Ease Of Use
Build Quality
Look & Feel
Reliability
Price
Overall Rating
To help you get acquainted with the Drive Medical Aluminum Steerable Knee Walker, here’s a quick overview of its strengths and weaknesses.
PROS
- It doesn’t require a lot of upper body strength to help you move around.
- It’s a lot easier to use than crutches. You won’t have a lot of lifting and balancing issues with a knee scooter like the Drive Medical DV8.
- It’s very stable, so you don’t have to worry about staying upright.
- The DV8’s large wheels can let you walk through different terrains with ease.
- It’s knee rest’s channels will allow you to use this product in two different ways for moving about and standing.
CONS
- The DV8 will require you to have the other leg in good condition. As it can only support one injured leg, you’ll need the other one to help support your body in standing upright and moving around. This limits its usefulness to folks with only one injured leg.
- Folks with injuries above the knee may are not recommended to use this mobility aid as it will still put pressure on their injury. It’s better suited to folks with the lower leg, foot, and ankle injuries.
- It won’t make going up and down the stairs easier as it will require some carrying if you need to lift your legs up.
Recovering from lower leg injuries can take a lot of effort to get through. This is mostly because your mobility will be significantly affected.
While you can still go on about your daily routine, doing so can be multiple times harder than before as you don’t have both your legs to carry yourself. The need for a mobility aid can also be a hassle.
Finding a good and, comfortable ambulation aid for lower leg injuries is quite easy, however.
With a product like the Drive Medical DV8 Aluminum Steerable Knee Walker now readily available, you don’t have to worry about having to carry your whole body using your arms and upper body strength.
These knee scooters will provide the support you need from the knee down so you shouldn’t worry about straining your arms and back so that you can move around.
In this Drive Medical Aluminum Steerable Knee Walker review, you can learn more about how this product can help make your recovery faster and more comfortable.
Key Features
What makes this product special? Let its list of features do the talking.
Four 8” Wheels
Stability is one of the most important things to look for in a knee scooter and with the DV8’s four wheels, you can expect it to be very stable.
The 8-inch size of the wheels will also allow you to roll around in different terrains with ease and comfort. While it’s not intended for off-roading activities, you can still use it on smooth and flat surfaces like tile and concrete floors as well as more uneven surfaces like grass and dirt.
Front Wheel Steering
The major selling point of the DV8 is the fact that it’s steerable. It’s two front wheels are directly connected to the handlebar.
This allows the user to quickly steer the whole unit to whatever direction they want to go, enabling you to move with great ease. It’s also designed to have a small turning radius so even if you’re in a small space, you don’t have to fret about your mobility.
Padded Knee Rest with Channels
Knee walkers are made comfortable by their knee rests so you can expect most products in this category to have padded ones. What sets the DV8 apart is its knee rest’s design.
Equipped with “channels” or indentations, you can be sure that your leg will stay in place.
Most knee scooters’ knee rests are designed with a flat, padded cushioning. They’re also often covered with leather to make them easy to clean.
While this design is simple and gets the job done, it might also cause the user’s leg to slip off while traversing an uneven terrain.
DV8’s channeled design will secure your injured leg better, letting you move with ease even on inclines and other rough surfaces.
Adjustable Heights
Any mobility aid needs to be at the right height if you want to use it comfortably. This is why the DV8 has easily adjustable heights for its knee rest and handlebar.
This way, you don’t have to reach or bend down unnaturally so you can move around. You can also avoid having body pains with this feature.
Dual Brake Mechanism
Controlling this knee walker is pretty easy as well. It has two braking mechanisms, one on your handlebar to stop the unit from moving forward and a push button for locking the scooter in place when standing or parking.
Foldable Design
It’s no secret that knee walkers are quite bulky, making them hard to transport as is.
The DV8 solves this problem with its foldable design. You can unlock the handlebar from its upright position to rest it on the knee rest to make it more compact.
It won’t fold flat, but it can now be carried with ease when getting in and out of a vehicle. It will also take less space in storage when folded.
Durable Aluminum Frame
With a 300-lb weight limit, you can be sure that the Drive Medical DV8 can carry your body’s weight.
It won’t buckle under your body, so you can be sure that it’s safe to use. With its durable aluminum frame, you’re confident that this mobility it'll properly support you.
Product Video
The Drive Medical Aluminum Steerable Knee Walker Review
The DV8’s set of features may be impressive, but product is only good if it performs its function.
So how does the DV8 fare when it comes to assisting an injured user? Here’s a detailed look.
Ease Of Use
The first thing to love about the DV8 is the fact that it’s entirely easy to use.
The handlebars are simple to operate as it’s very straightforward and unencumbered with additional features.
The handbrakes are easily accessible, and the push button brake for standing and parking comes in handy.
The adjustable knee rest and handlebar heights also make it even easier to use as there’s no more need to get in an uncomfortable position to ride this knee scooter.
Build Quality
Made with high-grade aluminum, you can be sure that this product is sturdy.
Its 300-lb weight capacity makes it an even more attractive option as it guarantees that it won’t buckle under your weight quickly.
Look & Feel
With a streamlined design, the DV8 doesn’t look clunky. This makes it an excellent option for those who aren’t too excited about using a knee scooter to help them move around.
While it gets the job done of helping you move around quickly, it doesn’t look like a hospital device that screams your handicap at first glance.
Reliability
It’s design, size, and stability tends to make the DV8 a very reliable mobility aid. It can help you move around with ease, comfort, and safety.
Price
Unlike traditional crutches, the Drive Medical DV8 can be quite pricey.
However, because it provides a more comfortable option to move around, its price can be easily justified.
How Does It Compare To Other Products?
To help you make the right call in which mobility aid to purchase, you should also look at how this product fare against other mobility aids.
So, here are some side-by-side comparisons of the DV8 with four other products.
1. Ergobaum® Prime By Ergoactives
The Ergobaum 7G is the seventh version of the Ergobaum Prime forearm crutches.
What makes them unique is that they offer improved design of the older versions, allowing you to enjoy more advanced features in your mobility aid.
Some of its new features include a folding design, spring-loaded legs, the "Extra Balance" Egocap High-Performance Crutch Tip, and adjustable cushion grip.
Of course, its old features, including its safety extras can still be found in this product.
While they will require the use of your upper body strength and some balancing skills, these can be ideal for those who need to take on stairs often despite their injury.
2. Life Crutch by Millennial Medical, 1 Pair of Crutches - Universal Size 4'6" - 6'7" Adjustable Ergonomic Handles for Adult and Child
Affordable, easy to use, and comfortable are three things that best describe the Life Crutch by Millennial Medical.
This product is a modern take in traditional crutches, employing curves and ergonomic design so users can handle it with more ease.
Ideal for those who need a mobility aid for their short-term recovery, the Life Crutch can also be an ideal option for those with upper leg, knee, hip, and pelvic bone injuries.
They’ll need you to use our upper body and arm strength to move around, though, unlike the DV8 that can comfortably cart you around.
3. Millennial Medical Crutches - Set of 2, In-Motion Pro Tall
Another crutch that you can opt for is the Millennial Medical In-Motion Pro. Like the Life Crutch, it has an ergonomic design.
The In-Motion Pro takes things up a notch, however, with its articulating crutch tips and foldable design.
Being a traditional crutch, this product can be perfect for short-term users but may also be used by long-term users.
They also suit patients with upper leg, hip, and knee injuries.
For a no-frills mobility aid, the Medline Aluminum Forearm Crutches can be your best bet. They’re inexpensive, sturdy, durable, and can get the job done.
However, they require a good amount of balance, so these might not be suitable for all kinds of users.
