Ease Of Use
Build Quality
Look & Feel
Reliability
Price
Overall Rating
Let’s start off with a quick overview of the Drive Medical Adult Knee Walker advantages and points for improvement with these lists of pros and cons.
PROS
- It’s has a very reasonable price.
- It folds into itself nicely, so it’s easy to transport.
- It’s very stable.
- It’s highly durable.
CONS
- It’s quite bulky when setting up.
- It looks like a hospital-issue device.
- It’s not steerable. The front wheels can’t be easily directed
Sustaining a lower leg, foot, or ankle injury on one leg doesn’t mean that you’ll have to be confined to a wheelchair as you try to recover.
With a good leg to work with, you have a myriad of options when it comes to a mobility aid. A knee walker is one of the best examples as it can effectively keep your weight off on your injured leg, letting it rest and recover.
Designed to serve as an artificial rolling leg, a knee walker (also known as a knee scooter, knee coaster, knee cruiser, or leg walker), they can free you from having to use your upper body strength to move around. This can result in less fatigue and better stability.
One attractive option for a knee scooter is the Drive Medical 780. This walker has a traditional walker design with its boxy silhouette and prominent use of aluminum tubes.
It has a very medical feel to it as well, giving it a sense of familiarity and credibility.
If you’re looking for a good knee walker, this Drive Medical Adult Knee Walker review might be able to help you out.
Check out our in-depth notes below so you can determine whether it’s the right ambulation aid for you.
Key Features
For a closer look at the Drive Medical 780, here’s a list of its principal features:
Traditional Boxy Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the Drive Medical 780 is that they look like a narrower version of your regular walker with an extra knee rest.
This makes them seem familiar and reliable since a lot of people are well-acquainted with the old-school walker's senior citizens often use.
Four 8” Casters
With four 8-inch wheels to assist your movements, this knee scooter promises to be very stable.
It also ensures that you can move with ease on different surfaces, whether it’s indoor or outdoor.
The large size will be able to roll through flat and smooth surfaces without a hitch and won’t have a problem dealing with bumpy and grassy grounds.
All of the four casters are fixed so you can be sure that it’s very stable. It won’t veer off to the side when moving through an uneven and sloped surface.
It can be a bit of a challenge to turn to a different direction, though.
Tool-Free Leg and Hand Height Adjustments
As you’ll need your walker to be at the right height to move around comfortably, the Drive Medical 780 has adjustable heights for its knee rest and handle.
This isn’t necessarily a novel concept for a knee walker, but because this unit has a telescoping design with spring-loaded pins to lock the selected height in place, it’s very easy to adjust.
Deluxe Lever Brakes
Any wheeled device requires a high-quality braking system to ensure its safety.
For this product, it comes with a deluxe lever handbrake that will help you control the knee walker’s movement with great ease.
Adjustable for Left or Right-Hand Use
This knee scooter is also easily customizable to provide great comfort for the user.
You can have it configured for left or right-hand use, so you don’t have to worry about it being unwieldy.
Foldable
Another great thing about the Drive Medical 780’s design is the fact that it folds into itself for a relatively compact storage. This also makes it easy to transport.
Optional Accessories
Since you will be using both your hands to move while on this knee walker, you might need something extra to help you carry your stuff.
This is why a front basket is available for this unit so you can quickly stash and store your things in them without having to take a bag.
Product Video
The Drive Medical Adult Knee Walker Review
With such great features, you might now be wondering about how this product performs. Here’s our quick evaluation of how well this product fares when in use.
Ease Of Use
With a very basic design, operating this knee walker is simple. It’s straightforward without any frills so you don’t need to take extra steps in using it.
The handbrakes are quickly engaged and adjusting the height of the handle and knee rest won’t need you to break a sweat.
However, this walker is not steerable. This makes it bit unwieldy if you need to move around a lot.
It compensates for being stable, though. It will stay on its track so you won’t get off balance or fall off the walker.
Build Quality
Made of high-quality steel, the Drive Medical 780 can carry up to 300 lbs without a flinch.
This makes it a good choice for a lot of users as it guarantees to hold up under heavy weights.
Look & Feel
Aesthetically, there’s much to be wanted from this knee scooter. As it resembles a traditional walker, it might not exactly look attractive to some people.
Younger users may shy away from it entirely. However, its design proves to be a good one despite looking too old-school to be cool.
As for the feel, the knee rest can still be improved for comfort. Users on the heavier side might find the cushioning lacking in support.
Reliability
As most of our beef with this unit are mainly cosmetic concerns, it doesn’t affect the fact that this unit is very reliable.
It can do its job and provides a smooth operation to its users so it can still be a great pick for those who are after a fuss-free knee scooter.
Price
This is one of its strongest suits as the Drive Medical 780 is very reasonably priced.
How Does It Compare To Other Products?
Why should you choose the Drive Medical 780 over so many other mobility aids in the market today, you might be wondering?
If this Drive Medical Adult Knee Walker review still hasn’t convinced you, here are our side by side comparisons of the top crutches and walkers today against this particular knee scooter.
1. Ergobaum® Prime By Ergoactives. 1 Pair (2 Units) of Ergonomic Forearm Crutches
Forearm crutches are age-old mobility aids that are appreciated for their reliability. However, they have always been so basic. Taking the traditional forearm crutch to the next level is the Ergobaum Prime.
It has extra features that add stability, comfort, and functionality to it. It also has safety features (night light and horn button) as well as luxury features (articulated crutch tips and spring-loaded legs). It’s also foldable, solving the portability problem of crutches.
Knee walkers like the Drive Medical 780 are widely different from the Ergobaum Prime as these crutches are ideal for long-term users.
Knee walkers are most often recommended for those who need a mobility aid for a short-term recovery, on the other hand.
The crutches also require a good amount of balance to work with and can be used even if both legs are damaged, while the knee scooter has a very limited use.
To put it simply, these two doesn’t have a lot in common. This allows them to cater to different needs and suit various preferences.
2. Life Crutch by Millennial Medical, 1 Pair of Crutches - Universal Size 4'6" - 6'7" Adjustable Ergonomic Handles for Adult and Child
Underarm crutches have been used for centuries but remain virtually unchanged in design.
While its classic design is straightforward and fuss-free, there’s still some room for improvement for it. This is where the Life Crutch by the Millennial Medical comes in.
Featuring ergonomic designs to ensure your comfort, the Life Crutch can be an excellent mobility aid for those who only need one for a few weeks.
It’s affordable, easy to use, and comfortable, much like the Drive Medical 780. The only difference between the two is the knee walker doesn’t need you to use your upper body strength to move around.
So when it comes to choosing between these two, it all boils down to personal preference.
3. Millennial Medical Crutches - Set of 2, In-Motion Pro Tall
Like the Life Crutch, the Millennial Medical In-Motion Pro is also a pair of underarm crutches made more comfortable.
It’s a step up from the Life Crutch as it has similar features to the Ergobaum Prime. What makes it unique, however, is its heavy weight capacity as it can carry up to 500 lbs.
As these crutches and the Drive Medical 780 are both ideals for short-term recoveries, they will surely go neck to neck in your search for the right mobility aid for your needs.
Depending on your injury, you might still find a knee walker a more suitable option, especially since these two are at the same price range as well.
4. Medline Aluminum Forearm Crutches, Adult
For a no-frills mobility aid, forearm crutches are still some of the highly recommended options by experts.
The Medline Aluminum Forearm Crutches are among the most popular options as they’re sturdy, durable, and can get the job done.
However, forearm crutches are tricky to use. They’re not for everyone as they have a learning curve and you need to have the right balance to use them with ease.
This is why the Drive Medical 780 can be a better option for those with lower leg injury. As these knee scooters are very easy to use, they can help you recover without having to stress you out.