Choosing a rollator that works outdoors

Most rollators sold are indoor rollators, and most people use them outdoors. That mismatch is behind a lot of falls.

Wheel size decides it

• 6 inch. Smooth indoor floors. Will stop dead on a pavement crack.
• 8 inch. The sensible all-round choice. Handles pavement, kerb cuts and light gravel. The byACRE Carbon Ultralight runs 8 inch wheels, which is why it works both indoors and out.
• 10 inch and up, pneumatic. Genuine rough ground: grass, woodland, farm tracks. Heavier and bigger folded.

The physics, briefly

A small wheel meeting an obstacle its own height stops. A large wheel rolls over it. Since the user's weight is going through the handles, a rollator that stops suddenly throws them forward. That is the fall mechanism, and it is entirely preventable by buying the right wheel.

What else changes outdoors

• Brakes. Outdoors you need brakes that hold on a slope, not just park on the flat. Test them on a hill.
• Weight. Outdoor frames are heavier, and there is a real tension here: the heavier it is, the better it handles rough ground and the less likely it is to be carried down the front step. Weight is why we recommend the carbon frame so often.
• The seat. Outdoors, the seat is what extends the walk beyond the person's stamina. It is the difference between a walk to the corner and a walk to the park.