Journey UPWalker Premium Lite, Upright Walker for Seniors, Lightweight Foldable Walker with Seat, 10-Inch Front Wheels, and Motion-Activated Lights

I have "severe end-stage knee osteoarthritis" according to my orthopedic doctor. My doc tells me that I qualified for knee replacement back several years ago. I know that knee replacement is in my future. But I want to get the most out of my "factory installed" knees before I go that route. So instead of undergoing knee replacement, I run-walk marathons. Really. Exercise is actually good for arthritic joints if you can tolerate it - the movement pushes blood and synovial joint fluids into the joint itself, helping to keep them lubricated naturally. And the more natural lubrication we can get into our joints, the less pain and stiffness we will have to endure. Alot of people don't realize it, but the knees do not have blood vessels that carry blood into the knee joint itself the way that most other body parts do - these joints must rely instead on our movements to push the needed blood and lubricants inside them. (That is why we older folks tend to get stiff overnight, or any time we haven't been moving around much - we NEED movement to keep our joints well lubricated and to keep from feeling stiff in a way that younger folks do not. Surprisingly, movement actually works better than Granny Clampett's "rumatiz" medicine for relief from those stiff joints, LOL!) For the fourth time in as many years, I will be run-walking 100 miles over the Labor Day weekend, as a participant in an ultra-marathon down in Manchester, Tennessee (A Race for The Ages ultra-marathon). (Note that a full marathon is only 26.2 miles, so I will be doing the distance of almost 4 full marathons, back to back, in a single race over a single weekend). This race is unique in that it is actually designed to be "elderly run-walker friendly," unlike most ultra-marathons that are geared towards young, elite runners. Over half of the race participants, in any given year, are over age 60 - and several are over 80! The older you are, the more time you are given on the course to complete your miles - each race participant is given one hour on the track for every year they have been alive. I will be 65 on Labor Day, so I will be allowed 65 official hours on the race track to accomplish my miles. The oldest race participant last year was 85 years old, so he was given 85 official hours to run or walk his miles. This race is unique in that it actually tries to level the playing field between those blessed with young, healthy bodies and those who are older and beginning to break down. Because the race is "elderly friendly," one of the ways it is different from other races is that it allows the use of walking aids for those race participants who have documented medical need for that kind of equipment. In previous years, I have done my 100 miles with only a walking cane during the later miles. But my knees are getting worse over time. So that is why I got this walker. Can you imagine how much pain I would be in, if I had to hunch over a regular type walker mile after mile, hour after hour, as I slowly ran-walked 100 very long miles in the southern heat? Instead, I will be doing most of the race this year with my new UpWalker. I have been training with it for several weeks now, as I prepare for the big race. My longest session thus far using the UpWalker is about 6 hours of continual run-walking on a paved walking path in a local city park. I will need to use it alot longer - and for many more miles - than that practice session, once I get to Tennessee for the big race. For the most part, it has performed excellently thus far. It can get a bit unstable if you roll it on large, loose rocks, but that is to be expected. Most people would never do that, but some city parking lots can be paved with large, loose gravel found loose on top of the paved surface, so I tried my UpWalker on that kind of surface, just to see what would happen. I didn't have a problem controlling the walker on that parking lot, but I could see where someone who was weaker than myself might have problems. I was pleasantly surprised with just how easy the thing is to manuever. There are alot of curves along the walking path that we will use for our race in Manchester, and I am expecting it to handle those fine, even when I am hot and tired. There are several curbs along the route we use for the race, and I will lift the walker over the curbs when I encounter them. I don't anticipate problems with that. The only time that its weight can pose a problem (for this small, 65 year old lady) is getting it into and out of the trunk of a car. So I stick mine into the area between the front and back seats of my Toyota Camry, and find that a bit easier to do. My husband - on the other hand - has no trouble getting the walker in and out of the trunk. Best I can tell from my practice sessions with this UpWalker, it should help me to do my 100 miles with alot less knee pain this year. It performs so well that I can even run using it!

This thing is really great. I’ve been scared for years about days when I’m super wobbly or have a lower body injury. My right wrist can’t take any weight & my left shoulder is a problem too. Not only does this solve that but it also lets me stand straight so I’m not triggering major pain in my back or neck that would happen with a regular walker. Plus I was worried how I’d carry things if I was injured. This solves that, not only with the cup holder & bag, but a plate or tray fits really well on the seat. It’s super well designed, really sturdy and really easy to make all of the adjustments to make it fit me personally. The packaging was clever & made it easy to get out. The very few things I had to do to set it up were easy. The big wheels have no trouble going up & down over thin & thick rugs, or dog toys as it turns out too! Though it does make a loud thump going back from rug to wood/tile floor, which freaks my dog out a little and might be anproblem if you have downstairs neighbors. The turning radius is pretty tight. The only issue is that it is wide. I can take it everywhere in my house except the bathroom doorway, and that’s OK. I know it’s expensive, but if you can afford it, it’s a terrific aide, so comfortable to use. And for me it means not living in fear anymore. That’s huge.

As indicated in the vendor's write up, it's a little heavy to haul around if you are a bit on the frail side, so do consider that. In my case I have two issues that we wanted to address with this walker. One, I seem to have developed a propensity for falling down these days due to age and the myriad of drugs I take to keep me going. So when I'm having a period of "dropsy," we set up the walker and that gives me more than enough stability to do what I need to do around the house. I have had other walkers that I had to stoop over to use that weighed as much or more than this one that I could not/would not use. If you are of reasonable strength (not necessarily great) or have a helpmate that is, it's easy enough to shorten up, fold up, and stick in the car. In our family my wife is not very strong and I'm not very healthy (COPD) but I can fold this thing up when I need to. One main reason we purchased this is for when I make a trip to see my docs at the VA. That requires lots and lots of walking, and I don't have the breath to do that all the time. They have wheelchairs of course but my wife is tasked with pushing it around and stooping over to do that is not all that easy for her. This walker allows me to stay upright and in control most of the time and when I do need to take a break, sit down and she can wheel me wherever we're trying to go. I don't care for the bag that comes with it as it is supposed to mount right where my nose is if I'm sitting down. But my wife figured out a place to stuff it where it doesn't create a problem so all is good now. So it serves several important purposes in our family for where we're at currently. It was easy to set up and is quite mobile when put together according to their instructions and even better when you release the locks on the rear wheels so they can go around in circles freely as well.

Although pricey and Medicare doesn't pay for it, I TRULY ENJOY walking upright rather than bent over (minimizes back pain)! That being said, I would not recommend it for outdoor or rough ground areas as it could be a bit Tippy if at an angle or over bumps. A person must be able to support their own weight in such instances. I am a queen sized gal and find that the 18in seat is not adequate for me to sit comfortably. I am used to the 22in of my wider regular walker & makes it a tight squeeze getting past the armrests if they're not in the exact right position for my "ladylike hips". The fold up seat however is very convenient and helps you to get used to loading it in & out of your vehicle. Unfortunately I find that the bag that clips onto the front does not want to stay on if I fold up the seat or if I have anything in it that's not bendable (& doesn't hold my purse ) so I prefer using a giant carabiner and a lightweight regular tote bag. As a word of caution -- one of the first times I sat in it I accidentally sat on the strap for the back support instead of the seat and it funneled me right down to the floor and had to have assistance in getting up. I stopped using the back support for a while but I'm now back to using it with caution, realizing it was just my error. Another feature of the Walker is the lower handles that help you get up (as per their instructions) when you're seated also help you get up when you're sitting in a chair in a restaurant or at someone's home Etc. As they are very strong and sturdy. Speaking of restaurants and food, the soft seat is not as good as a hard seated Walker for carrying a plate of food or beverages, say like at a potluck. LOVE the cup holder!

In June of this year I weighed just under 300 pounds. I sat at home almost all the time. Because my knees are bone on bone, every step I took, even with massive amounts of pain killers, was excruciatingly painful. I qualified for knee replacement except for my weight. I had already proven that if I could walk, I could lose the weight. Just a couple of years earlier I had lost 120 pounds, then as my knees worsened and I stopped walking, I gained it all back. I went to several doctors and all turned me down because of my weight and I was discouraged and headed toward a deep depression. I knew something had to change. I decided to put my house up for sale and in a short period of time had a contract. The day after signing the contract, my hip broke. The rehab facility had a walker that had been pieced together to mock the function of an Upwalker. Immediately, I was able to walk about three times further than I could with a regular walker. The physical therapist knew someone that had an Upwalker and told me about them. I researched the Upwalker and decided that I couldn’t afford not to purchase one, especially with a hope of losing weight to get both my knees replaced. I had it delivered to the rehab facility. The physical therapist and I made all the adjustments needed in just a few minutes and I was off and walking. Since then I have been walking as much as I possibly can, and I have now lost the weight I needed to in order to have my knees replaced—about 75 pounds in just over five months!! I still can’t stand but about ten minutes at a time, but one recent day, my step counter said I walked over seven miles—nearly every one of those steps with my Upwalker. Being able to put the weight on my forearms and elbows has made all the difference in the world. Upwalker is sturdy enough and easy enough to maneuver and lift into and out of the car I can use it daily on well maintained, level trails, so I’ve been able to get out in nature and pick up my camera (I’m a photographer) again. I left my depression behind when I moved and am happier now than I have been in years. I can’t wait to ditch the pain meds. I see the surgeon on the 11th of this month to schedule the first surgery. Bellingham, WA, where I live, is rich with wonderful trails through woods. Whenever I am on a trail, I always get stopped at least once and frequently three or four times by someone curious to learn about my walker. It draws a lot of attention. I get stopped so frequently, I need to record a commercial, so I can just hit play! It needs the video as well as sound, so I can demonstrate how easy it is to adjust for each person. I have offered to meet loved ones that weren’t with the people inquiring to let the person they think could use the walker try it out, or to talk to them to explain the difference between Upwalker and regular walkers and what a difference it has made to me. Even little kids as young as four want to know about my walker. After a recent wind storm that left the trails littered with limbs and branches, I claimed the title of Trail Queen, and I would tell little kids I would declare them Trail Princes and Princesses if they would pick up and move just three sticks from the trail to help me to walk easier, and they loved it. I hope I am helping to raise awareness that even these tykes can make a difference and that walkers are nothing to be afraid of. I also get a lot of comments of encouragement, comments about the mud on my wheels, or how determined I must be to be further down trails that a lot of able-bodied people. I have inadvertently become a sales rep for Upwalker and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the sales in this area have seen a recent significant uptick. Personally, I would love to hug the neck of the person/team that engineered this well thought out and beautifully executed product. I truly believe it has almost singlehandedly saved my life—literally.

AMAZON--YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THIS HORRIBLE ITEM. DO NOT BUY--THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PRODUCT EVER! My mom is 89 and due to FALSE advertising it claims to help straighten the back and provide better balance. "You can easily use it in the home"--NO YOU CAN'T! Unless you live in a mansion with no obstructions and no carpet. I tried using this UpWalker in the park where there is cement walkway and is totally UNABLE to maneuver this smoothly--even with the safety latches on correctly. This product was SO DANGEROUS she almost fell TWICE within a half hour. I'm returning this piece of dangerous junk--she is back to her usual four-wheel walker and is much, much better and safer. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. AND TRY RETURNING IT. THE PACKING IS SO TIGHT IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT IN THE BOX. You need "prior authorization" to return it even if it was just used once--I returning it through Amazon. Doesn't matter what UpWalker says--point is THIS PRODUCT IS NOT USABLE. It makes me wonder how many false "positives" there are done by employees to sell this clunky piece of junk. Oh and fitting it in and out of your car--it will tear up your car seats. This whole thing is junk and clunky--and dangerous to use. PROS: The concept is an excellent one: You rest your elbows on the plastic supports so you can shift your weight on them and walk better. However, this is not the case with use. CONS: If you do not own a van, don't get it. It is about 40 pounds of clunky metal with a lot of pointed edges and when you unfold it two *plastic* supports must be latched down so it won't fold on itself again. I don't know how long these plastic safety latches will hold. It put a hole in my back seat car and I almost broke my back lugging it in and out of the car. Like I said this is 40 pounds. The wheels are not easily manuervable, even with myself assisting my mom to steer it. Even I cannot steer it well using it in the park with concrete walkway. People with disabilities, this would pose a fall hazard. For something as expensive as nearly $600 this is inexcusable. Returning it is another chore. More like a living nightmare. Getting it back into the box is nearly impossible. I'm telling you this thing weights nearly 40 pounds. Unless you live in a giant mansion with no carpet and no obstructions, I cannot see how it is possible to use in the home. I did not buy this to simply "return it"--like I said my mom almost fell twice using it and it was very hard to steer even with me helping. I'm glad I was at least able to return it but it was a terrible inconvenience along with a hole in my back seat from this "easy to use" walker.

TWO-WEEK REVIEW Although I was very impressed by the UpWalker Lite when it arrived, after two weeks of using it, I have to lower its rating from five stars to three stars and I contacted the company yesterday about returning it. I had several mishaps in using it, and the design is lacking in several areas. 1- Seatback. If you sit in the seat without carefully adjusting the seatback against your back, the seatback sags, causing you to fall back due to seatback being too low. There is too much slack in the seatback. Ideally, it would be tighter and slide up and down, rather than pivoting as it does now. 2-Brakes are ineffectual when walking down the road on a slight grade. This can make the walker very difficult t control. It begs for sidebrakes or disc brakes. 3-Vertical stability - When walking on a road that's higher in the center than on the edges, the walker tends to slide sidewards. You have to take extreme caution to involve a nasty fall. It needs grippier tires. 4. Road cracks and bumps. The front tires tend to get stuck in cracks and bumps, destabilizing the walker and risking an end-over-end mishap. Given all these problems, I would still rate this 5-stars for indoor use, but -2-stars for using it on roads for exercise walks of a quarter-mile or more. That how I arrived at my new total rating of 3-stars. FIRST-DAY REVIEW Having used an Invacare rollator on-and-on for three different occasions over the past 10 years, I never had any problems until I tore my rotator cuff while the Covid19 lockdown was occurring and I tried to up my walking (after allowing two weeks for healing) to about a half-mile a day. I found the vibrations transferred up the wrists to my shoulder were painful and I felt very unstable. I decided to try the UPright Walker Lite despite the fact it was about twice the price of the others I was considering. It arrived yesterday, just two days after I had ordered it on Amazon, although the ad predicts 7-10 day delivery. And this was only the beginning of the good stuff. It was fully assembled except for three accessories, and it's beautifully designed and engineered. The most important difference between this and its copies is that the main tubing is oval, rather than round, and this adds immensely to its stability and light-weight. I've only seen this quality on $1,000+ bicycles and the spars on some racing yachts. Also, every part fits together so well. I'm 76-years old, 5'8" tall, and weigh 207 pounds. I can use it at the #2 setting, an inch less than fully extended, so (as they note) it's designed to be used without stooping by anyone up to about 5'10". On the other hand, because of my girth (about a size 52 jacket), I fit a bit snugly between the handlebars and wheels. If you're my size, you can only get out of the seat by lowering the armrests, but thanks to its being so well-designed (very smooth and push-button raising and lowering), the armrests can be raised to the desired position in seconds. On my trial "run" this morning, I did very well. It was faster, more stable, and more comfortable than my Invacare rollator. The only problem I've noticed involves the rear wheels. For outdoor use on streets, they tend to slide a bit sidewards because they are too smooth; and the brakes have poor braking ability when walking downhill for the same reason. The brakes work fine, its the wheels that to too smooth. I think this problem could be solved by the company offering as accessories some more grabby wheels. Possibly this would also require a set of rim-brakes such as the ones used on nearly all bicycles. This is the only suggestion I had this first day. Otherwise, this is a superb​ example of American engineering!

My mom has severe spinal stenosis and wanted an upright walker with a seat, since she needs to improve her posture and can't walk for very long without pain in her leg. She's 4'11" and many of the walkers I looked at were too tall for her. This one adjusts low enough to be perfect for shorter people. She absolutely loves it. Her posture is improving and she is getting a little more exercise now that she feels secure and supported. From my perspective, the walker came pre-assembled - just slide out of the box, open it up, adjust the height, and it's good to go. It's so easy to fold up and light enough to easily lift and put in the car. The carry pouch that attaches is perfect for her personal items so she doesn't need to carry anything. And the seat with back support is a welcome resting spot for mom when she needs a break from walking. It handles well, turns easily, and is well worth the higher price. This rollator has everything we were looking for. If I had to suggest one improvement, it would be to make the cup holder narrower and taller to accommodate a water bottle. It's currently sized for a large cup, but I think more people would be inclined to travel with a sealable water bottle than a cup.