Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This product is 5 stars in most ways but there are a couple of practical issues that made me decide to give it only 4 stars overall. But if you're reading this review, let me give you some advice: BUY IT. Love the iWalkFree. I have a severed Achilles and can't put any weight on it. The iWalk has helped me get much of my life back. Since getting it 10 days ago, I have mowed the lawn, blown and raked leaves, walked my dog, raced my son around the running track (we start in the same spot and see how far I can get before he can lap me), played a (casual) baseball game, coached my daughter's soccer team, and generally regained my ability to walk anywhere. I am 6'6" and about 230 lbs, and the crutch fits me perfectly. I have a 36" inseam, yet I still have adjust to spare on the knee support--I think this thing would work for some folks that are 6'8". 5 stars for fit. When not needing a crutch, I am fit and active, but I'm not a super-athlete. Anyone who is in reasonably good shape with reasonable coordination should be able to use this product. Just make sure your "good" leg and hip are in decent shape. The crutch is very well designed and built. And it's reasonably easy to adjust. 5 stars. I had no trouble learning how to use it. The videos on the iWalk-Free.com web site helped me get started. I was a bit wobbly at first but was able to walk to the park within 15 min of putting it on. After about 3 days, I was quite comfortable and started walking with a longer stride, balancing on the crutch, walking stairs without a railing. Last night I was showing off and "twirling" around in place while standing only on the crutch. 5 stars for ease of use. Safety: My wife, and mom were all fussing about me buying this thing. They were all convinced that is "looks" unstable and were worried that I was going to fall and hurt myself. In reality, I feel *way* more safe on the iWalkFree than I do on both crutches (they run into and get snagged on furniture, my kids' junk, etc.) and my knee scooter (roll over a rough surface at your own peril). I do "snag" the bottom of the crutch on cracks or uneven concrete & grass surfaces, but it feels more like what would happen if you tripped or stumbled a little--you just catch yourself. Overall, I feel very comfortable and stable on the cruch. 5 stars for safety. (And my wife and mom agree now that they've seen me on it.) Overall comfort: While the crutch fits me well and is comfortable to wear, the rest of my body doesn't love wearing it. My right knee (the one thats on the support) tends to get tired and stiff when I've been moving around for awhile. Also, my lower back tends to feel pretty achy when I'm wearing the crutch. This has to do with the fact that my weight isn't entirely even on each leg and because my hips aren't perfectly level. I've played with the height settings, and I've made everything a little better, but my body still gets out of sorts after awhile. I expect it will get better with time, as I get used to it. 3 stars. Hands free-ness: Ok, this is where the crutch really shines. I can carry stuff. I can carry both my laptop and a hot cup of coffee. I can grab rails. I can shake hands. I can do work. 10 stars. (Can I give 10 stars?) Insurance: My doctor (at the excellent U. of Washington Foot & Ankle Clinic) was familiar with the crutch and had one on hand that he's loaned out to patients. It was a bit beat up and my insurance was willing to pay (with a prescription), so I purchased. 5 stars for price! Stories: Same doctor told me two stories: 1) he has a video of a patient playing Ultimate Frisbee on the crutch; 2) a patient who was a home builder was able to work in the crutch and (to the doctor's horror) even climbed ladders on it. Honestly, as safe as I feel on the crutch, a ladder sounds like a terrible idea. Sitting: OK, as useful as the crutch has been overall, it's not a perfect replacement for my knee scooter. It's simply not practical to sit wearing the crutch. I still try to do it, but I'm never comfortable, and the end sticks out...kinda looks like I've got a shotgun hanging off my leg. Also, I end up with weight on my foot/ankle which works for maybe 30 sec but then I'm uncomfortable. Given that it takes about 15 sec to get off and maybe 30 sec to put back on, and that putting it on requires some careful balancing, I have decided not to wear it around the house or my office much. I'm still using my knee scooter primarily when I'm sitting at my desk or on the couch--much easier to get up for meetings or to go to the bathroom. 3 stars. Speaking of going to the bathroom: Works great at a urinal. Much easier than crutches or a knee scooter. Need to take it off if I need to sit. (I sit first then take it off.) 5 stars. Showers: I don't go near the shower in the iWalk. There would just be a little too much balancing and maneuvering around a slippery floor. It would probably work, but I revert to my scooter or crutches when getting in/out of the shower. 3 stars. Around the house: Great, great, great if you need to do housework, yard work, cook, etc. Just today I was walking around the yard spraying weed killer, walking my dog, folding laundry (while standing) and cleaning the kitchen. 5 stars. Customer service: I bought the crutch directly from iWalkFree, since I wanted to be certain of customer service, and I didn't know if there was only one size. It's a small company, and I called them with my questions. They were AWESOME. Great people, very passionate about their product. 5 stars.