iWALK3.0 – The Original Hands Free Knee Crutch - Alternative to Crutches and Knee Scooters - iWALK Replaces Crutches for Adults - Peg Leg Crutch For Lower Leg Injuries - See All Qualifications for Use - Not for Elderly or Balance Impaired

If you have an injury where you can not put weight on a foot & you are determined to remain independent - there is nothing else out there like this. About 10 days ago I broke my heel & needed emergency surgery. The common mobility aid choices out there are crutches, walker, knee scooter, & IWalk 3.0 as of this time. First, in order to use this, you have to be somewhat agile, have decent balance, be on decent shape, & be determined to be independent. If that describes you, I will tell you why this product is the best choice out there. If you are happy sitting around all day & having everything done for you, then you may want to skip this product. There is a small learning curve & you have to be determined to get over that hump & make it work for you. I was d/c from hospital with a walker & had crutches at home. Both of those things require you to hop & you are very limited the distance you can go & where you can go. Steps on those - basically forget it. I’m a 51 yo male in pretty decent shape, but not an athlete. Before my injury I regularly walked ~ 7 miles a few days a week for exercise. I received the IWalk, put it together, & carefully paid attention to the adjustments & the correct way to do them. It’s fairly easy to put together (easier than a knee scooter) & it’s critical you set it up correctly. I also purchased a knee scooter at the same time. I watched the videos & learned a bit about it before using. One thing I’d like to say is the manufacturer mentions you need to be able to balance on 1 foot for 30 seconds to use the IWalk. I didn’t find that anywhere near true. I didn’t attempt it, but I really doubt I could consistently balance on 1 foot unassisted for 30 seconds. I could probably do 10 seconds, or whatever any normal person could do. This is no way made using the IWalk more difficult. Once I strapped it on, it was pretty intuitive. I could right away take steps unassisted. There is a space on the crutch to rest your hand on the side your foot is injured. This is important. While you can use it hands free, just regularly walking around it’s easier (& safer) to slightly “lift” the crutch with your hand and you step forward with it. If you don’t do this & are not paying attention, every once in a while you will misjudge lifting the crutch & the super sticky rubber foot will catch the ground as you left off & cause a “stutter” - like you you stepped on a shoe lace. This is easily avoided my either paying close attention when hands free or simply slightly lifting the crutch as you walk with your hand. There are 3 straps that hold this crutch to your leg. You want them TIGHT. Obviously, not cutting off your circulation, but tight enough that the crutch is one with your leg. A loose crutch can also cause this “stutter”. I will tell you in 10 days I have used this crutch heavily on all types of surfaces: uneven pavement, grass, steps, curbs, wet ground, etc & have not fell once. Once you master it, it will allow you to basically do anything you can do prior to your injury - it just takes longer. If done as directed, you can easily go up & down steps (with a railing). Low curbs can be done without holding on to anything & high curbs can be done with the aid of a can on holding on to something. If you’ve watched the videos, you can see all the things people can do with this crutch. They are 100% accurate. You just have to put in a little time to master it. The reason I sent the knee scooter back was it’s useless for stairs & it’s a big footprint so turning around is slow. The IWalk fixes all that. I was able to walk 2.25 miles around my neighborhood unassisted with just the crutch (see photo). I am able to easily get in & out of my truck, drive alone, & go places alone with the crutch (left foot injury). A small car may be more effort - but it’s certainly doable. You just get in your vehicle leaving the crutch leg hanging out & unstrap it while sitting on the seat, the place it it the vehicle. Once you’ve arrived you install it the reverse & you are free to go. I’ve been to the supermarket, post office, UPS store, convenience store, gas station, etc - all unassisted doing any normal activity with the crutch. You can stand alone unassisted (like waiting in line) once you master it. In fact, I even packed up my scooter in the huge box it came in, walked it out to my truck, placed it in the back seat, & walked into the UPS store carrying the scooter box using the IWalk. All unassisted. Once I realized with the IWalk can do - I knew the scooter was useless to me & going back to return. Ok, so some realistic advice. Some people short the IWalk because they say it’s a lot to take on & off. Well, I found if you are just going to the bathroom or something, you really just need to fasten the middle strap. It’s probably not the best idea, but I’ve even used it with no straps just to go a short distance. Again, I have not fell once. The crutch is built very well for the price point - it’s actually pretty brilliant. Honestly, working in the medical field, this thing could sell for 10x as much & still be worth it. It’s the only solution that allows you to do everything you did prior, it’s just slower & you need to take a bit more care. You just have to be motivated to do it. The more you use it, the easier it gets. The foot is a super grippy type rubber. Stickier than a sneaker. It really does not slide even on a wet surface. I use this to get in & out of a walk on shower very carefully with no problems. Surprisingly, even after being on your feet for a very long time(hours) my knee & shin was a little fatigued - but did not hurt. More like I needed a rest. I have yet to have any hip issues with it. Some tips: 1. Adjust & tighten everything correctly. Watch all the videos & pay attention. 2. Keep your eye on the ground in front of you & on the crutch foot. This helps a lot. Use a cane or a crutch to help the first time you use it to get the hang of it. 3. The straps have 2 adjustments - a long term & a short term cinch strap that allows you to get in & out of the crutch quick. Once you get the “long term” adjustment correctly- sew that part of the strap in that position. It does tend to loosen up over time & it’s a lot quicker if you don’t have to keep tightening that adjustment & the quick adjustment. 4. Periodically check everything on the crutch is tight. There are a few screws on the foot, the hip adjustment, & a clamp on the ankle part that can come loose. Just check them every 2 days or so. 5. As the directions say, make the hip adjustment high, it’s more stable. 6. Always hold on to something going up & down a curb or steps. I’ve learned to negate this on a high curb using a cane. Going down steps backwards is easier, especially if it’s many steps. 7. If you are on any type of uneven terrain - make very small steps. The smaller the steps the more in control you are. I was even able to go up a big muddy grass hill ok doing this. 8. Don’t swing doors & car doors behind you to close them. Turn around & close the door facing it. This makes it so you will now swing the door shut on your bad foot. 9. Only use hands free if you need to. Otherwise, hold the built in handle as I described before when making steps as a habit. Again, this thing is really a game changer. You just have to master it & take your time. 11/23/23 ******************* Below is an update/ edit. It’s now about 7 weeks I’ve been using the iWalk. I’ve used it quite extensively. In fact, I’ve been on it at work 8 hours without sitting down once. I’ve walked 4+ miles non stop with it. I’ve brought it on vacation to a tropical area outside the country where the temperature was 100 degrees F & the humidity is very high. I’ve worn it on the beach. It’s been exposed to salt water. I’ve walked on cobblestone streets, high curbs, wet sand, grass, dirt/mud, wet floors / wet cement / wet asphalt, & almost anything else that is out there. I’ve got it soaking wet from being caught in the rain. It’s been on 4 airplanes & through security at multiple airports. It’s literally been dropped & thrown all over many times. I hope the manufacturer of iWalk reads this - I have a few things that I think may be helpful…. 1. The knee / shin pad story… I’ve spent hours standing / walking with the iWalk without sitting or taking it off. I wore out the original knee pad ~ 2 weeks. The pad is foam & the foam compresses & doesn’t relax; providing significantly less “cushion”. This makes it feel like you are kneeling on hard plastic & makes a huge difference in the comfort experience & length of time you can use the crutch consecutively. Hours can go to minutes once the foam pad is worn out. I used it (too much) with the worn out foam pad & eventually got a pressure blister + significant soreness on my knee / shin before a new one arrived. The new pad helped, but we are dealing with dense foam that is about 1” thick if that. Even with the new pad, I already caused some topical soft tissue injury to my knee & shin from overuse of the crutch with worn out pad - so it still hurt even with the new pad. However, I did find a solution. The solution is to trace out the original knee/shin pad from the iWalk w/ 4” memory foam, cut it out, and use it as a “buffer pad” between your shin/leg & the stock iWalk pad. I happened to have an old memory foam mattress topper - which works perfect. You can likely buy 4” memory foam on Amazon, or bite the bullet & buy the smallest 4” memory foam mattress topper you can find - then you can make additional pads. You simply sit your new memory foam buffer pad on top of the stock iWalk pad & affix it with 2 loops of quality medical tape going around the whole iWalk knee platform. You want the tape to slightly compress the foam just enough to hold it in place. This makes it much easier than having your new foam “buffer pad” fall off every time you remove the iWalk. iWalk needs to provide a pad like this or offer explicit instructions on making one. It makes a night & day difference. Even with prior knee/shin irritation I can again use iWalk several hours continuously comfortably. I feel like the iWalk is priced very reasonably. I think they should raise the price & provide a pad like this & another stock type pad stock with the crutch. You need 2 pads for extended use. One dense core & one very open core that can compress a lot (memory foam). This provided a comfortable interface for your leg & the crutch. For light use the stock pad is sufficient until it wears out. My iWalk has seen rain, high humidity, & high temperatures. The few tiny Velcro circle pieces that retain the foam knee pad to the knee platform became unglued on the pad and the crutch after a lot of use & moisture. I was able to re-glue the Velcro w/ Krazy Glue - bit a few wer lost. I feel iWalk could make a huge improvement by securing the pad with a much larger strip of Velcro & either improving the adhesive or providing replacement pre-cut pieces of self adhering Velcro with the crutch & charging you a few & more $. I fixed this by using Krazy Glue to adhere additional Velcro to the pad & knee platform. I lost one of the 3 foam strips that pad between your upper thigh/hip area & the crutch from the adhesive failing. I again cut out a piece of memory foam affixed it with glue this time. iWalk does sell replacements. However, memory foam is much thicker & provides much better comfort to the upper thigh. I feel iWalk could benefit by providing a thicker foam here (maybe 1”) & providing an additional set with the original purchase. It could only cost a few $ more & iWalk is so inexpensive for what it is a slight price increase wouldn’t hurt. Also, if you are in a long boot this will interfere with the iWalk knee platform. It can cause discomfort - especially if the boot has protrusions in the front. The solution is to use 4” memory foam as needed on the platform to shim/raise the boot so the protrusions aren’t hitting the knee platform. You will have to experiment. A short boot does not contact the crutch - so no problem there. I’d recommend a short boot with iWalk if possible. 2. The fasteners… There are many threaded fasteners that hold the crutch together. They do come loose with significant use. Theoretically, one could come out causing a fall. I’m sure iWalk tells you to re-check them periodically. I found that applying Loctite to the threads & making them as tight as possible by hand once you are happy with your adjustments will keep them tight long term. Also, there are plastic/metal cotter pin like “c-clips”at some of the adjustment points. I found extensive bumping around could possibly knock one out if you hit it just right. This isn’t a design issue, I feel like the design is adequate & good. Just as a precaution, I recommend wrapping them in electrical tape so they can not become unfastened no possible way by accident - especially the “c-clip” that’s in a blue plastic retainer “cage” that holds lowest main pole height/leg adjustment. The plastic retainer cage did come unclipped on its own somehow a few times & started to get a little mangled. Realizing loosing/damaging one of these clips means I’d loose my mobility until I got a replacement - I wrapped them all in tape to avoid any possibility of this happening. In a perfect world IWalk could re-design that lowest “c-clip” retainer cage somehow so it doesn’t use plastic; however I feel the current design is not a major issue. 3. The squeak… After a while the crutch will squeak. It’s not picky - but you will find it annoying. 95% of the noise comes from where the lowest pole goes into the plastic foot assembly. You can simply add oil around the lowest perimeter of the pole & it will sink into the plastic foot & stop the noise. It lasts about a week - then repeat. —— > Other than the foam pad(s), nothing on the crutch has failed after extensive use. The rubber “sneaker” tread is getting worn out, but they sell replacements. Walking on wet / slippery surfaces is almost as doable as doing the same with 2 feet as long as you are aware the surface is line that. If you are daring you can go up & down high curbs without assistance or holding on to anything once you get the hang of it. Steps will need a railing to go down forwards, or at least a wall to stabilize yourself to go down backwards. Backwards is better, depending what side your injury is & what side railing is on. Safely carrying multiple heavy bags or picking up heavy items is doable. It’s a good idea to keep your eye on the crutch foot if possible when walking. Small steps make it much safer over any uneven terrain. It’s a very good product that allows you to do about anything someone could do with 2 good feet. The only real area it could use some refinement is the knee pad.

1000% better functionality than crutches! I used mine for two separate surgeries in one year. (one on each foot) Each recovery period was 3 months long, so I wore it for 6 months total. I walked quite a bit every day and even wore it to work. It is very rugged and is still in pretty good condition after all that use through those 6 months. It weighs around 3 pounds and my cast weighed 2 pounds, so you do feel the extra weight when you walk but you get used to it fairly quickly. It doesn't take but a few hours of use before you get comfortable with your stability. You will walk just like a pirate and not very fast, but the freedom and control it gives you is fantastic compared to crutches. For added comfort, I replaced the pad that goes on the strap that runs behind your knee with a piece of tubular foam for superior comfort then wrapped it with duck tape to keep the strap inside of it. I also added 1" thick foam strips in the area where your knee rests for added comfort. I also placed a folded hand towel there to cradle my knee. I would advise that you always be aware of where and how you are stepping so that you don't trip or stumble. Walking on uneven ground is not a very good idea, as you can lose your balance. I fell twice while walking in the grass. After some use it will start creaking, but if you put some oil in the joints it will silence it. In general it greatly increased the quality of my life during recovery and reduced the depression associated with my long recovery by giving me greater mobility.

I really think this is a great product and it is not the manufacturer's fault that I am struggling with the use because I thought I could get past the reviews that stated one should be in relative shape before using. I am 270lbs, right at the suggested weight limit. I have been using the iwalk for a week now and I have no issues with balance or movement (make sure to practice if using for post-op needs), but since I am overweight and out of shape, using this for more than 5 minutes at a time is completely exhausting. If I was in better shape, this would be a wonderful way to navigate a place that has stairs and other obstacles. I wanted to purchase this item because it is unrealistic for me to stay on one floor of the house using a scooter, and crutches are difficult for me as well. This item works for my immediate needs, I love that I can carry things with me across the house, but my issue is that due to my physical state, using this for a prolonged time is just not reasonable. If you are making a decision on which way to go for your needs, please consider that the weight limit recommendation is serious and if you are close to it, you may want to reconsider. The instructional videos are great, the comfort is good, and I feel stable while using the product, but it wears me out using muscles I didn't know I would need. I hope this helps someone in their decision making process and I am only giving it 4 stars because I feel the weight limit should probably be lower than stated.

I'm giving the iwalk a 5 star review because it does exactly what it is advertised to do! But I'm also going to give you all of the positive and negatives things I've found about using this device. First about me: I'm a 51 year old who just had planned reconstructive foot surgery. I'm not in great shape. When I read all of the requirements for use, I'm boarderline eligible - but I decided to give it a go. I waited about a week after my surgery to try to use the iwalk. I watched all the videos - putting it together, adjusting, learning how to walk - and followed all the instructions. Assembly - very straight forward. The only hiccup i had was identifying the strap with the large cushion goes in the crook of your knee. I missed that in the video... Learning curve - I was able to walk without holding onto anything within ten minutes. Reality of using this device: 1. Once all adjusted, putting it on takes me about a minute. That doesn't sound long... but if you need to get somewhere quickly (i.e. bathroom - and more on that later)... it can be long. Also, I never put it on without something to lean on. 2. Walking - on hard smooth surfaces is the easiest. Carpet - the foot does drag - and I have lots of plush/shag type carpet. I need to keep my hand on the top of the device to make sure it lifts enough. 3. Comfort level - once on, it is comfortable. You will need to re-tighten occasionally. The blue straps (those that you tighten each time you put it on) I give an extra tug to the top one around my thigh fairly often. The black straps (which should be "permanently" set) do need the occasional adjustment and I've accidentally loosened when taking the iwalk off instead of the blue straps (cue cussing). I wear shorts and the platform that you put your lower leg on does leave some indentations - but no discomfort. 4. Safety - For the most part I feel safe using the iwalk. As I said, I'm not in the best shape, and my balance and leg strength in my good leg are not the best. I have not had any trips or falls using it. However, I prefer to be close to something I can put my hand on in a pinch (wall, counter, bannister...). Walking across an open parking lot is my least favorite thing to do with it on. For me, I would never use it for walking the dog! 5. Stairs - I have a split level house - so my biggest need was to be able to get up and down stairs and that's the most use I get out of it. I do hold on to the banister TIGHTLY as I go down (backwards) - I'm less worried going up. After 2+ weeks, I'm able to hold something in my off hand while on the steps. But I was holding both banisters or the wall going down at first. 6. Sitting - I do NOT sit with the iwalk on. It causes me to put pressure on the injured foot which is not what my surgeon wants. Ladies - you HAVE to take it off to go to the bathroom! Straps make it impossible to pull your pants down. All this being said - I'm VERY happy with my purchase. The iwalk works well - gives me much more freedom than hopping with a walker (with a ton less energy needed). It allows me to get around my house. While I'm not up to sweeping the floors (shown in one video), I do cook, do dishes and I was cooking on the bar-b-que last weekend.

I recently badly tore my right hand Achilles Tendon and have just had repair surgery. I knew that I would mean "no weight bearing" on my lower right leg for quite a few weeks after surgery. As an extremely active person I was facing this with dread! I borrowed a knee scooter from a friend of mine and the surgery center supplied me with a pair of standard crutches. It only took me a few hours on these to start hitting the internet for a better crutch/mobility system! I happened upon the "I-Walk" hands free crutch here on Amazon. Boy, am I glad I did! I carried out the questionnaire on the I-Walk website to find out if the I-Walk was for me. And apart from being a bit on the old side at 69 it seemed the I-Walk would work for me. Luckily I am very fit and athletic (I tore my Achilles Tendon water-skiing!) . I ordered the I-Walk for Prime delivery the following day and went to the I-Walk website and watched all the videos on how to assemble, fit and use the I-Walk. The videos are very good and are a must see if you are thinking of getting an I-Walk. Once you have the I-Walk set up correctly you can put in and take it off in less than 30 secs. The instructions that come with the I-Walk are comprehensive and well written. They are easy to understand if you have seen the company videos first. First impression is that the I-Walk is well designed and built from quality components. Having gotten the I-Walk assembled and fitted it was with trepidation that I took my first few steps. I also used a walking stick as a confidence booster. It is actually quite easy. The instructions say that once you start, keep walking which I did for about five minutes. The art is to forget you are wearing the I-Walk and walk normally. If you have good balance you will master it in no time! And now you have both hands free! You can cook, make a cup of coffee, do the washing, clean the house!. I even go out in the yard and play fetch the ball with my dog. The following morning after practicing around the house for a while I noticed my good leg getting tired. Back to the instructions which explained that this was because I am limping and (naturally) favoring the good leg. More practice at forgetting the I-Walk is on and walking normally soon cured this. Next came the stairs. Using the handrail I went up one stair at a time leading with my good leg. Fairly easy but you need the help of the handrail. Then back down one step at a time leading with the I-Walk. A little more difficult but it comes easy after a bit of practice. You may have to come downstairs with your I-Walk leg slightly sideways to stop your foot that is following from catching on the stairs. Again, watch the videos! If you can't remember what foot to lead with going up and down stairs, remember "Up is good" . It is far safer using stairs on a I-walk than using regular crutches! A great thing about the I-Walk is that you still get to use and exercise the upper leg and hip on your damaged leg in a normal way. I made the attached video two days after surgery. I think it shows how quick and easy it is to use the I-Walk. Things to watch when using the I-Walk. 1. Uneven ground. I have to be very careful when I go out on my gravel driveway and take a stick for extra security. 2. Keep the straps tight. The I-Walk has to become part of you leg and the straps need to very tight to achieve this. 3. Don't try to drive with it on. You'd be pretty stupid to even try! 4. Using the bathroom requires a bit of athletic dexterity! I installed a toilet seat riser with handrails which makes it a lot easier. If you have had a lower leg or ankle injury you need one of these. The price on Amazon Prime is very good for a quality piece of equipment. Is it for you? Carry out the questionnaire on the I-Walk website first. If you are fit and can balance on your good leg for over 30 seconds it will probably work. If you are a 250lb couch potato, no. Update. I am into my fourth week of "no weight bearing" after my Achilles tendon repair surgery. The I-Walk has made this bearable! I have been able to make the bed, cook dinner, and be a good "house husband" while I'm home. I have even been able to spend some time working on my vintage British sports car! I have found the I-Walk it to be very comfortable. The foam on the knee pad compresses to the shape your knee and shin and cradles your knee and shin well. Other reviewers have complained of chafing from the straps. I have been wearing shorts all the time I have been using the I-Walk and have not had any chafing problems or soreness caused by the straps. As the instructions say "keep the straps tight". Having any looseness in the straps make walking a lot harder! The straps do come loose over a period of time and will need to be re-adjusted. Not a major problem and a small price to pay for the freedom the I-Walk gives you. The strap on the front vertical tubes that you push your knee up against keeps moving around. I fixed this by putting cable ties around the vertical tubes at the top and bottom of the strap. (see picture). Other than this I really can't find any faults with the I-Walk it is a superbly engineered device. I'll repeat what I said in my original review . If you have had a lower leg or ankle injury you need one of these! It will give you your freedom back! Update. After four weeks on the I-walk my orthopedic doctor now allows me to weight bear on the leg and I am now using a recovery boot. My doctor was amazed at how quickly I had recovered from the surgery. After some thought he said that using the I-Walk for a month has kept my upper leg moving as normal unlike using regular crutches or a knee scooter. This has kept a good blood flow throughout the leg and has probably speeded up my healing. This is a great benefit of using the I-Walk. I have now put the I-walk away as I no longer need it and it was like saying goodbye to an old friend! Thank you I-Walk!

I really want to write about my experiences with this because everything I've needed for my broken ankle I figured out by reading other's review. I bought this during week 6 from recovering from a broken ankle. I've been in a boot, not a cast. I'm 49 and overweight but always have been so I've always carried my weight well. I broke my ankle when I was still recovering from another foot surgery so my body was already struggling with a limp. My body was really, really tired. I could not have used this when I first broke my ankle. My body was so busy healing itself from a nasty break that learning to use this would have been too much. If I was having elective surgery and planned on using this it probably would have been different. I used a knee scooter for the first part of my recovery period. If you are looking at options, realize scooters and crutches are to help you get around but they are still medical devices. You still have to go very carefully. I felt twice on my scooter in one day. It tripped up on uneven pavement. Luckily my husband was with me but it broke a major safety part of the scooter. I was trying to decide on another scooter or this, they are about the same price. I decided on this because you can use it to walk stairs. I'm also a very independent person and this is hands-free. You can carry things and cook etc.. I was hoping for more independence with the steps since my husband had to go back to work. I got this with same day shipping from Amazon which helps immensely when I needed it ASAP. Prime is AWESOME. I put it together and watched the video's and my husband helped me make adjustments. It's easy to put together. It takes a few tries to get used to the fasteners but that's to be expected. They need to be snug and safe. The manufacturer really knocks it out of the park with instructions with easy to follow video's broken down by step. You get a short video for each step so it's easy to start and stop the video and re-watch it. You have to trust your balance and allow your body to adjust to the crutch. The point is to forget it's there. This really works. It did take about 15-20 minutes to get used to it. Each time I took a break from it and put it back on it was easier. I took steps but I did NOT feel comfortable with them so I still go up and down on my butt. I am just not comfortable in general with steps. (I've had foot and ankle problems for a year.) Day two was easier than day one. We tried a walk outside with the front step and the sidewalk. It didn't go well for me. BUT that's just me. I like my two feet on the ground. The uneven pavement was difficult for me to adjust to. I also broke my ankle when I tripped on a cobblestone so that's two strikes against me, not the crutch itself. I did more adjustments to the straps after the walk and it helped a lot. I was able to walk around the house, clean the kitchen, bake cookies and make dinner. I have kept it on when sitting and when using the bathroom. But, it started to cut off my circulation when I was sitting. It only takes a minute to take off and on so I do. I'm wearing a boot so I'm balancing the boot on the crutch too. I use this and regular crutches. I use this when I need to clean up and carry things around and regular crutches just to get from one place to the other. They use two different sets of muscles so alternating has been quite helpful. The iWALK crutch and the scooter are both great around the house because we have laminate floors and they are flat and smooth. Everything is a challenge outside. You will have to have really great balance to do what they do in the videos but for everyday tasks it is doable. I'm glad I made the purchase.

It’s a great idea - and it does give you lots of ability to STAY INDEPENDENTLY MOBILE for LONG PERIODS OF TIME - meaning, it’s great if you need to clean the house (provided you are sturdy and well-balanced enough). No, you won’t be able to walk your pet on the street nor horse in the estable as shown here unless you have circus-level acrobatic dexterity. Just one tug forward on the leash from your pooch, and you’ll be flying into the ground face first. I’d say you can walk Fido if he is either a 5 pound a toy dog or a VERY well behaved average size dog that won’t tug. Else, you’ll likely be smashing face first into the ground. It doesn’t take a pet tugging on you for this to happen though. Occasionally, the rubber ‘foot’ at the bottom will get ‘stuck’ against the tile or, worse, carpet in your home and you’ll have many scares, so you have to walk slowly. No rushing with this. If you just need to get from the bed to the bathroom for a second to pee or brush your teeth, or to the kitchen for a quick snack, this may not be your best option. The mere act of strapping it on can be a mission not worth the effort and time to walk just a few steps. Working the straps is not the easiest thing when trying to put them on or take them off if you want to adjust them tight enough for it not to wobble on your leg as you walk and for you to stay stable and safe. Thus, yours hardly the most efficient way to walk from the bed to the toilet or a dining chair because you can’t in any way sit down while wearing it; and the hassle of putting it on and taking it off for just a few steps is not worth it. A walker or crutches would be way more practical in these scenarios. Now, lest not forgot the car - needles to say, if can’t even sit at home with it, you can’t even get it past the car door (it’s not intended to). Best you can do is put it on to walk to the car (especially if you need to carry things) but you also need to bring your crutches so that after you’ve manage to take it off and put it either in trunk or back seat, you have the trusty crutches to get you back into the driver door and back out again all the way to rear door or trunk to take it out and put it back on. The item has been made with quality in mind. It’s undeniably a quality product, yet the cushion, which one can tell has had a great deal of design and thought put into it, is still painful and far from perfect. Cushion has sections separated by ridges (guessing they were trying to accommodate most people), and an unnecessary LOGO relief that has been imprinted right where you’d bear all your body weight on the knee, and the ridges and logo eat away at your skin. The cushion, along with the release straps still need some more thoughtful redesign for less intrusion into the skin and achieve TRULY QUICK-RELEASING SNAPS that don’t require squeezing your leg to death in order to snap on/off. Ideally, a 4.0 version would have BETTER quick release snaps and would somehow either be fully collapsable for easier carrying and or to allow to at least momentarily sit at the toilet or dining chair for a quick snack without having to fully take it off only to realize you forgot your drink, and then your pills LOL.

Well, I hope no one reading this review NEEDS this thing, but you probably do and I'm sending my empathy your way because being injured like this isn't fun. But, if you find yourself in the unfortunate place where this type of mobility is necessary, I am happy to say that I'm am highly satisfied with this product. For context, my particular injury was to my right ankle area and required me to wear a split/boot for quite awhile. I also was fortunate enough to use a knee scooter and a pair of crutches, so I tried out a variety of things. I'll explain a bit about the use case for each later on. I'm not a doctor or anything, so take everything here with a grain of salt. What it is good for: Moving around for extended periods of time - before I had this thing, I couldn't really stand and use both my hands at the same time. My knee scooter never felt exceptionally stable when I took my hands off the handle bars (even when the brake was locked) and crutches pretty much need to be held by at least one hand at all times. with the iWalk 3.0 I was able to get back doing some basic housework like helping with the dishes, picking up after and playing with my kids (they loved Dada pirate chasing them (slowly) around the house, and even going for a short walk. That said, I wouldn't reach for this thing unless I knew I was going to be up and moving around for more than 5 minutes at a time. Going to the bathroom? Use the knee scooter. Going to refill my water? Use the knee scooter. Going to sit in the backyard while I watch the kids? This required walking across uneven and slightly squishy ground, so I used the crutches. It's just not worth it to get up and strap yourself into this thing if you're just moving a little bit. What it is NOT good for: Any sort of step or unexpected incline. To be fair, NONE of the things I used were good for hills and, ufortunately for me, I live in an area with a lot of them. Walking through my neighborhood felt dangerous, which is not what you want on an evening constitutional. Knee scooter was fine going UP hills (with a little effort and working of the break), but going down meant picking up more speed than I was comfortable with. crutches and the iWalk are both difficult for going up and down steep inclines. This warning does not include stairs, which is an area where the iWalk really shines in my opinion. Going up is easier than crutches. I always lead with my good foot, then bring up the iWalk. They have instructional video on how you should use it. One way I used it differently from iWalks videos is that I actually found that going down stairs backwards and leading with the iWalk felt more stable for me, but please do whatever is most stable and comfortable for you. How comfortable is it? From what I can tell, it seems they have improved this aspect from their previous designs, but it still isn't what I would call comfortable. There are three padded straps that wrap around your legs and they need to be TIGHT for this to work properly. I mean, if it isn't a little uncomfortable, then you will not have the stability you need to walk with this. I felt that the mobility and freedom to move around semi-normally was worth the relative discomfort, but your milage may vary. I would not use it myself for more than 30 minutes at a time to avoid soreness. One final thing: Really take your time when setting the thing up the first time. It has a pretty great system for calibrating the leg to your specifications (length and tightness), but take the time to get it right the first time. Also, pick a pair of shoes you're going to use with it wear those when your are setting it up. different heel heights will mess with the stability, so I only ever used it while wearing one particular shoe. P.S. to the fellas out there... um, the top bar on this thing is supposed to go pretty high up your inner thigh and it can be uncomfortable to your testicles if you don't watch out. Wasn't too bad, but I can see where it could be a problem if you aren't careful. Keep the marbles tucked.