How to choose a rollator that your parent will actually use
The wrong rollator ends up in the garage. The right one becomes an extension of the body.
Most rollators that end up in a garage were bought for the wrong reason: cheapest in stock, or recommended by a well-meaning friend with a different body and a different street. A rollator that gets used has been chosen for one specific person walking on one specific set of surfaces.
Wheel size matters more than almost anything else
Small (six-inch) wheels are fine on smooth indoor floors and freeze on the first sidewalk crack. Eight- or ten-inch wheels handle Canadian sidewalks, gravel driveways and small thresholds without throwing the user forward. If the rollator will ever go outside, size up.
Set the handles, then set them again
Handles should sit at wrist height when your parent stands straight with arms relaxed. Too high and the shoulders hunch; too low and the back rounds. Re-check after the first week — most people set them too high at first.
The seat should be high enough to stand from
A rollator seat is for resting, not for transferring. If your parent will use it as an occasional rest stop, the seat height matters: a low seat is exhausting to stand from. Aim for a seat height equal to the distance from the floor to the back of the knee.
Brakes that lock with one hand
Loop-style brakes that lock with a downward press are intuitive and one-handed. Pull-style cycle brakes look familiar to anyone who biked but are harder for arthritic hands. Test both before buying.
Weight you can lift into a trunk
If your parent will travel with it, a 14-pound aluminum frame is much friendlier than a 22-pound steel one. The trade-off is some stability — but most people do better with a lighter frame they actually take places.
When possible, buy from a mobility shop that lets your parent walk a loop in the store. The difference between "fine" and "right" is felt in the first two minutes.