Too many reviews of this item are either HATE it or LOVE it.Here is the real deal with these things. Yes, they give you capability you won't have with crutches. HOWEVER, there are some capabilities you WON'T have with this thing that you WILL have with crutches. I hate crutches, and I like this product, so don't get me wrong, but the folks at iwalkfree have not finished this product it is still clearly in development and not quite where it SHOULD be for a product of this price. And I'll start by pointing out that as a mechanical engineer working with such components for industry, there is about $60 in parts here at the most and it retails for $450. For that price I want THE BEST QUALITY but they don't put the best quality into this.
The materials are good quality, and like many people say, after a couple days of practice I found it much easier and natural to use (as compared with day one). And I love this thing for what I can do with it that I can't do with crutches. But I also hate this thing for the few SIMPLE things they could have done to it to actually make it useful for the variety of activities during the day.
Most importantly, the straps on this are quite strong, but take FAR TOO LONG to remove. There needs to be a FAST way to remove these straps, and there are certainly straps out there with quick-release clasps that could do the job, but they have placed latches on this thing that make it a pain in the neck to remove so much so that I dread the notion of having to take it off and put it back on because it's just too darned time consuming. If I need to get something done quickly, this thing is not what I grab I grab the crutches. I only use this when I need to be able to use my hands while getting around the house, or when needing to walk longer distances.
Another problem is that the design of the height adjustment is awkward. If I want to change height, I need to adjust EVERYTHING. This is important because of the swing-through issue with this device. On flat floors, no issues, but going outside and walking on uneven grass can create a desire for one-notch lower on height. But that's not a good idea because you can't do that without readjusting everything. They need to change it so that a person can choose between a few (maybe 3) height positions easily. This could be done by changing how the knee carriage and straps interface to the pole. The way it's designed, one must tackle uneven ground MUCH more slowly than possible on crutches, even though on even floors this thing can be faster than crutches.
Another problem is the knee pad itself. Although it's mostly quite comfortable in terms of padding, the knee pad is prone to causing sweat on a bare leg (a summertime problem). So a person needs to put some sort of absorbent fabric over it, and this is not so simple to do with the latches the way they are. It would be nice if they could include some sort of fabric swatches (maybe with velcro attachments to the knee platform) to prevent skin sticking to the rubber knee pad. A low cost enhancement to a pricey object.
Walking on steeper slopes is not as nice with this as with crutches. With crutches, a much steeper slope (up or down) can be tackled. With this, you are limited by your swing-through clearance (height adjustment).
Also, although I can walk a LOT with this thing without needing a cane, I feel I need a cane for any set of steps that have two or more to climb or go down. One step is OK (like a curb), but two or more needs a railing. In many places, a railing is NOT installed for 2-3 steps (many homes have 2-3 steps to get to the front door, but no railing), and this is a place where one can fall easily.
Last, as a person unable to drive while needing to use this, it's also a pain to get into and out of a car and the person who is offering me a ride has to wait that much longer for me to get into and out of their car. If they fixed the latches to be quick-release and quick-attach, maybe this would not be such a big deal. But since it takes so long to remove and re-attach as compared with crutches, it's a real nuisance when dealing with cars.
Three stars because I truly get to be able to do some things I can't do with crutches. But it gets points docked for being so pricey yet so rudimentary in terms of capability. They COULD make this thing MUCH faster to put on and take off MUCH more ergonomic. But they don't because they know they are the only game in town. They won't be for long if they don't fix these issues.
My Injury & Search for Maximum Mobility:
I ruptured my Achilles tendon on June 7, 2010. My right foot will be NWB (non-weight bearing) for 3 months. After being on conventional crutches for one week and discovering how limited they were (e.g. heating up a coffee in the microwave and taking it to the kitchen table becomes an exercise in strategic planning), I found the "Freedom Leg" on-line (I'll let you google for that), but from what I read, most of the Internet "buzz" painted a promising picture but very few positive testimonials from actual users (not counting their youtube video). I suspect the product is just too new. One of their on-line retailers stopped carrying it due to numerous returns and one spontaneous failure (yikes!). There are several interesting alternatives such as leg/knee scooters, the onecrutch, and fore-arm crutches, but in my job, I drive and/or fly to meet customers. I carry a laptop, luggage, stay in hotels etc. A wheel chair or powered scooter were not practical unless I remodeled my home.
About the iWALKFree:
Then my wife found the iwalkfree. Necessity is the mother of invention, and the inventor created this in 97 after a bad fall. Since then, it has been certified by the FDA and Canadian medical authorities as an approved medical device. It has been blogged about at places like among others and all signs pointed to a viable alternative. After a minor fall going down stairs on the crutches, I ordered the iwalkfree and received it Jun 24. The manufacturer recommends using a cane until you gain your balance and I concur...but after "testing" it for a few hours for stability, I "strapped it on" and went to dinner the same day. I did not feel very stable but thought "This is your best chance for mobility for the next 3 months...get used to it!". I am happy to report I DID get used to it and highly recommend it.
Things to Consider:
1. Fit Make sure you get it sized correctly; the aluminum strut needs to be cut to match your leg's inseam. If not, it could poke into your abdomen when taking large strides. Not the end of the world, you will need a saw to cut away any excess. I read on productwiki a reviewer who believed it was not designed well for males since the top strap rides high into your crotch. I've had no issues at all.
2. IMHO, this is for people who:
a) WANT to be mobile if you're already a couch potato...stop reading and grab another mouthful of nachos.
b) Fairly active and have good trainable balance I'm no ballerina or superstar athlete. I can ride a bike, ski blues and occasional blacks and do a 10K in about an hour, I have decent adaptable balance. You will place additional load on your "good leg" especially going up and down steep terrain, e.g. hiking up a moderately inclined mountain trail that was supposed to take 15 minutes walking took me about 20 25 minutes on the iWalk. I don't believe reviewers who've said you need to be "very athletic".
3. Not great for constantly getting up and down (i.e. in a chair) With repeated practice I can take it on/off in 15 to 30 seconds WITHOUT any help. I think this is a decent trade off against the overall mobility it provides.
4. People will stare at you If this makes you too uncomfortable or self-conscious...don't bother. By my 3rd day with it, I went to Costco by myself for about 3 hours...I purposely avoided parking in a wheel chair spot. I had at least 5 people approach me to ask about it and enough staring/gawking to make me think I was a real hottie.
5. Pressure/Rubbing on your injured leg Some have complained that the position it puts your leg in can cause shin or (in my case heel pain). Look carefully at the position it puts the injured leg in, it is almost horizontal on the "knee shelf". Consider your cast/brace/CAM walker/boot and whether or not you think this will be a problem. The position is most like having the injured leg on a chair (likely what you presently do in the bathroom or kitchen right?). Depending how active you want to be, you may experience a bit of leg bounce on the injured leg. For me, the weight of my CAM walker/boot occasionally causes heel pain in this position e.g. when I tried playing badminton or basketball so I took numerous breaks.
6. Padding on the knee shelf adequate? I weigh about 140 lbs. and other than putting a cotton pad on the knee shelf for breath-ability (I sweat a lot and it is summer), I find the padding just fine. I am a tad concerned that the foam may compress (i.e. pack out) beyond usefulness at the end of my 3 month NWB period...in the worst case, it looks easily replaceable and is clearly as a result to the constant use it gets.
I would give it 5 stars if it had options for a suspension/shock absorber (like on a bike) and an add-on to attach to a bike pedal so it could serve double duty as an iBIKEFree :). Conversely, I can see that its genius is in its simplicity. I am a fan of this device and highly recommend it to everyone I talk to.
Buy iWALKFREE Rehab Rehabilitation Knee Walker Crutch Aid Now
I fully echo N. Chan's July 10, 2010 review. Her points are well organized and articulately presented. When I was looking for reviews before purchasing an iWALKFree, I found hers to be the best review out there (Thank you N. Chan!). Based on my 3 weeks with the iWALKFree, I will only add a few points to her comprehensive write-up.1. I too have found the iWALKFree device to be a huge quality of life improvement over using crutches. Not only can you carry and lift things with your hands, but you can easily and comfortably simply stand upright and have conversations, etc. without being draped over crutches. And you are no longer dependent on others to get things for you.
2. There are other rolling knee walker devices out there, but they cannot go over rough and uneven terrain, and even stairs, like the iWALKFree can. I thought some of the things I read others were doing on thier iWALKFree's were "stretches" of the truth (swinging a golf club, throwing a ball, mowing the lawn, etc.), but after 3 weeks on my iWALKFree, I have done all of those and more.
3. It took my cast technician two modifications to the top of my cast, for the iWALKFree to be comfortable. At first the cast was so high that it put pressure on the little bony protrusion below the knee (tibial tuberosity), so we took 1 1/2" off the top of the cast. Then the newly cut top of the cast dug into my shin, so I went back and he added some padding. I can now wear it for several hours at at a time before I need to get off of the leg for a while.
4. A related product that you might look into if you have a lower leg cast or injury is the DryCorp "Dry Pro" surgical rubber waterproof cast protector. It goes on and off quickly so that you can shower or bathe without getting your cast wet. And I have been swimming laps in mine as well. It is a big improvement over the garbage bag and rubber band method that I used to use each morning to shower no to mention the ability to swim again and get some exercise.
5. I told my wife this weekend that if I were forced to make the choice between 10 weeks in a non-weight bearing cast WITH the use of the iWALKFree VERSUS only 5 weeks in a cast on crutches, I would choose 10 weeks WITH the iWALKFree... it improves my quality of life that much!
Mike
Read Best Reviews of iWALKFREE Rehab Rehabilitation Knee Walker Crutch Aid Here
This product is 5 stars in most ways but there are a couple of practical issues that made me decide to give it only 4 stars overall. But if you're reading this review, let me give you some advice: BUY IT.Love the iWalkFree. I have a severed Achilles and can't put any weight on it. The iWalk has helped me get much of my life back. Since getting it 10 days ago, I have mowed the lawn, blown and raked leaves, walked my dog, raced my son around the running track (we start in the same spot and see how far I can get before he can lap me), played a (casual) baseball game, coached my daughter's soccer team, and generally regained my ability to walk anywhere.
I am 6'6" and about 230 lbs, and the crutch fits me perfectly. I have a 36" inseam, yet I still have adjust to spare on the knee support--I think this thing would work for some folks that are 6'8". 5 stars for fit.
When not needing a crutch, I am fit and active, but I'm not a super-athlete. Anyone who is in reasonably good shape with reasonable coordination should be able to use this product. Just make sure your "good" leg and hip are in decent shape.
The crutch is very well designed and built. And it's reasonably easy to adjust. 5 stars.
I had no trouble learning how to use it. The videos on the iWalk-Free.com web site helped me get started. I was a bit wobbly at first but was able to walk to the park within 15 min of putting it on. After about 3 days, I was quite comfortable and started walking with a longer stride, balancing on the crutch, walking stairs without a railing. Last night I was showing off and "twirling" around in place while standing only on the crutch. 5 stars for ease of use.
Safety: My wife, and mom were all fussing about me buying this thing. They were all convinced that is "looks" unstable and were worried that I was going to fall and hurt myself. In reality, I feel *way* more safe on the iWalkFree than I do on both crutches (they run into and get snagged on furniture, my kids' junk, etc.) and my knee scooter (roll over a rough surface at your own peril). I do "snag" the bottom of the crutch on cracks or uneven concrete & grass surfaces, but it feels more like what would happen if you tripped or stumbled a little--you just catch yourself. Overall, I feel very comfortable and stable on the cruch. 5 stars for safety. (And my wife and mom agree now that they've seen me on it.)
Overall comfort: While the crutch fits me well and is comfortable to wear, the rest of my body doesn't love wearing it. My right knee (the one thats on the support) tends to get tired and stiff when I've been moving around for awhile. Also, my lower back tends to feel pretty achy when I'm wearing the crutch. This has to do with the fact that my weight isn't entirely even on each leg and because my hips aren't perfectly level. I've played with the height settings, and I've made everything a little better, but my body still gets out of sorts after awhile. I expect it will get better with time, as I get used to it. 3 stars.
Hands free-ness: Ok, this is where the crutch really shines. I can carry stuff. I can carry both my laptop and a hot cup of coffee. I can grab rails. I can shake hands. I can do work. 10 stars. (Can I give 10 stars?)
Insurance: My doctor (at the excellent U. of Washington Foot & Ankle Clinic) was familiar with the crutch and had one on hand that he's loaned out to patients. It was a bit beat up and my insurance was willing to pay (with a prescription), so I purchased. 5 stars for price!
Stories: Same doctor told me two stories: 1) he has a video of a patient playing Ultimate Frisbee on the crutch; 2) a patient who was a home builder was able to work in the crutch and (to the doctor's horror) even climbed ladders on it. Honestly, as safe as I feel on the crutch, a ladder sounds like a terrible idea.
Sitting: OK, as useful as the crutch has been overall, it's not a perfect replacement for my knee scooter. It's simply not practical to sit wearing the crutch. I still try to do it, but I'm never comfortable, and the end sticks out...kinda looks like I've got a shotgun hanging off my leg. Also, I end up with weight on my foot/ankle which works for maybe 30 sec but then I'm uncomfortable. Given that it takes about 15 sec to get off and maybe 30 sec to put back on, and that putting it on requires some careful balancing, I have decided not to wear it around the house or my office much. I'm still using my knee scooter primarily when I'm sitting at my desk or on the couch--much easier to get up for meetings or to go to the bathroom. 3 stars.
Speaking of going to the bathroom: Works great at a urinal. Much easier than crutches or a knee scooter. Need to take it off if I need to sit. (I sit first then take it off.) 5 stars.
Showers: I don't go near the shower in the iWalk. There would just be a little too much balancing and maneuvering around a slippery floor. It would probably work, but I revert to my scooter or crutches when getting in/out of the shower. 3 stars.
Around the house: Great, great, great if you need to do housework, yard work, cook, etc. Just today I was walking around the yard spraying weed killer, walking my dog, folding laundry (while standing) and cleaning the kitchen. 5 stars.
Customer service: I bought the crutch directly from iWalkFree, since I wanted to be certain of customer service, and I didn't know if there was only one size. It's a small company, and I called them with my questions. They were AWESOME. Great people, very passionate about their product. 5 stars.
Want iWALKFREE Rehab Rehabilitation Knee Walker Crutch Aid Discount?
I tore my Achilles Tendon and finally consented to have the surgery. What follows is six weeks of complete non-weight bearing hell.The iWalkFree actually was a godsend. I hated using it. Hated wearing it. But it gave me freedom I otherwise wouldn't have had. I started practicing with the crutch prior to my surgery. I had about 3 days to get used to it before I actually had to use it. I recommend this, although you'll feel stupid doing so and other people won't feel restrained telling you how dumb you look either, but screw them (sorry) because this is all about YOU.
Post-surgery, I was up and around with the iWalkFree crutch by Day 4. This was the day I quit pain meds and decided to start getting my life back. I was able to get around the house pretty easily with the crutch. I could do laundry. I could cook (something I absolutely love to do). I could, somewhat awkwardly, take out the garbage and recycling. I annoyed the heck out of my wife who seemed to expect me to sit on my ass and heal.
By week 2 I was out and about with the iWalkFree. Expect to deal with looks (you are a real-life pirate after all) and field questions about the crutch and your injury. My standard response was, "I tore my Achilles Tendon and this is tons better than using crutches. Crutches are the devil." This seemed to satisfy the curious.
Initially, my left knee which was on the iWalkFree was pounded pretty badly by all the weight I was putting on the crutch (I'm 6 foot and 170lbs) and I used a knee pad I bought from Ace. I stopped using this or needing it by about Week 2-3.
Having a good center of gravity with the crutch can be tough. The 3 straps do a good but not great job of aligning the crutch. I would find myself bending at the knee at points in an awkward way. Nothing major it just shows how well evolved we are with the legs we have. I did learn a trick with the straps. They extend out annoyingly and get in the way, especially when climbing stairs. It took me 3 weeks to figure out I could tuck them back under the main strut. This made using the crutch MUCH better.
Lastly, I never fell in 6 weeks of using the crutch, although I almost tipped several times. The bottom of the crutch isn't perfect but I don't know how it could be. Beware wet tiled floors. You'll slip. Conversely, plush carpets may upset you (literally) by creating drag. Most of this is unavoidable. You get tired using the thing and your form isn't always 100% perfect.
In conclusion, I have a love-hate relationship with the iWalkFree crutch. Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY. It's a life saver and if you're a triathlete like me, it will get you moving and using your muscles again much sooner in a more naturalistic way. If you're reading this because you are or will soon have to be non-weight bearing, my commiserations. It's rough, but it hopefully won't last forever and you'll be back to your old self soon. Good luck!
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