iWALK 2.0: Painless Mobility with Hands-Free Crutch for Knees

tvd: It may take a couple of tries to get the balance correct because even the videos can't help a person translate left and right sometimes, but once dialed in the balance is excellent.

Where the company could help out is with providing use adjustable shims that snap onto the risers and you can cut away excess to avoid creating "hot spots" where your cast ends. The suggested towel does work but the towel needs constant adjustment and its next to impossible to repeat the positioning and sizing between uses.

Three observations:

1) learn to go down stairs sideways - your toes will catch
2) add an outward swing to your stride to avoid catching the foot, especially when fatigued
3) I found it easier to sort of twirl into and out of a seated position rather than try it as normal

Canada on Oct 17, 2023

Kathryn RandallKathryn Randall: I broke my ankle on Wednesday. I live in a multi storey flat with 4 sets of stairs between the floors. Those of you on crutches will know the pain of trying to go up and down stairs, and just how precarious it can feel. I bought the iWalk crutch on Friday night and it arrived before lunchtime today. It is already a game changer for me.

It makes navigating stairs so much easier. It takes some time to set up, but the instruction videos are excellent, and within minutes of practicing I was able to go up stairs.

Down stairs is a little more awkward. I am in a boot that extends to my knee, and when I go down the step, the toe of my boot hits the top of the step above. This is slightly awkward but not physically painful - and to be honest, I much prefer this method to the one I have to use when I'm on crutches.

I also wanted to add that I am plus sized and was worried about how adaptable the crutch would be for me. I needn't have worried. The crutch has a clear weight limit (which I am well within) and the straps and other size related things were all adjustable and well thought through. This is an amazing piece of kit and I am totally blown away.

In short:...

United Kingdom on Oct 07, 2023

Mark: I ruptured my Achilles which required surgery and ordered this soon after the operation because normal crutches are hard work and having read all the info thought this might help.

However, after the operation you spend two weeks in plaster, when you are not supposed to move around anyway, and just keep your leg up.

After that you are then fitted with a ‘Vacoped’ boot. I thought I would use the iwalk with the Vacoped but it’s doesn’t suit it for three reasons:
1. The Vacoped boot is specifically designed to be used with normal crutches and allow you start building up to full weight bearing and adjusting the base plate over a period of 8 weeks so you can walk normally again, therefore if you start using iwalk instead you will hinder your recovery with vacoped. The vacoped boot is prescribed both via NHS and privately so it’s not a subjective shopping item like this, it’s THE way to recover from Achilles rupture. Yes, you could use iwalk for some occasional tasks but for the price it’s not worth it.
2. My specialist also advised that the position of your leg when in the iwalk is not good for circulation, and bearing in mind during this injury you...

United Kingdom on Sep 08, 2023

J: Fairly badly broken foot.
Device arrived promptly. A bit annoying that it did not come with assembly instructions but instead directs you to YouTube. I assembled it quickly using intuition and the picture on the box - for me this wasn't an issue, but apparently others have trouble getting it together.

Pros:
-allows your hands to be free in a way that crutches don't
-seems sturdy and well built (I've put a lot of weight through this via heavy lifting)
-I find it easy to take on and off
-can be used to kneel on and move around without fastening straps
-rubber sole performs well
-Once you get the hang of it you can move around quickly, up and down stairs with care

Cons:
-developed painful blister on backside of knee from centre strap
-slower walking than on crutches
-leg/knee becomes sore if used too much and for too long
-potentially awkward fitment when wearing a cast
-trickier on non-level surfaces

Some kind of spring/dampening system would reduce shocks and allow you to walk faster and cause less pain in the injured area. Possibly a pivoting/tilting foot would make the device work better on uneven surfaces.

Overall,...

Canada on Sep 05, 2023

JM15: Well, I hope no one reading this review NEEDS this thing, but you probably do and I'm sending my empathy your way because being injured like this isn't fun.

But, if you find yourself in the unfortunate place where this type of mobility is necessary, I am happy to say that I'm am highly satisfied with this product. For context, my particular injury was to my right ankle area and required me to wear a split/boot for quite awhile. I also was fortunate enough to use a knee scooter and a pair of crutches, so I tried out a variety of things. I'll explain a bit about the use case for each later on. I'm not a doctor or anything, so take everything here with a grain of salt.

What it is good for:
Moving around for extended periods of time - before I had this thing, I couldn't really stand and use both my hands at the same time. My knee scooter never felt exceptionally stable when I took my hands off the handle bars (even when the brake was locked) and crutches pretty much need to be held by at least one hand at all times. with the iWalk 3.0 I was able to get back doing some basic housework like helping with the dishes, picking up after and playing with my kids (they loved...

United States on Jun 28, 2023

p m patel: It's a great idea however, the problem I had was that with a plaster cast, the top of the plaster was digging into the shin bone. So not great for a cast on the leg unless the cast is 6" below the patella.

United Kingdom on Feb 26, 2023

Mary W.: Got this about a week ago to use while recuperating from a broken ankle. I’m a slightly overweight 62 year old female, normally pretty active (yard work, never-ending heavy housework/cooking, home maintenance, lots of walking, but no running or high intensity exercise), mild back and hip issues (more on that below). My opinion:
1. Be totally honest and realistic about your normal level of balance, activity and stamina before purchasing. If you are normally not very active, are notably overweight/obese, or have ANY balance issues, this is not for you. I pushed my luck a bit ordering this because I have some mild hip arthritis in the hip opposite my injury (the one bearing most of the weight with ANY assistive device). Crutches caused LOTS of pain in that hip so I felt I had to try something else. While this does aggravate my hip some, it’s not nearly as bad as with the crutches, and I feel it’s within an acceptable range. That said, that’s not a design flaw or the product’s fault. Just a fact that, like with any product, it’s not for everyone. You really must watch all the videos and read all the recommendations BEFORE you buy.
2. Another note about weight: there...

United States on Aug 21, 2022