Every time I left the house I had to decide on whether I should bring my wheelchair or walker. That is until now! Find out why I am in love with my new Medline Combination Rollator and Transport Chair!
*Disclosure: I purchased this product myself. All opinions and thoughts are my own and were no way influenced by my being an Amazon Affiliate. This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links.
Since experiencing significant improvements to the chronic pain and symptoms I experience from fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, and costochondritis I no longer need a wheelchair for every outing.
While that is fantastic, my knees blow out after being on my feet for 4-6 hours.
With my rollator being great only for shorter outings, I had to resort to using my wheelchair for all day visits to Disneyland.
However, to keep my hips happy I need to walk too, so that left me having to use my wheelchair as a walker.
Sounds easy right? Wrong, pushing an empty wheelchair is not the same.
You can imagine how giddy I was to find a rollator/transport chair combo!
This review covers assembly, how to transform it from a rollator to transport chair and vice versa, and how well it performs.
Assembly of Medline Combination Rollator and Transport Chair
To my and my husband’s delight, this mobility aid arrived mostly pre-assembled.
The only parts left for him to assemble were the footrests, backrest, and handles.
I was ready to roll in less than 10 minutes!
Transformation
The top two pictures show how it looks as a rollator.
The bottom two pictures are after transforming into a transport chair.
To go from rollator to transport chair all you need to do is flip the position of the backrest and swing the footrests from the side locking position to the front.
One of the reasons I chose this model and brand over similar ones is that no other had swinging footrests that lock on the side when in rollator mode.
They either didn’t have footrests, had ones that had to be removed and took up space in the under-seat storage bag, or are not able to be removed.
Testing 1,2,3
I put this mobility aid to work this week with several visits to Disneyland! This will allow me to test it out on various surfaces.
Comparison
Medline rollator/transport chair combo versus my walker
Comfort
There is no comparison when it comes to comfort while sitting. The only parts of my body that were able to relax when sitting on my original walker were my legs and feet.
With the combo, the seat is soft which takes the pressure off of my tailbone and because the backrest is soft and curved it doesn’t add pain to my back/spine.
The armrests on the combo also allow my body to sit naturally. While seated on my original walker, I would experience an increase in muscle tension throughout my back, shoulders, and arms.
The comfort that this mobility aid provides my body while seated allowed me to walk more than I had expected. It also reduced how long I needed to recover.
After three consecutive 6-8 hour visits to Disneyland, I was able to continue my daily walks. Having the option to rest in comfort and be pushed when needed has increased how far and long I am able to walk without losing days of my life lying in bed waiting for the pain to subside.
Stability
I feel that I have more stability than with my original walker.
I believe it is because the combo folds like an accordion, while my original walker folds from the wheel-base.
With my original walker, it would fold up if I hit a curb or large crack in the sidewalk. With my new rollator, nothing folds or moves. I filled my storage bags that came with the device and the weight had no effect on the balance. With my original, I had to pack light or it would tip over.
I find myself walking in straighter lines and with more confidence than I did with my walker or wheelchair.
Storage
My original walker had a storage pouch underneath the seat. The nylon pouch ripped after a few years of use. There wasn’t much space and because the seat covered the opening, it limited what I could place in it.
My Medline combo came with a side bag and an under seat bag that can be accessed without moving the seat. Because the mobility device folds like an accordion, items placed in the side bag can remain in there when placed in a trunk or cargo area of your vehicle.
My combo device also came with a cup holder. My original walker had no place to put a water bottle or cup. I purchased cup holders that were easy to put on and take off to switch between my walker and wheelchair. I am now using them on my new combo aid.
The Velcro cup holders I use were purchased in 2014 and are still holding strong. Unfortunately, they are no longer available. The ones I have found to be most similar are Pawaca Multifunctional Waterproof Thermal Insulated Bottle Holder Pocket, AlveyTech Horizontal Side Mount Fabric Cup Holder, and AdirMed Wheelchair Pouch. I prefer velcro and soft-sided cup holders because they won’t break in transport like hard plastic ones.
I have one complaint about the cup holder that was included with my Medline Rollator Combo. It is large! While that may seem like a silly thing to complain about, it is a problem. Because it is large, all of my water bottles, sipper cups, coffee cups, etc. wobble when the device is in motion. Then with any and every turn or bump in the road, they bounce and fall out. The cup holder is only useful when sitting still or placing my hand on the cup while being pushed in wheelchair mode. Because of this, I highly recommend looking into one options listed above.
I may be ordering a Fushida Universal undercarriage hanging bag for my new combo mobility aid. It would come in handy when I go on a Disneyland shopping spree!
One issue I had with my wheelchair and rollator is that I could never bring both because each alone took up too much room in the trunks or cargo areas of our vehicles.
The Medline rollator/transport chair folds flatter than either of my original mobility aids did and takes up less space. We also had to take them apart to fit into smaller vehicles, like the one pictured above.
Another perk is not having to remove the footrests or attached bags before folding either. I do need to empty the one under the seat, but I can leave items that I use all the time in the side bag.
Only one thing we need to be careful of and that is to lie it on the side that the cup holder isn’t on to avoid breaking it. Other than that, it is light and easy enough for me to lift in and out of the trunk. (Vehicle pictured is a 2019 Nissan Sentra)
Medline rollator/transport chair combo versus my Drive wheelchair
Comfort
My initial opinion is that it is just as comfortable as my Drive wheelchair. The seat is just as roomy and the backrest is as comfortable.
After a three Disneyland visits and being pushed over brick and cobblestone walkways, I can assure you that it is quite comfortable.
Although I would not recommend this product to someone who needs to a wheelchair more than a rollator, it is because of the reasons in the next section and has nothing to do with the comfort of this device.
Ease of Pushing
I can see one thing that will make it easier to maneuver around Disneyland and that is that even with the footrests out, they do not stick out as far as the Drive wheelchair. We’ve rammed into many walls, corners, and poles with my wheelchair while visiting the Disneyland Resort.
For the moment we have hit a con. I will update if and when it becomes easier for my husband or daughter. For now I will share what their complaints are:
- The device pulls to the right.
- It doesn’t turn as sharp as my wheelchair.
- Because the wheels are smaller than the wheelchair’s, it is harder for them to push over any terrain that isn’t flat and smooth.
We had a similar problem during the first few months of using my Drive wheelchair. So my hope is that it just needs to be worn in a bit.
However, as long as it continues to allow me to remain on my feet more often than not, the amount of time they will need to push it will be minimal.
Durability
The combo mobility aid feels as durable as if not stronger than my wheelchair.
Like my drive wheelchair, you wouldn’t want to put pressure on the footrests. They are fine for resting your feet while seated, just don’t push your feet down on them when rising or sitting down.
The handles loosen after going over rough terrain and need to be tightened, but that is easy to do and doesn’t require any tools.
Performance of Medline Combination Rollator and Transport Chair
My Medline Combination Rollator/Transport Chair is a mobility game changer!!!
Because it doesn’t look like a wheelchair when being used as a rollator, it reduces the stigma of having to use both a wheelchair and walker.
Now that I am 50, people are less judgmental about my using a walker, but they still throw dirty looks when they see me pushing my wheelchair with no one in it.
Choosing a Mobility Aid to Fit Your Needs
It has reduced the amount of pain I typically experience after a day out. By having somewhere comfortable to rest, I was able to keep my kneecaps from swelling and sliding.
Three days at Disneyland typically requires at least a day or two of resting in bed. I have been shopping and going for walks for the past two days.
Because standing creates more pain and problems than walking does, it was wonderful to have something comfortable to sit on while working my way through the queues of my favorite rides.
From floor to top of handle of this rollator combo measures at 36inches. I am 5’2 1/2 and am able to walk without hunching over. I an also able to stand straight while resting my wrists on the handles.
Value of My Medline Combination Rollator and Transport Chair
As for the price itself, it cost less to purchase the combo than it did to purchase my wheelchair and walker separately.
Because it reduced the amount of pain from outings and allowed me to spend less time recovering, it was worth every penny spent!
Click here to compare Medline’s rollator/transport chair combo to other brands.
I think you will quickly see why I chose the one I did.
Do you walk and roll?
Then checkout Medline’s rollator combo!
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