Drive Medical Adjustable Steerable Knee Walker Scooter with Basket

Maybe a 5 minus, only beacuse the welding has my steering column not perfectly aligned with the front wheels. But hey, game changer. I'm a very fit 5'6", 135, and thank goodness this scooter has a great brake! Very quiet! My wife says I just sneak up on her outa nowhere. No crutches clomping around. Oh, the wheels do not leave marks on hardwood flooring! Assembly is easy and intuitive, very few parts. No tools needed, although you want a stout pen or stick to push in the button to release and fold down the handlebars for transport. Oh, and an Allen wrench to adjust the brake handle position to your liking. And yeah, maybe the turning radius isn't great, but repositioning is easy. Great price, great product.

I bought this for the value and the one day shipping. Originally, I was given a prescription from my orthopedic surgeon, but then found out that I was going to have to go shopping for one via the various medical supply stores in my area. I was in a lot of pain and didn't want to deal with the hassle of shopping. So, I went home, kicked back my broken foot, and found this one online. BTW, a little about myself. I'm a healthy 43 year old that broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. When healthy, I work Fridays through Sundays while my wife works Mondays through Fridays. We have two kids--our youngest being two and a half. With exception to my surgery and doctors appointments, I still take care of him. So, imagining toys strewn everywhere, it was next to impossible to get those toys out of the way when I was on crutches. Well, this scooter has enabled me to clear out paths and put the small toys into the basket and put them away. Maneuverability of this isn't the best. It allows you to do 45 degree turns. So, if you have tight spaces less than 36 inches in width in your house or apartment, you may have to do a lot of three point turns to get turned around or just to turn left or right. I also took this outside for a spin. It works fine on asphalt driveways like my own. I was able to get the mail and was also able to tow my garbage can behind me (on separate trips). If you take this off smooth surfaces like into a yard in between a porch and driveway, you might want to get one with wider tires. I didn't but I was able to get by for my age and activity level. I would strongly advise watching your balance as I did fall from this a couple of times due to the changing nature of the toddler obstacle course in my home. If you have unavoidable obstacles on the floor that you would normally remove yourself if you weren't disabled, I would strongly advise using your best judgement and not take any chances. If you need help getting something out of the way, I would advise on asking for help rather than trying to pop a wheelie (and possibly fall on the floor like I did a couple of times). Assembly of this is easy and requires no tools. It looks like I can fold it away and take it with me shopping, but I don't think I'll do that very often but go out on crutches instead. The motorized shopping scooters at the grocery stores and other big size stores still have a much larger basket to put things in. I have taken this to my doctor's appointments, though, and it's real easy for me to put in the back of my small SUV (I drive a 2009 Toyota RAV4). For my situation, I use the top setting on the handlebars and have to lower it three places to get it inside. For a minivan like a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey, you should be able to put it in there on the tallest handlebar setting. Either way, it's not that huge of an inconvenience to me. Also, if you are planning to go to Disney World, I would not advise using this in the park. When healthy, I walk a good ten miles per day in the park, or 40 miles on a four day pass. Just spend the extra money to rent an electric scooter instead. This knee scooter is not meant for long distance usage and can get uncomfortable, even with the padding, at times. While this isn't the perfect knee scooter, it has been a very good value for my short term needs (I'm currently on week two of five on this thing). I highly recommend this for the value and the sheer fact it's far better than being on crutches. UPDATE: We had our first rain at my house in roughly 3-4 weeks (I live in Tennessee). Be sure if you take this outside after a rain that you have paper towels at the ready to clean off the wheels before re-entering the house. Also, be sure to go at walking speed. Those brakes don't stop very well above that speed on wet surfaces! UPDATE #2: Nice little hack if you're outdoors afrer dusk. If you have a smartphone in a shockproof/shatterproof case (i.e.: OtterBox, Supcase, etc.) and a belt clip, you can use it as a headlight by clipping it to the top of the basket.

Unfortunately, this is the second time I've had to avail myself of one of these post-surgery. This little scooter is a life saver because it gives me mobility that would otherwise be lost or much more labor intensive with crutches. Seeing how I'm going on a total of 8 weeks with the scooter (3 more to go), I have a few pointers that I'd like to share. This was the only scooter I saw that was rated up to 350 lbs. I'm a big guy, and although I'm not pushing the limits of that rating, I do some times load the little basket in the front, carry something, or ferry an item or two. For those reasons, I'm glad that I don't have to worry about the weight capacity. I mentioned the basket, and when you're already limited to one lower extremity, occupying an arm to carry something is not what you want to do. Having somewhere to carry things while you keep both hands free to drive/steer the scooter is a must. Along the lines of keeping hands free to drive, I also like that the brakes are activated by using a single hand/lever and that they come with a locking mechanism. Transferring to the scooter to and from a sitting position or a bed while the scooter scoots away from you would be bad! If you remember to lock the brakes every time you stop or get off, it makes that transfer a lot safer and easier. That brings me to my biggest issue with the scooter. The brakes are not that robust and in fact wear out and become useless very quickly. And even when new, they are not really designed for any real stopping power.... Think of them more like an assist to your foot breaking! Even the slightest grade will render them inadequate and will have you rolling if you don't stop yourself with your other foot. There are some inherent design flaws with the brakes that cannot be remedied easily, and some that can. If you're handy with bikes, the first thing you should do is adjust the tension on the brake cable so that when the brake lock is engaged, it fully stops the wheels from turning, The tension on mine was so loose that even depressing the brake lever all the way barely created any friction with the wheels. The second adjustment you can make is to add tapered-washers to the screw-post holding the brake pads. These are standard issue on any modern bike, and I was quite surprised that none were installed on this design considering how the brake pads are straight, and the wheels are curved... It seemed like basic thought. The fact that they decided to mount the brake pads in such a way that they push on the rolling surface of the wheel is a bit perplexing. This makes the brake pads come into contact with a roughed up surface (thus wearing them out faster), and as I mentioned, the straight pads make minimal contact with the arc of the wheel (even when using the tapered-washers). A better solution would have been to have the break pads make contact on the side of the wheel like ALL bicycles do, but perhaps Drive Medical was trying to reinvent the wheel here. Lastly my other problem with the design of this scooter is that I tend to hit the ankle bone on my good foot on the center screw of the rear wheel as I push off and around. I might be the only one who does this, but a plastic/rubber cap on that screw would alleviate that problem, or even a recessed installation of that hub so that there isn't something protruding past the vertical plane. Overall, this is a good product that does the job of getting your around and gives you a couple of bonuses with the brake-lock, and the basket. If I could add things to my wish list they would be thus: 1. Enhance the braking mechanism. There is a scooter out there that uses disc brakes, and if I had to do it over again, I'd probably get that one. 2. Protect the riders ankles by covering or redesigning that rear hub. Again, there is another model out there with only one rear wheel, which probably solved that issue. 3. This is totally a pie-in-the-sky item, but a little light on the front would do wonders.I have a small bike-light I've attached to the front post, but I really think it should be a standard issue item.

This walker is great! The assembly took about 10 minutes (I was doing it on one leg, on my front porch, in 20 degree weather, so that was probably slow :-)). I don't have a paved sidewalk or driveway, but it seemed to work well on the short grass. I bought it primarily to use outside my home - I live in an old two story duplex, with somewhat cramped space and a set of stairs, so it doesn't work for me there. So I folded down the steering column and loaded it in the back of my Santa Fe Sport. If you turn the steering slightly to one side to get the shaft around the seat for the most height reduction, it fits in easily. Remembering to lock the handbrake helps keep it from moving around in the back too much as you drive. Get to where you're going, pull it out of the back, flip the steering column up and lock it in place, and you're off. This walker shines on both short commercial carpet and tile floors. It's extremely quiet, can be moved easily with little effort, and is adjustable to be totally comfortable to use. My parking spot is about 400 yards away from the elevators, and it seems like it takes no time to travel the distance. The walker has a limited turning radius (with a rider on top, it's pretty top heavy, and they've taken that into consideration in the design), but once you get used to it you can maneuver it pretty easily even in somewhat tight spaces; I can glide into an empty elevator car, push the button to go down one floor, and be turned around facing the doors before they open. A couple of tips that took a day or so to figure out - hopefully they can save someone some time: 1. Make sure to adjust the lock mechanism that keeps the steering column upright. From the box, it didn't want to stay in place, and the column wobbled around in an uncomfortable way. Lock the column into place, but don't clamp it down. Put the locking clamp in place, extended directly upright, and turn it clockwise to tighten it down until the bottom makes contact lightly with the base. Then push the end sideways to lock it. You should find a little resistance as the spring compresses. You can fine-tune this a little more until the wobble in the steering column itself is pretty much eliminated. 2. After adjusting the height of the steering bar, make sure you tighten the holding screw as tightly as possible until the sideways wobble of the bars is reduced as much as you can. It makes the ride feel much more stable and secure. 3. After positioning the seat height, make sure to adjust the locking clamp in the same fashion as the steering column lock. Again, getting rid of the wobble in the seat makes it feel very stable. 4. Don't laugh at the idea that it has a brake. You'll find it not only very necessary when on any kind of a downhill surface, but when needing to stabilize the walker getting on and off, or doing things (like visiting the water cooler or coffee machine) when that extra stability feels much more secure. But the lock isn't absolute - you can move the walker fairly easily with it set, so don't forget to release it when you're ready to move around again. I would recommend this walker very highly - it's a fantastic value for a very reasonable price for what you get.

A really good scooter. It's very stable. Has rear brakes so you don't tip forward when you stop quickly, and a frame that won't tip to either side. The knee pad is really comfy (and I have bad knees). Another nice thing for me especially with having the two pads is that I can turn to the side and put my other knee up as well (my other foot isn't that good, either, but I can only get surgery on one foot at a time) and it still feels really sturdy. I can kneel on it like that for a while and steady myself on the counter or handle if I need to. And as someone whose 'good' foot is quite unstable and often in pain, I can say it's very easy to move forward on this thing. I have trouble pushing off the ground with my foot and I can still get around the house just fine by picking up my leg. Doesn't require much strength. And the basket is really handy for like around the house especially, you can carry your phone or water bottle or a snack from room to room with both hands still on the handles. The brake works well, but the lock isn't as tight as I'd like it. It stops it from rolling away for sure, but if you're on it and trying to do something (e.g. brush your teeth or make a sandwich) the locked brake won't stop it from moving, it'll still slide a little on hardwood floors so you have to be cautious with that. Also, if you're at home and don't have a shoe on your good foot, keep an eye out for the wheels. It's easy to roll over your toes if you go too fast/turn too quickly and you're not watching your foot. But honestly, it's probably not a big problem for most people, because if you're injured like me you won't be going that fast or trying to make quick hairpin turns at home :)

DRIVE durable medical equipment is now the standard. This knee wheel cart came pretty much put together. The handle bar had to be cut free from its shipping position as well as the seat removed from underneath to its on top position, all pretty simple really. Then raise up the handle bar stem, lock into place with a quick set bicycle type toggle and a set screw at your correct height to place the handle bar, it has a nice big black plastic handle to tighten it easily. The “seat” has a quick realeasd cotter pin type fastener as well as a bicycle type quick realease faster for double protection to keep the kneeler in place and stable. The breaks are on both wheels but only controls by one squeeze on the right handle. It also has a lock so your knee wheeler won’t roll away from you if you stop and don’t need it to move. The basket it a great carrier and I’m glad it has one. I have a larger bike basket I usually put on the ones I rent but for now I don’t need it too big. That’s it! That’s all it took. It took more time to get it out of the double cardboard boxes it came in. Almost the size of a stove. I’m small 5’ 2” woman and this knee wheeler cart would work for older children young teens, up to a 6’ man. It’s very sturdy. Oh and it has a fixed turning radius. You can not over turn. Very safe. If you want it in other colors, buy a can of spray paint. Honestly I didn’t care but if it becomes a part of my everyday attire I might doll it up a bit. But I should only need it for 2 months, maybe three...so it’s paint job is fine. I bought the Vive seat cover that has memory foam, worth every penny! All I need now is a drink or cup holder!

I bought both the Drive Medical 790 & 796 (used in lieu of crutches during fractured foot-bone recovery). This is kind of a lengthy review, but hopefully others will find it useful, since even the manufacturer's website didn't provide enough details to answer some of the questions that came to mind as I was trying to compare models & features. Main point - for outdoor use and collapsing the steering column for stowage in a vehicle, the 790 is by FAR the better choice compared to the 796. The handles on the 790's steering column are wider than the 796, which means you have better leverage for steering control, and thus, better steering control. The 796 does come with a small basket, which is handy, but the Schwinn quick-release wire basket, although a separate purchase, is bigger, and not too hard to attach. The 790's release catch to fold down the steering column is much easier to use vs. the 796. The catch release on the 790 can be a one-handed maneuver, although you'll probably use the other hand to keep the steering column from just falling down once the catch is released. You slide up a spring button to release the flip lever, which has a tab that catches the latch-bolt as you pull down the flip lever. The 796 catch release is a push-button, but the push button is so small you can't use your finger, you have to use something like the eraser-end of a pencil to be able to push it in far enough to release the catch and fold it down, obviously a nuisance to try to do in the haste-of-the-moment of stowing it into your vehicle. Between that and the shorter steering handles, I think the 796 is better suited to indoor use. The only negative I found to the latching on the 790 is the latch-bolt is spring loaded, and occasionally, the tab on the flip-lever release could push past it, meaning you have to pull down the latch-bolt by hand (quicker), or flip the lever up and down trying to get it to re-catch. You can most easily release the catch by pulling the steering column towards the catch mechanism, which ensures it's flush to the bottom section of the steering shaft and not putting any pressure against the latch bolt, leaving the latch-bolt free to pivot down without resistance. Turning Radius: The 790 has a good-bit tighter turning radius than the 796, as you can turn the steering column/wheels further side-to-side. This is handy everywhere, although especially inside within tighter quarters. The downside to this is it can be easier to get off balance with the 790 - you have to be careful not to crank the steering all the way to the side of your good leg and lean over your elevated leg the other way, you can go right over. A little cautious forethought and you can avoid spilling yourself. The 796 is more tip-proof in that regard since you can't turn the steering as far - in that sense the 796 might be a better choice for a senior 70's-80's+. The 790 does not have a knee pad slightly offset to one side, the 796 does have an offset knee pad. For the 796, you want to make sure the knee pad is offset towards the 'scoot' leg, which also makes it more tip-proof. Interestingly, even though made by the same company, the seat columns are different diameters and thus not interchangeable (I tried, wouldn't swap). The other advantage of an offset seat is your 'scooting' foot is over a little further and less prone to rake against the rear wheel. I didn't really have a problem with that with the 790, although it's advisable to wear some sort of foot gear scooting around indoors rather than just socks or barefoot. The wheels spin very freely on the 790, you can really get moving on this thing outdoors, and if you hit a pavement/surface irregularity at speed, that could make you go down, so it's a good idea not to get too carried away with zipping along, advisable to keep rolling at walking speed. I opted to lift the front slightly over sidewalk gaps & wheelchair ramps rather than trust the front wheels not to catch and force an unwanted sudden turn. It got some usage on city streets, here they have these dimpled 'traction pads' (for lack of a better description) on the sloped part of the sidewalk ramps; the dimples are large enough and high enough that they are difficult to traverse over with a knee walker, the dimples have the handlebars wanting to twist out of your hands - no way to roll over those things quickly or easily. The 796 wheels also turn freely enough, the 796 steering column seemed to have more resistance than the 790, although that could be attributed to having less turning leverage with the shorter handlebars. Brakes/Braking: The 790 has a bicycle-style brake handle on each handlebar for each rear brake, and there is a separate brake on both rear wheels. The 796 has a single brake handle which actuates brakes on both rear wheels. The 790 has serrated metal pieces that press against the rear wheels for braking; the 796 uses bicycle-style rubber brake pads that press against the rear wheels. Both models, you can lock the brakes on, and pulling the brake handle releases the spring-loaded brake lock. Because of the serrated metal 'pads' and handles for each rear brake, the 790 has more stopping power for the brakes - having two hands braking obviously you can apply more braking force than being able to only use one hand, as on the 796; that, plus the rubber brake pads of the 796, although a replaceable wear item, can't bite against the rear wheels as much as the metal counterparts on the 790. If the rear wheels of the 796 get wet, it would be the same loss of stopping grip as a bicycle in the rain. The serrated metal of the 790, that's not much of an issue, except it can be easier to just lock up one or both of the rear wheels (thus back to keeping rolling speed within reason). In the couple months usage, I didn't discern enough usable wear on the rear wheels to be a problem - seems like it would take a long time for the metal pads of the 790's brakes to wear the wheels to the point of needing replacements. The 790 brake cables did stretch some (similar to bikes) over the couple months usage, but not enough that I couldn't re-adjust within the range of the turning adjusters - further stretching would require pulling the cable tighter through the bolt clamps (again, similar to bicycles). The knee pads on both models were well-cushioned and fine, just different designs. The 796 has the offset knee pad, the 790 doesn't, the 796 has two large square pads with somewhat more cushioning, the 790 is a molded single piece of cushioned foam, no problem for me with comfort/use of either. Using the 790 more regularly, I found the adjusting/locking knob for the knee-pad post would occasionally loosen and require re-tightening, no big deal really, just something to check every so often. Don't know how I did it, but accidentally knocked off the small retaining circlip on the underside of one of the 790's brake locking buttons - must have knocked it against something, although maneuvering it in & out of my truck was more of a hasty rather than careful procedure. Not a flaw, I suspect most would not have this happen. The 796 is tools-free assembly, the 790 involves some simple assembly of the steering column with a provided allen wrench - the biggest challenge for the 790 is getting the handlebars parallel with the front wheels. If you push the front wheels against a straight wall, you'll have more visual reference for parallel alignment. Both come in a good-sized box that's easy enough to open, I think the 796 box had industrial staples at the seams, & the 790 was seam-glued. I think both were taped shut. I found I could use the 790 to navigate my 6 outside deck stairs (which also have a railing) - the steps up to the deck (& house door) were more than deep enough for both rear wheels to rest solidly on the steps pushed against the next step, and with the handlebars turned at full lock away from the steps (towards me), the one front wheel was more center-line, and with the brakes locked, made for a stable platform I could place my knee on, and then step up a step, although I was lifting the walker and repositioning it on the the next step up with one arm while holding the railing with the other for balance - the makers would never suggest doing that due to the risks on the stairs, but if you have the strength for it, I found it manageable enough with no problem, going up or down, although up was easier because one side of the steps was railing, the other, house. Sure beat scootching up a few outside steps in bad weather one at a time on my butt - my indoor stairs are nowhere near deep enough, and, too many steps besides - also too risky & too slow. Needing to be upstairs made keeping a 2nd on walker on the upper floor a logical choice. Trying to haul the scooter up & down solo all the time, too much hassle. In any case, using it to navigate stairs is only recommended if the stairs are deep enough to rest both back wheels - that, plus turning it completely and pushing the other front wheel against the step, is the only way it's stable to make a secure maneuver. Don't even try it if your not sure about it, as the risk of a fall and further injury while trying to heal isn't worth it. The 790 gets 4 stars, I'd say giving it an offset knee-pad would about make it perfect, but it's perfectly fine as-is. The 796 gets 3 stars due to lack-of-ease with the release catch for folding down the steering column, shorter handlebars, single handbrake handle, and the functional nuisance of the greater turning radius. It has some advantage for being less-tippable, as long as the offset knee pad is positioned correctly - for usage by seniors, it may be a better option than the 796; the two are similar, but clearly have some different design aspects & priorities.

First let me say I own a scooter because I had ankle fusion surgery and I can put no weight on my foot for 3 months. I needed an alternative to crutches. Crutches were hurting my arm, hands, you name it was hurting. I highly recommend a knee scooter no matter your reason for needing one including a broke foot. I have recently purchased two scooters. One to use at home and one at work. The one I use at home is an all terrain. I bought this one to use at work. I was looking for a second one that was not to expensive. This one fits the bill. The all terrain one is good for getting around the yard such as getting from the house to my truck. I would not recommend using this one in yard very much but on a smooth surface it is very good. While the all terrain went thru the yard very well I felt more stable on it. This one went thru the yard well but I did not feel as sable. With that said I do not recommend any knee scooter to be used in the yard. You have 4 wheels, if one of them gets in a hole then it you and it become unstable and can fall over. The big difference in the two is the wheels, The all terrain has all air filled wheels that are larger compared to the PVC wheels. All terrain 12" font wheels, PVC 8" front wheels. . It is more "bouncy" therefore more shock absorbing than the PVC wheels. The PVC are good on a flat surface since you do not really need the shock absorption. The instructions with both scooters (different brands) were ok. Basic info. Steering columns was very wobbly at first use. Either I did not see it in the instructions or it was not there but the pin that locks column is place is also a screw that you can tighten down then lock it in place. It is much more stable now. If you are looking for a budget scooter that works well then this it the best buy. It is less expensive than renting one. Even if your insurance pays the rental you still have to put down $80 to $100 deposit. It also seems that most insurance companies will only pay the rent for 1-2 months if at all. Neither scooter in my opinion folds up well for travel if you are trying to load it by yourself on one foot. If you have someone with you then it is a breeze. Bottom line on which type to buy depends on where you are using it and if price is a concern. The all terrain are more expensive. The one thing I would suggest and it is very simple is get one with a basket you will be glad you did!!!!

Well made sturdy and easy to travel with. We just put a piece of memory foam on the seat as a pad.

Excelente producto, por su calidad y facilidad de armar. Llegó mucho antes de la fecha estimada.

Es justo lo que esperaba

I had foot surgery and I am not allowed to put any pressure on my foot. Crutches were working just not very well. Due to age and size I did not feel particularly safe on crutches. This knee walker is not that maneuverable in the house but I feel very secure and that makes all the difference. I went outside and it works very well on side walks. Would be great in a mall. I feel save and secure, I could use a bell.

This was a great product but my legs were too short to properly use it. My ankle was casted at an angle which made it hurt to bend my leg. However I did sell it and the person who bought it said it was wonderful.