Do you feel worn out by the constant discomfort and pain instigated by your crutches? Or having to seek help even with the most basic household chores? Not to mention how much of a painful experience going up and down the stairs can be.
Well, iWalk 3.0 is your perfect solution. It’s the best alternative to crutches.
The iWalk, one of kind hands-free knee crutch is designed to offer you freedom, comfort, and convenience, all in one bundle. It’s a revolutionary mobility aid for a patient with non-weight bearing lower leg injuries on one leg.
The hands free crutch is suitable for a person with either a broken or sprained ankle, stress fracture, heel injury, Achilles tendon tears and ruptures, calf injuries, ankle replacement surgery, broken foot- name it.
If you are considering buying an iWalk 3.0, you may want to read this post to the very end. We share our honest thoughts including those of other iWalk users to help you figure out if this great device will be a worthy purchase.
Review of the iWalk 3.0
Perhaps the most obvious advantage of the iWalk hands free crutch is the hands-free ability. This is particularly when compared to a conventional crutch, knee scooter, or knee walker.
Being hands-free means you can perform nearly all your day to day activities without feeling “disabled” or exerting pressure on the injured side. You can walk your dog, cook dinner, go to work, run some home errands, go for groceries shopping, do light exercises and even walk yourself to the bus stop. This freedom is what makes iWalk such a game changer.
With iWALK 3.0 you can maintain the same lifestyle you had before the injury or surgery.
Who can use iWalk?
Because iWalk hands free crutch requires some physical exertion to move around with, it may not be suitable for everyone. One must have some upper strength and some balance to get around. To determine your physical capability, ask yourself if you can balance on the uninjured leg for atleast 30 to 40 seconds without tripping. If you can, then you’ve passed the first qualifying test.
The next qualify test is whether you could walk up and down the stairs unassisted before your injury. If you could, then you are a prime candidate for the iWalk 3.0.
In short, any patient who has average strength, balance, and stability, weighs not more than 275 pounds, and is between 4’10” and 6’6” tall can use the iWalk. There are a few caveats though:
- The injured leg must bend at least 90 degrees at the knee
- The injury must be below the knee
- You must have walked without limitations prior to the injury
- You can kneel on a chair or stool for atleast a minute without pain
If you meet all the above criteria, then you can gladly proceed with this post because you are a successful candidate for the iWalk.
Assembly
The initial setup may take a considerably longer time as you have to figure out how to put together the straps and sleeves and set the proper length. Luckily there is a detailed company’s video on YouTube showing how to assemble the hands-free crutch.
In addition to reading the manual, the initial setup should not take you longer than an hour after which it would just be fastening the straps every time you want to use them. A task that should take you 10 seconds if you are pretty fast.
Weight Limit and Age Limit
Even though the crutch is designed to fit a variety of user sizes, it must not exceed a weight of 275 pounds and a height of 6’1′.
The company does not specify any age limits, perhaps because of the fact that physical condition varies from person to person. However, we’ve noted that most of the users are adults.
For the elderly and older children, one may need to consult their physical therapist or use sound judgment and personal assessment to determine whether an iWalk crutch is the best option.
Comfort and Ease of Use
Compared to normal crutches, there is obviously some slight discomfort when you first start using the iWalk, but as you practice using it, the discomfort lessens, and you start enjoying your newfound painless freedom.
The learning curve is pretty short, 1-2 hours max, and you are confident enough to walk around the house. In a couple of days, you can be out and about running errands. You can even navigate stairs and narrow spaces with comfort and ease as long as the iWalk is strapped tightly—something you can never achieve with conventional crutches or knee scooters.
And if you ever feel like holding on to something for support or safety, grab the handle in the front that’s on the thigh area instead of the handrail.
To add to the comfort is the Tricot fabric used to upholster the hands-free crutch. It is soft and breathable to keep sweat and odor away. As well, the thigh support pads, made of foam, are thick for extra comfort and guarantee you long-term use. In addition, the knee pads are designed to increase airflow and promote cooling.
The quick-release buttons are easy to press and release pretty quickly. This is convenient for when you want to get off and get on pretty fast.
Interestingly, the straps are colour-coded. The black straps are for length adjustment, while the blue straps are for tension adjustment and on/off. This ensures that fastening is a quick and easy affair.
Adjustability
The iWalk 3.0 is highly adjustable to ensure a perfect fit. We really loved that it can be customized to fit a variety of user sizes as long as they are between 5’1″ and 6’1″ in height. The height can be independently adjusted for both the upper and lower crutch.
The height adjustments don’t need any tools, just your hands. The straps, too, can be adjusted to accommodate different thigh sizes.
Warranty and Return Policy
The makers of iWalk crutch offer a 120-day warranty which, even though it seems such a short warranty period, is considered worthy because of the nature of the product. In addition, they offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. You can read their entire return policy here for further details.
Does insurance pay for iWALK hands free crutch?
Medicare and Medicaid do not offer any reimbursement on the iWalk crutch. Fortunately, there are health insurance companies that do like Cigna, Blue Shield, United Healthcare, and many others.
Give your insurer a call to find out if they do reimburse the iWalk 3.0 before making a purchase.
iWalk 2.0 Vs iWalk 3.0
While both the iWalk 2.0 and the 3.0 are incredible creations, the latter is a more improved version. It has a 30% more thigh support surface area to increase stability and comfort. The thigh pads are also significantly thicker and thumbscrews on the thigh supports are 89% larger. As well, the knee pads are thicker and feature built-in channels to allow more airflow around the joint.
Also, the iWalk 3.0 features colour-coded straps and a quick-release buckle that allows for faster donning off and on.
As mentioned, the 3.0 version is an upgrade from 2.0. Everything that seemed to be a limitation in the earlier version has been modified for extra comfort and stability.
Conclusion
The iWalk 3.0 is indeed a revolutionary kind of crutch that not only guarantees improved mobility but freedom, convenience, and independence while at it. The hands-free design allows users to maintain their active lifestyle without exerting any painful stress on the wrists, shoulders, arms, and hands in general. Something common with regular crutches. Users can go about their normal routine without needing assistance.
iWalk 3.0 has also been proven by medical professionals to aid in recovery. Because the injured leg stays partially elevated as you walk with the uninjured leg, there is an increase in blood flow which speeds up recovery. iWalk users who’ve used the crutch for at least two weeks have shown a massive improvement in their healing journey.
Sadly, the iWalk crutch is not suitable for everyone. Please check an earlier section of this post to confirm whether or not you are a candidate.
Overall this folding mobility scooter i’s a lifesaver. Take advantage of their 30-day satisfaction guarantee to try it out.
