Rollator

by smiler, December 16, 2009 11:00 AM

I admit I was a bit cynical when I volunteered to trial the Volaris S7 rollator. I thought it was the must have accessory for the older generation. How wrong I was - I now wouldn't be without it!!!

First impressions were that this rollator was not the same as ones i had seen in various Sunday supplements. A definite plus point. The rollator is very well made - it is certainly rigid and stable enough to take my weight (12 stone - a tad more after takeaway nights). I immediately had total confidence in the product - I can vouch from personal experience that there is nothing worse than trusting a product that is designed for a certain function and it turns out to be useless! aaaarrrrggghhh. The rollator never once felt as if it would tip over - even when I was using it one handed and with all my weight pushing down on my left (good) side. I hope none of my physios are reading this!!

Aesthetically the rollator is designed well, and the choice of colours seems to work well - although it would look better if it was finished in black - with the important pieces being made in sharp contrasting colours. As it is, it still looks fine and the pieces I need to operate are in a striking B&Q orange. Therefore the brake, parking brakes, height adjustable columns and folding strap are all highlighted in the orange. This small thought makes the working parts 'highly visible'.

If I held my hands up I don't use the rollator to its full potential -I'm not about to go hiking up a mountain with it- but if I ever did it would certainly do the job. Joking apart, most importantly, I made the rollator work for ME. Indoors, I use it everyday. It has taken the effort out of so many jobs that I do around the house. The seat is very sturdy and surprisingly comfortable. When I'm not sitting on it, I put the tray on the seat (tray seems a bit of an afterthought) and use the rollator to transfer my lunch, dinner, hot drinks and washing from the kitchen to the living room. It saves many wasted trips and energy.

As I cannot use two crutches, my stability with the rollator is much improved. I can now move safely throughout my house without bouncing off the walls. So I do not use the rollator just for walking - I use it for a whole host of jobs. The NHS even complimented the rollator on how good and functional it looked. The rollator has a lot of additions - seat backs, trays etc. While these are good, they are an expensive addition and they don't always look the part.