Product review

The most common treatment for Charcot Foot during the acute stage is to be non weight-bearing. Which means crutches and knee scooters are a common tool used by those with Charcot Foot. We have had many readers ask us what we think about the iWalk2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch. We have spent several weeks trying the product, talking with others who have used it and gathering information. We are now prepared to offer our honest review of the iWalk2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch.

Fast Facts

• Designed for both the right or left leg
• Has quick release straps
• Knee platform is padded
• Height adjustments can be made easily
• Easy assembly
• Priced at $149.00

Learning Curve

We worked with six individuals with Charcot Foot who tried the iWalk 2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch. We asked them to try it for one week. Of those six people, three people were able to use it for the whole week. We asked them to share their experiences learning to use it.

“I was able to walk with the hands free knee crutch within about 25 minutes of putting it on,” Joe said. “But it took me at least a day and a half to feel comfortable walking with it. It took at least three days before I felt confident and like I was moving at a reasonably normal pace.”

Joe used the crutch in his home and in his yard. He did not use the crutch in public settings. He felt more comfortable using the crutch in his home versus outside. He says this was due to the uneven ground in his yard and not feeling incredibly confident he could balance on uneven terrain.

“I was walking with the crutch in an hour,” Lori said. “It took me two days to figure out how to go up and down the stairs with it. By the end of the week it felt completely normal to walk with it.”

Lori used the hands free crutch in her home, yard and in the community. She even used the hands free crutch during a trip to the mall. She says she had no problems using the crutch, even in a crowded setting. Her confidence level was higher using the hands free crutch than when she uses traditional crutches.

“I watched the tutorial video two times and was walking about 10 minutes after finishing the video,” Josh said. “Even though I could walk on the crutch it took me about four days to get a rhythm with it. It felt very awkward until day four.”

Josh used the hands free crutch at home and in the community. He attended a baseball game and was able to navigate up and down the bleacher steps on the crutch at day six.

Comfort Level

All six of the individuals on our team say the iWALK2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch is comfortable. It is obvious a good deal of time was put into designing the crutch to ensure user comfort. The knee platform is padded so your knee doesn’t get sore while using the crutch. Since adjusting the height on the crutch is so easy there is no pain associated to hips being out of alignment.

“Using traditional crutches has always been a painful experience for me,” Jessie said. “My armpits and shoulders would hurt. This crutch was different. The hands free system meant I wasn’t straining my arms. Additionally, I didn’t have any knee pain which I would sometimes experience when using a knee scooter.”

What we liked

There were quite a few things we liked about the iWALK2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch. After sitting down to talk it over we compiled the following list.

• The price point – $149.99 seems like a reasonable price for the product
• For those who could use it being hands free was a relief
• It is durable and can be used on a number of different surfaces safely
• It is easy to put on and take off
• It is well padded to increase comfort
• The height adjusts so it is usable for short or tall people

Cons

The only thing we found that may be a barrier with this product is the price point. Oddly, we also had the price as a positive. Beth explained this conundrum the best.

“$149.99 seems like a reasonable price for the product,” Beth said. “However, many people with Charcot Foot are unable to work and have yet to qualify for disability. There income is incredibly limited. To them, $149.99 may as well be $14,999. Unfortunately, insurance is unlikely to cover the product so the price could be a real sticking point for some.”

Would we recommend it

We would recommend the iWALK2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch for people who have Charcot Foot in only one foot. For those individuals the product worked very well and we feel comfortable encouraging others to try it.

“I have Charcot Foot in my left foot but not in my right,” Josh said. “I was able to use the product but I have good balance and no rocker bottom. For me, this has been a game changer. I feel like I’m more mobile which has been a boost to my confidence. I’m glad I tried it and I would recommend it.”

We would not recommend the iWALK2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch for individuals who have Charcot Foot in both feet. The people in our group with bilateral Charcot Foot were not able to successfully use the crutch. The rocker bottom associated with Charcot Foot caused those individuals to not have the balance necessary to successfully use the device.

“I tried on the hands free crutch, took two steps and knew it wouldn’t work for me,” Jessie said. “I have such bad rocker bottoms on both feet there was just no way I could balance. Even wearing my AFO braces, I just don’t have the balance and control necessary to safely use the product.”

One thing we feel is important to point out is iWALKFree, the company who made the iWALK2.0 Hands Free Knee Crutch takes steps to ensure only those who can use the product purchase the product. Before purchasing there is a video on their website explaining who the product is best suited for. They also clearly state if you cannot balance on one foot for a full 30 seconds then the product isn’t for you. We appreciate their honesty from the start.

We very much enjoyed working on this product review for our readers. We hope you have found it helpful. If you have other products you would like us to review or if you would like to assist with a product review, please contact us.