Rollator on ice and slippery surfaces

Sandra73
Sandra73 Posts: 4 Listener
edited July 2024 in Housing and independent living
I have been using a walking stick for some time and mostly it is a great help to me. However, as I live in Finland, I have to encounter icy and snowy sidewalks during part of the year, and feel that my walking stick is not sufficient, especially on ice. I'm considering to invest in a rollator for winter use (and maybe for longer walks in the summer too). Does anyone have experience from using a rollator on icy or very slippery surfaces? Is it helping, or does the rollator slip?

Comments

  • Hannah_Alumni
    Hannah_Alumni Posts: 7,848 Championing
    Hello @Sandra73

    I am so sorry no one was able to share their experience on the rollator slip. There are many different ones out there and after researching I can see which are the bestsellers, but they do not mention specific surface types they were tested on. 

    I would encourage you to visit a store and ask one of their advisors. They may be able to provide more information to which is better weather wise for where you are in Finland :) 
  • newborn
    newborn Posts: 828 Trailblazing
    good advice here. Also, for days you use crutches or walking poles or sticks, take a look at the Tom Fetterman (USA) site and the special ferrules or ice tips available 
  • Sandra73
    Sandra73 Posts: 4 Listener
    Thank you all for your replies! 
  • ReMob
    ReMob Posts: 3 Listener

    That’s a really good question, and one a lot of people in colder climates run into. Standard rollators can definitely slip on ice, since their wheels aren’t designed for that kind of surface.

    Some people add winter-specific rollator wheels (with better tread) or fit them with spike attachments similar to the ones you can get for walking sticks.

    If you’re often dealing with icy sidewalks, a rollator can still be helpful because it gives you more points of contact and stability than a cane, but I’d suggest making sure it has:

    • Large pneumatic (air-filled) tires instead of small plastic ones, since they grip better.
    • Ice spikes or stud attachments you can flip down when it’s really slippery.
    • A reliable brake system (some even have ski attachments in Nordic countries).

    It might be worth checking what local mobility shops in Finland recommend, since they’ll stock models adapted for snowy conditions.

Categories