the front between the wheels and a 22″ width between the back legs. While it does have a 300 lb weight capacity, I would look for a more heavy duty unit if you are a larger person.

This is even with the 1 inch thick anodized aluminum. So it’s still quite heavy duty, but the narrow design makes it not so good for bigger people. But a dream for fitting through tighter door frames.

The rest of the features are that of the traditional walker. It includes the easy to us fold down buttons located on the cross bar and comfort grips which are slightly contoured for greater hand comfort when using this walker.

Premium Wheeled Walker 37″ Tall

A slightly shorter option is the compact and folding walker by OasisSpace. It has a maximum height of 37″ but has the ‘premium’ appeal about it. A little bit more expensive than the common walkers with rolling wheels, but well worth it in my opinion.

The reason being it’s one of the most stable and reliable walkers on the market. It used medical grade 7 anodized aluminum where most walkers use the 6 grade. Making the OasisSpace that much more solid and stable to use. The fact it is also FDA approved is a big selling point for me. Not all products go through and get FDA approved which shows the true trustworthiness of the OasisSpace.

Whats also nice about the OasisSpace is that it includes the accessories with the walker. Most other brands you have to buy these separate. The included skis that come with the walker are a great addition. They reduce the impact you feel with the ground, especially on hard surfaces. You will find once you put the skis on the feet, you won’t want to go back to normal rubber feet again.

They are easy to put in as well. just tip the walker upside down (Don’t worry it’s not heavy – about 6 lbs), remove the rubber feet and either with your palm or a hammer tap the skis into position. They go in very tight so you can feel safe knowing they wont fall off.

How Wide Is This Walker

At the widest point this walker is about 25 inches. Which will be too wide for narrow 22 inch door frames. However, it’s very easy to use this walker to get through the tightest of gaps. This is achieved by the release handles which are located just below the hand grips. Kind of like where brakes are on a bike.

Each of the release handles work separate from each other. So if your a bit tight on room down the right side, simply pull up the trigger to release the right side of the frame. Then you can squeeze the walker into a more compact design and walk through the door frame of whatever tight area is in front of you. Once out, just push out the walker into normal size.

Overall the OasisSpace is a great rolling walker. With the premium materials used and the included accessories it makes it hard not to buy. I only wish that they made the walker extend a few more inches for the really tall people. It’s a shame they have to miss out.

Best Extra Tall Rollator

In my opinion a rollator is the best type of walker for a tall person. Provided you have the physical capabilities to handle a rollator that is. Especially a model that allows you to use it outdoors over grass, gravel and all kinds of terrain a traditional wheeled rollator would not be able to handle.

But Is It The Tallest?

For me the best rollator for all conditions suitable to a tall user is the All Terrain Patrol by Volaris. Reason being that it has a huge height maximum of 42 inches tall. So most tall people should find this adjustable height sufficient. Plus the 10″ wheels with a 1.35″ thickness on each leg make this thing a tank when it comes to going over uneven and rough terrain. Hence the ‘All Terrain’ name.

The contoured 16.5 inch wide seat is also adjustable. This is very important for taller people as sitting too low can make it impossible to get back up. But with the Volaris the seat adjusts from 20 to 26″ high. Which I find is perfect. The only thing I would add is a little padding. But with that said, having no padding makes it a better outdoors rollator.

Additional Features

Another feature I think is huge but often overlooked is the fact the brake cables are actual hidden within the poles. On other models the cables can become a tripping hazard. As well as catching onto park benches, shrubs, fences etc which can cause an accident. So having the cables out of harms way is a huge safety feature for me.

When it comes time to pack away the Volaris, it’s quite simple thanks to the ‘X’ folding design. Not only does this reduce the 23″ wide frame down to a compact 9″ store-able item (with included strap for keeping it compact and freestanding), but it also increases the stability of the rollator.

The ‘X’ design was engineered to maintain greater level of control and keeps the wheels grounded when going over the more rougher terrain. While acting as a shock absorber which reduces the friction and jarring which is common on outdoors rollators.

The Volaris Patrol comes in a couple of different sizes. The regular size is best suited to tall people with it’s 42 inch heigth and maximum seat height of 26 inches. If you are big and tall, the Volaris also comes in a ‘wide’ edition which maintains the same tall person height requirements but has a wider 19 inch seat and an overall wider frame of 25.5″ wide compared to the 23″ frame of the regular tall person version. For more taller options, visit my guide to rollators here.

Rollator Vs Walker – Which Is Best?

Above you can find 4 walkers in each type. But it can be hard deciding whether you should buy a walker or a rollator. Deciding on which is best suited to you comes down to what the reason for your mobility issue is and how long will you need to use on.

Some people may need a walker or rollator for conditions like balance impairment, injury, risk of falling or for simple fatigue reason.

Determining whether you need a rollator or walker will be relevant to your condition. If it’s to recover form a broken ankle for example, a simple traditional walker would be sufficient. As they are the cheapest option for a short term injury.

But if it’s age related and walking is simply not as easy as it once was, my recommendation is to bury the pride and invest into your health with a rollator. A bit more pricier, but can be your best walking air for the rest of your life. Especially if you still want to enjoy the outdoors. A rollator opens up many more options.

Specialized Walkers For Tall Persons

For the most part, a traditional walker whether that be wheeled or not and a rollator will accommodate most tall people. However there are times when a more specialized walker is required and the traditional options of walkers are more hassle than they are worth.

Hemi Walker Alternative

When you have pain predominantly down one side of the body, a hemi walker is a better option to go with. Or perhaps its a broken arm which leaves you weaker on one side, a hemi walker is also the better option here.

These hemi walkers for tall people provide the sufficient height so that a tall person can feel confident in there mobility aid. A hemi walker that is not correct to your height can actual cause further injuries and strain on the body. So it really is worthwhile making sure the height of the top bar reaches up to your wrists.

3 Wheeled Walkers

On the other end of the spectrum, someone wanting a little more control as they have a bit more freedom when it comes to mobility, a 3 wheel walker or rollator is a good choice.

But again, being tall means you rally do need to put your safety first. By this I mean making sure the 3 wheel walker is suitable for tall people. The most common feature to look for is the height of the walker.

A tall person needs stability and for a walker to be stable it has to provide sufficient height. A 3 wheel walker has handles and these handles really need to be taller than you hips for a safe and comfortable mobility aid.

Which Walker Should You Buy

If you still are unsure whether you need a walker, a rolling walker or a rollator. Then take a step back and consider some of these factors which can heavily impact your buying decision.

• Overall Strength – Regardless of what you buy, there will be times when you need to lift or move the walker. It can be as simple as lifting one wheel off the grass back onto the pathway to lifting the whole walker into the car boot.
• Upper Body Strength is as important as overall strength as you will need it to lift the entire product into the boot, cupboard etc. So a lightweight walker weighing 6 pounds will be a lot easier than a 20 pound rollator for example.
• Stability and balance problems can make control a walker with wheels more difficult.
• Indoors or outdoors device? For outdoors use you most likely will want a wheeled walker for ease of use.
• Width of door frames inside your house is very important if you intend to use the walker as an indoors walker only. So make sure the walker has a smaller width than your door frames.
• Lastly, your height and weight. As the walkers get weight forced pushed on them, they have to have a weight bearing of at least your body weight. As well as the height requirements as mentioned in this article. Walkers designed for tall people is a must if you are over 6 foot tall.

Walker Safety Tips For A Tall Person

Regardless of whether you buy a walker that has wheels, no wheels, seat/basket, handles etc, the most important thing is that you handle it safely. Obviously you need to study the user manual and follow all the guidelines, but there are also a couple of tips you can follow to ensure better safety. MedlinePlus has a good explanation of these tips, but here’s just a summary if you’re in a hurry.

1. All points of contact must be firmly on the ground before you put your body weight on the walker or this could cause the walker to tip and fall over.
2. Always look straight ahead when walking, avoid looking down at your feet.
3. Try to lead with your weaker leg followed by your stronger leg. This will ensure the stronger leg creates a stable foundation for the weaker leg moving forward.
4. When in the sitting position, never pull on the walker or it could topple over. Instead lean forward and use both of your arms to help yourself up.
5. After sitting, stand straight and adjust your legs so that that are in position before taking off.
6. Make you home ‘Walker Safe’ by removing any tripping hazards. This includes bent rugs where the corners tilt upwards or any loose fitting rugs on the floor.
7. Lastly, always wear shoes with non slip soles. Avoid wearing high heels and shoes that are prone to slipping.

How To Adjust A Walker Height For A Tall Person

Now that you have a few options in regards to a walker for a tall person, learning how to adjust the height to suit your individual needs is just as important.

The brief video below shows you just how to do that. Don’t make the mistake of thinking ‘it will be alright’, take the appropriate steps to a safe journey. The video also shows mobilization techniques which are safe to use, so its well worth the watch.