Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My mother, who lives with me, is one of those unfortunate souls who suffered the gravest of complications following her hip replacement surgery, and was permanently sentenced to a walker at far too early an age. Being fairly young (and certainly Young At Heart, or Yunga Tart, should you prefer ;}), she remains very active for someone with such limited mobility. Even so, the unique design of this walker tray has been a real game changer for her. For many years, she has used a front basket (just like this one, Drive Medical 10200b Walker Basket, albeit a different brand in all likelihood) on her walker and is quite used to it that way. My primary concern, then, when this tray first arrived, was that she would be reluctant to trade her trusty basket for this tray. Such concerns were unfounded, though, because the unique design of this tray allows her to sport both simultaneously. There are two design features that differentiate this item from other walker trays, IMHO. Both the contour and the spongy black spacers (as they're called in the tray's accompanying literature) act in concert to ensure that this tray is well balanced, sturdy, and space efficient. The angled leading edge of the tray, while adding stability and maximizing capacity, allows the front of the tray to extend over the frame of the walker without obstructing contents of the basket or adding to the overall depth of the walker. The spacers not only allow provide universal fit for this tray on a variety of walkers, they keep the tray level under most circumstances. Also, when the tray does tip abit, the slant is minimal (controlled by the spacers) and easily corrected, due to the spongy spacer material. I deem this tray a game changer because without these specific features, my mother, who is fairly particular about things, would have rejected it, and this tray actually enables her to do some things she couldn't do before. Obviously, she can carry things that wouldn't have fit into her basket. But more importantly, she can stack piles of things, like freshly folded sheets, onto the tray without smashing them down into her basket. Since she likes to take care of all the linens, and laundry is one of the few household chores she can still do just as well as before her decrease in mobility, having the tray and being able retain those special fresh-out-of-the-dryer folds in her linens is more important to her than it would seem on the face of things. The tray not only gives her additional carrying capacity, it allows her to carry certain types of items that have posed enough difficulty to preclude their transport. For example, I was recently on crutches myself, and the tables were turned; she was waiting on me! Anyone who's ever used crutches knows that it is impossible to carry anything, since the hands are actually busy bearing weight. In the past, she was unable to move things like a bowl of cereal with milk, or really a bowl of anything that was bigger than about 7" in diameter, as typical walker baskets are only 8" front to back. With the tray, even a bowl of soup is a far less formidable opponent. Another example is related to her longtime favorite hobby, reading. In the pre-tray days, she had to ask me to ferry stacks of books from her library to her bedside for her, rotating her bedside stock periodically. Now she can move stacks of books without damaging the books or worrying over book avalanches. Again, these simple tasks may not sound very liberating to those with unhindered mobility, but for someone whose ambulation is only enabled with a walker, they define autonomy. Pros: 1) Contour : The angle on the leading edge ---> weight distribution over frame of walker for balance and stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . maximizes capacity without increasing the front to back dimension of walker 2) Unobtrusive Lip ------> prevents items from slipping off, but not so high as to interfere with item retrieval from tray 3) Can be used with other walker accessories (baskets, bags, bins, and pouches) 4) Spacers -------> add stability and keep tray level most of the time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .provide for universal fit with various brands and types of walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .allow for easy adjustment of the pitch of the tray when needed 5) Cup Holder ----> unique design accommodates mug handle and has lip for added drink stability 6) Circular Hole ----> Enables transport of long things or tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Can be used to hang a grabber (Ez2care Lightweight Folding Reacher with Magnetic Tip and Ergo Handle, Anodize Silver, 32-Inch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good for tall tapered drinking glasses, allowing the tray to grasp closer to top of glass for added stability 7) Easy to clean 8) Choice of Color ------> Grey matches most walkers or Purple to individualize Cons: 1) Tray still can tip, becoming not level, but not upending as spacers prevent full inversion (or anything near that). 2) Spacers only on back edge ----> if the spacers were thinner, then an additional pair could be placed in the handle slots at the leading edge. 3) Would love to see a beige, ecru, or taupe color to match home decor. A few final notes are here. First, though the tray may not always stay perfectly level, correction back to level is an easy adjustment not requiring excessive hand strength. Second, the addition of another pair of spacers might stabilize the tray, preventing tipping, without sacrificing adjustability or universal fit. That said, the spacer concept is a novel and brilliant design feature, one I've been unable to find on any similar item. This tray is highly recommended to anyone who requires a walker. There is no disadvantage to installing it on a walker as it doesn't interfere at all with the form or function of the walker or its accessories and is easily removed to clean or fold walker. It adds a lot of functionality to the walker, allowing for more freedom and less dependence on others. NOTE : A sample tray was provided by the manufacturer with request (but not requirement) for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own. The manufacturer chose which item(s) to provide from their inventory.