Journey UPWalker Standard – The Original Upright Walker – Premium, Lightweight Adjustable Upright Rollator Walker with Seat for Adults, Seniors & The Elderly

I have "severe end-stage knee osteoarthritis" according to my orthopedic doctor. My doc tells me that I qualified for knee replacement back several years ago. I know that knee replacement is in my future. But I want to get the most out of my "factory installed" knees before I go that route. So instead of undergoing knee replacement, I run-walk marathons. Really. Exercise is actually good for arthritic joints if you can tolerate it - the movement pushes blood and synovial joint fluids into the joint itself, helping to keep them lubricated naturally. And the more natural lubrication we can get into our joints, the less pain and stiffness we will have to endure. Alot of people don't realize it, but the knees do not have blood vessels that carry blood into the knee joint itself the way that most other body parts do - these joints must rely instead on our movements to push the needed blood and lubricants inside them. (That is why we older folks tend to get stiff overnight, or any time we haven't been moving around much - we NEED movement to keep our joints well lubricated and to keep from feeling stiff in a way that younger folks do not. Surprisingly, movement actually works better than Granny Clampett's "rumatiz" medicine for relief from those stiff joints, LOL!) For the fourth time in as many years, I will be run-walking 100 miles over the Labor Day weekend, as a participant in an ultra-marathon down in Manchester, Tennessee (A Race for The Ages ultra-marathon). (Note that a full marathon is only 26.2 miles, so I will be doing the distance of almost 4 full marathons, back to back, in a single race over a single weekend). This race is unique in that it is actually designed to be "elderly run-walker friendly," unlike most ultra-marathons that are geared towards young, elite runners. Over half of the race participants, in any given year, are over age 60 - and several are over 80! The older you are, the more time you are given on the course to complete your miles - each race participant is given one hour on the track for every year they have been alive. I will be 65 on Labor Day, so I will be allowed 65 official hours on the race track to accomplish my miles. The oldest race participant last year was 85 years old, so he was given 85 official hours to run or walk his miles. This race is unique in that it actually tries to level the playing field between those blessed with young, healthy bodies and those who are older and beginning to break down. Because the race is "elderly friendly," one of the ways it is different from other races is that it allows the use of walking aids for those race participants who have documented medical need for that kind of equipment. In previous years, I have done my 100 miles with only a walking cane during the later miles. But my knees are getting worse over time. So that is why I got this walker. Can you imagine how much pain I would be in, if I had to hunch over a regular type walker mile after mile, hour after hour, as I slowly ran-walked 100 very long miles in the southern heat? Instead, I will be doing most of the race this year with my new UpWalker. I have been training with it for several weeks now, as I prepare for the big race. My longest session thus far using the UpWalker is about 6 hours of continual run-walking on a paved walking path in a local city park. I will need to use it alot longer - and for many more miles - than that practice session, once I get to Tennessee for the big race. For the most part, it has performed excellently thus far. It can get a bit unstable if you roll it on large, loose rocks, but that is to be expected. Most people would never do that, but some city parking lots can be paved with large, loose gravel found loose on top of the paved surface, so I tried my UpWalker on that kind of surface, just to see what would happen. I didn't have a problem controlling the walker on that parking lot, but I could see where someone who was weaker than myself might have problems. I was pleasantly surprised with just how easy the thing is to manuever. There are alot of curves along the walking path that we will use for our race in Manchester, and I am expecting it to handle those fine, even when I am hot and tired. There are several curbs along the route we use for the race, and I will lift the walker over the curbs when I encounter them. I don't anticipate problems with that. The only time that its weight can pose a problem (for this small, 65 year old lady) is getting it into and out of the trunk of a car. So I stick mine into the area between the front and back seats of my Toyota Camry, and find that a bit easier to do. My husband - on the other hand - has no trouble getting the walker in and out of the trunk. Best I can tell from my practice sessions with this UpWalker, it should help me to do my 100 miles with alot less knee pain this year. It performs so well that I can even run using it!

In June of this year I weighed just under 300 pounds. I sat at home almost all the time. Because my knees are bone on bone, every step I took, even with massive amounts of pain killers, was excruciatingly painful. I qualified for knee replacement except for my weight. I had already proven that if I could walk, I could lose the weight. Just a couple of years earlier I had lost 120 pounds, then as my knees worsened and I stopped walking, I gained it all back. I went to several doctors and all turned me down because of my weight and I was discouraged and headed toward a deep depression. I knew something had to change. I decided to put my house up for sale and in a short period of time had a contract. The day after signing the contract, my hip broke. The rehab facility had a walker that had been pieced together to mock the function of an Upwalker. Immediately, I was able to walk about three times further than I could with a regular walker. The physical therapist knew someone that had an Upwalker and told me about them. I researched the Upwalker and decided that I couldn’t afford not to purchase one, especially with a hope of losing weight to get both my knees replaced. I had it delivered to the rehab facility. The physical therapist and I made all the adjustments needed in just a few minutes and I was off and walking. Since then I have been walking as much as I possibly can, and I have now lost the weight I needed to in order to have my knees replaced—about 75 pounds in just over five months!! I still can’t stand but about ten minutes at a time, but one recent day, my step counter said I walked over seven miles—nearly every one of those steps with my Upwalker. Being able to put the weight on my forearms and elbows has made all the difference in the world. Upwalker is sturdy enough and easy enough to maneuver and lift into and out of the car I can use it daily on well maintained, level trails, so I’ve been able to get out in nature and pick up my camera (I’m a photographer) again. I left my depression behind when I moved and am happier now than I have been in years. I can’t wait to ditch the pain meds. I see the surgeon on the 11th of this month to schedule the first surgery. Bellingham, WA, where I live, is rich with wonderful trails through woods. Whenever I am on a trail, I always get stopped at least once and frequently three or four times by someone curious to learn about my walker. It draws a lot of attention. I get stopped so frequently, I need to record a commercial, so I can just hit play! It needs the video as well as sound, so I can demonstrate how easy it is to adjust for each person. I have offered to meet loved ones that weren’t with the people inquiring to let the person they think could use the walker try it out, or to talk to them to explain the difference between Upwalker and regular walkers and what a difference it has made to me. Even little kids as young as four want to know about my walker. After a recent wind storm that left the trails littered with limbs and branches, I claimed the title of Trail Queen, and I would tell little kids I would declare them Trail Princes and Princesses if they would pick up and move just three sticks from the trail to help me to walk easier, and they loved it. I hope I am helping to raise awareness that even these tykes can make a difference and that walkers are nothing to be afraid of. I also get a lot of comments of encouragement, comments about the mud on my wheels, or how determined I must be to be further down trails that a lot of able-bodied people. I have inadvertently become a sales rep for Upwalker and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the sales in this area have seen a recent significant uptick. Personally, I would love to hug the neck of the person/team that engineered this well thought out and beautifully executed product. I truly believe it has almost singlehandedly saved my life—literally.

This thing is really great. I’ve been scared for years about days when I’m super wobbly or have a lower body injury. My right wrist can’t take any weight & my left shoulder is a problem too. Not only does this solve that but it also lets me stand straight so I’m not triggering major pain in my back or neck that would happen with a regular walker. Plus I was worried how I’d carry things if I was injured. This solves that, not only with the cup holder & bag, but a plate or tray fits really well on the seat. It’s super well designed, really sturdy and really easy to make all of the adjustments to make it fit me personally. The packaging was clever & made it easy to get out. The very few things I had to do to set it up were easy. The big wheels have no trouble going up & down over thin & thick rugs, or dog toys as it turns out too! Though it does make a loud thump going back from rug to wood/tile floor, which freaks my dog out a little and might be anproblem if you have downstairs neighbors. The turning radius is pretty tight. The only issue is that it is wide. I can take it everywhere in my house except the bathroom doorway, and that’s OK. I know it’s expensive, but if you can afford it, it’s a terrific aide, so comfortable to use. And for me it means not living in fear anymore. That’s huge.

I really wanted this to work for my mom, but it's just too heavy for her and difficult to move around in the house. The construction is quite sturdy, no doubt, and for someone stronger it likely is a good choice. Nonetheless, a fragile 89 year old with little upper body strength can't maneuver this walker around corners and into smaller areas, like a home laundry room or closet, or even a smaller bathroom. Also, the seat is not as stable as it should be for someone with balance issues. It is also heavy to lift into a car if you lack strength. The wheels do roll over doorways well. We did not take my mom outside with it; she only tried it in the house, so I'm not sure about gravel, grass, etc. It is probably okay for someone to go for walks with on a sidewalk, as it did roll smoothly on hardwood floors. NOTE: I did not pay for shipping as a Prime member, but I still have to pay to send this back! From SC to Chino CA, it is about $165.00 to return this walker by UPS ground. OUTRAGEOUS. Also, what is not disclosed on Amazon when ordering this item is that Upright "may" charge a $75.00 "restocking" fee. I have not yet sent it back, it's boxed up and ready to go, so I don't know yet if the restocking fee will be charged. After receiving the walker, I found out that the walker must be in "resalable" condition and if it isn't they will not refund any money, and they will not send you a replacement! Once again, this is not disclosed on Amazon when ordering. It is understandable that Upright wants the product in resellable condition, but they state it has to pass their "inspection," not stating what that inspection entails. Since you have 30 days to return it, some people may actually use it (we did not, beyond moving around in the house to try it out - it still has the tags attached to it). I just want others to be aware of what is not fully disclosed on Amazon. There is a "lite" version of this walker, but at the cost of having to return it if it also doesn't work I will not be ordering that one. I gave it 2 stars for maneuverability, for the aforementioned reasons, and 4 stars each for stability/sturdiness. I gave it 4 stars because of the "seat" portion of the walker. It is movable (it has to be to fit between the handles for proper upright walking position) and it is awkward to sit on. Overall, for the right person, this walker may help some to be more upright and mobile. For others, it is too heavy and cumbersome to fulfill it's purpose.

Love, love, love this UpWalker! Positives: *helps me walk without fear of falling (when on a flat surface) *helps me walk upright *is sturdy, weighs 23 lbs. *allows me to walk further and for a longer time *well-designed for comfort (walking and sitting) *easily folds up for placement in backseat floor or trunk of my SUV Sad, sad, sad about the braking system! Negatives: *brakes gave out early on which affects its stability/maneuverability *after 1 1/2 hrs working on brakes without success, a seasoned bicycle repairman felt that there is a design flaw with brakes. 3 other people tried to "fix" the brakes without success. *UpWalker will easily tip over to the right or left when walking sideways on a slope

AMAZON--YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THIS HORRIBLE ITEM. DO NOT BUY--THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PRODUCT EVER! My mom is 89 and due to FALSE advertising it claims to help straighten the back and provide better balance. "You can easily use it in the home"--NO YOU CAN'T! Unless you live in a mansion with no obstructions and no carpet. I tried using this UpWalker in the park where there is cement walkway and is totally UNABLE to maneuver this smoothly--even with the safety latches on correctly. This product was SO DANGEROUS she almost fell TWICE within a half hour. I'm returning this piece of dangerous junk--she is back to her usual four-wheel walker and is much, much better and safer. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. AND TRY RETURNING IT. THE PACKING IS SO TIGHT IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT IN THE BOX. You need "prior authorization" to return it even if it was just used once--I returning it through Amazon. Doesn't matter what UpWalker says--point is THIS PRODUCT IS NOT USABLE. It makes me wonder how many false "positives" there are done by employees to sell this clunky piece of junk. Oh and fitting it in and out of your car--it will tear up your car seats. This whole thing is junk and clunky--and dangerous to use. PROS: The concept is an excellent one: You rest your elbows on the plastic supports so you can shift your weight on them and walk better. However, this is not the case with use. CONS: If you do not own a van, don't get it. It is about 40 pounds of clunky metal with a lot of pointed edges and when you unfold it two *plastic* supports must be latched down so it won't fold on itself again. I don't know how long these plastic safety latches will hold. It put a hole in my back seat car and I almost broke my back lugging it in and out of the car. Like I said this is 40 pounds. The wheels are not easily manuervable, even with myself assisting my mom to steer it. Even I cannot steer it well using it in the park with concrete walkway. People with disabilities, this would pose a fall hazard. For something as expensive as nearly $600 this is inexcusable. Returning it is another chore. More like a living nightmare. Getting it back into the box is nearly impossible. I'm telling you this thing weights nearly 40 pounds. Unless you live in a giant mansion with no carpet and no obstructions, I cannot see how it is possible to use in the home. I did not buy this to simply "return it"--like I said my mom almost fell twice using it and it was very hard to steer even with me helping. I'm glad I was at least able to return it but it was a terrible inconvenience along with a hole in my back seat from this "easy to use" walker.

There are a few things I would do differently in the design of this walker, but I waited to review it until I used it for a while. Overall, I love it. I have used a walker (euro style) for years but my wrists and shoulders were constantly in pain from the weight on them. This walker is wonderful. My wrists, thumbs and shoulders no longer hurt after taking a walk, and being able to stand upright has greatly improved my balance. The biggest drawback is that it is not as steady on some of the curb cuts and slopes that I walk on around my neighborhood. Some of that may be from me getting used to the balance but the inherent problem is that as the walker gets taller, it isn't braced as well. I think it is the nature of the design because in order to be able to fold it to fit in a trunk and be light enough to use, there can't be as much rigidity in the frame. I would recommend it for almost everyone unless you have weak upper body and poor core strength you may not be able to control it as well on slopes. Edited: I gave this an extra star after using it for about 10 months. My ability to walk, my stamina and my distance have all improved greatly using this product. I love it. My upper body strength has improved, mainly from being able to walk with a more normal posture. I still use a wheelchair for most of my day because I have to use braces as well and it is difficult for adl's so I use this once a day for my exercise and pt. I highly recommend it. I've used customer service once as well, and they have been super.

We are enjoying the walker. My husband has been using a walker and wheelchair for 10 years. This beats anything we have ever used in the past. My husband says this relieves the pressure off the neck and shoulders and allows more freedom of standing tall and walking normal but gives him the assistance to be able to move with greater stability. Excellent if you are using a walker for "fall issues." The ease of pushing him as if he is in a wheelchair does not compare with the old standard ones we have used in the past. I'm only 4ft 10 inches and 100 lbs and I can manage the UPWalker better than anything that I have ever had to assist him. After the arms are lowered and wheels locked, it is a breeze for me to pick up and place on our tailgate, lay it on its side, and slide into the back of the pickup, the car trunk is just as easy. We did not receive the strap that went across the back and my husband would have greater comfort with its use. We have requested the company to allow us the availability of having a replacement. They have not had the available time to provide adequate information and should not be held against them until a reasonable time has elapsed. He went to the doctor the next day after receiving, many people came up to him to ask about the UPWalker and its ease. Almost all of those who inquired took pictures of the UPWalker with their cell phones so that they can talk with family about acquiring one for a loved one.