Walker Wheels / Replacement Wheels for Walkers

Benefits of Walker Wheels

Walkers with wheels offer users improved speed and mobility. While rollators may offer less stability, standard walkers with two wheels on them can offer both increased stability and mobility for users. By having medical walker wheels on a walker (in 2-wheeled models), users will likely only experience a slight decrease in stability. There are many benefits of having a wheeled walker, though, such as the following.

Less Fatigue for Users

People often notice that they often experience more fatigue when using standard walkers than when using other mobility aids, such as rollators, manual wheelchairs, and canes. Having two wheels is great for users who find constant lifting to be difficult, since when maneuvering a two wheeled walker, only the rear legs need to be lifted off of the ground in order to move forward. These wheels also decrease the resistance that would be caused by using the legs alone, or even by using walker ski-glides (which are normally only used indoors). We also sell rear wheels for walkers that can be attached to the model to further improve mobility and reduce fatigue. However, in this scenario, a user will sacrifice a little more stability and security of their walker.

Improved Balance

Walker users can leverage the advantage of having a walker with front wheels (or rear wheels) which improve balance and increase coordination when compared to simply using a walking cane. They can still put their weight on the unit and don’t have to worry about the frame tipping due to the increased stability of the model’s wider size and more even weight distribution over a larger area.

Transports Easily

Many walkers have the added benefit of being foldable, and often, even walkers with all-terrain walker wheels can be conveniently compact. The folding capability allows walkers to be folded, and, ergo, easily stored in the trunk of a car, on a bus, or even on a plane. Of course, it can also be stored neatly on the side of a room or in a closet, thus helping you to conserve space. 

Wheeled Walkers Are Lightweight

Your walker may have 8-inch wheels, or it may feature swivel wheels for walkers. Or, perhaps your walker has no wheels, and that’s why you’ve come to this page. If your walker hasn’t got wheels, but you’re thinking of installing wheels on it, one thing that you should no is that the wheels weigh very little, so you don’t need to worry about increasing the total weight of the walker significantly.

Having Wheels Doesn’t Affect Weight Capacity

Whether a user already has wheels for a standard walker on their mobility walker, or if they simply want to add them, the walker itself will not lose any weight capacity. One thing to note, however, is that this does not increase the weight capacity of a walker either. Some walker wheels can support bariatric weights and are therefore intended for use on bariatric walkers.

Walker Wheels Make Walkers More Versatile

Having replacement wheels for your walker can help to maintain the walker’s all-terrain abilities. Walkers that have wheels on them are known to have particular ability for use on multiple surfaces. When a walker simply has four legs, they are often harder to maneuver on surfaces such as grass and gravel.

Another way that wheels for walkers can increase mobility is by attaching specially fabricated wheels for the rear legs of the device. This essentially will turn the walker into a rollator of sorts but allows for more even weight distribution by improving the distribution of weight that a walker frame provides.

When Should Walker Wheels Be Replaced?

Walker wheels can sometimes lose some of their traction as they wear and become frayed over time. If a person notices that their walker is sliding around in a way that it wasn’t always, it may signify that it’s time to replace the walker wheels.

Walker wheels can also develop flat spots on them, which may make walking harder. This is another reason why a person should replace them when necessary. Just like shopping carts, over time, those flat spots can cause a constant “thumping” and affect the mobility and decrease shock absorbency. This can be a problem for people who have more limited mobility, and it can cause them to become tired out from the constant jarring.

Walker Wheels Provide Safety

Many walker wheels can bring added functionality with them as well. Some walker wheels have wheel locks that allow the wheel to either swivel or remain stationary. Other replacement wheels may include special locking mechanisms that actually help to keep the wheels steady when a person needs increased stability, which does happen from time to time.

Users Should Know What Size Wheels They Need

One important factor that should be considered when purchasing replacement wheels for walkers is the size. Most walker caster wheels that are primarily intended for indoor use are approximately 6 inches wide. This is sufficient for outdoor use when the model remains on predominantly smooth surfaces. One can easily find walker wheels that have an 8-inch diameter or higher if they want increased mobility for all-terrain use. The larger and wider the wheels are, the more ground they can cover.

Having larger wheels does have its drawbacks. First of all, the larger the wheel on the walker is, the higher the chances are for improved mobility. Yet stability will likely decrease with larger wheels. This is often due to user error, as users who are often accustomed to lifting the rear legs of their walker a certain height may try to compensate when larger wheels are installed. This can lead to tipping over or reduced balance. Another thing to consider is that if a user is accustomed to having a walker without wheels, they need to be more careful to avoid picking up the entire walker when they do add wheels onto their walker.

Here at AvaCare Medical, your satisfaction is our foremost priority. If you’re looking to add new wheels to your walker or simply to improve your standard walker by adding them, our friendly staff can answer all of your questions when you call 1-877-813-7799 during business hours. You can also send us an email any time!