Forearm Crutches are Way More Convenient
I'm a physical therapist who recently underwent hip surgery. As a result I have to be off my leg for 3 weeks (4 more days as of writing this) and I discovered after two days of clunky, hospital-issued crutches weren't worth my time or money. They were clunky and loud, woke up the whole family any time I walked anywhere, always managed to fall when I leaned them on something, and left my ribs raw and bruised, no matter how I adjusted them.<br /><br />As a result, I've come to the conclusion that if you're going to be on crutches longer than a few days and you don't get forearm (Lofstrand) crutches, you're a chump! Why?<br /><br />Well, first of all this design has a (relatively) closed cuff that is completely adjustable. That means that I could reach up and grab something while the crutch hung from my forearm (in a long sleeve shirt) or I could quickly slide my arms through them further so they hung on my upper arm (at my side really) while I reached up overhead.<br /><br />The cuffs also allow them to lean more easily on things, and because they are rubber coated, they have more friction. These crutches are pretty heavy-duty. Aluminum, with locking screws that prevent clunking and clacking, but I did have to get a wrench to loosen the cuff bolt slightly, so that they would swing a little easier.<br /><br />The tips are very grippy and soft. I've started to wear one side of them out, so I rotated the bottom of the crutch by pushing in the adjustment buttons and rotating. I walk extremely fast, and I've been hard on these crutches - standing and walking for 7 hours a day so far, with a 12 minute walk to and from my car - so I'm not surprised that the tips are showing a bit of wear already. The crutches overall are steady, safe, and designed well. I wish that the cuff width could be adjusted somewhat (although metal, they bend but do not stay) more for a more precise fit.<br /><br />Overall a really good, inexpensive, highly reliable product.
Rating: 4 stars