Elenker Upright Walker Review
Price: (Check it out on Amazon.)
Pros: Great value. Fairly light. Small and easy to manoeuvre. Three colours are available.
Cons: Uncomfortable seats.
Best for You want a budget-friendly upright walker with a seat and storage.
Are you in a hurry or don’t feel like reading? Elenker’s Euro Style Upright Walker has earned the title of Best Overall Upright Walker due to its relatively lightweight design, ease of use and lowest price in the category.
Check it out on Amazon.
overview
The Elenker Upright Walker claimed top honours in our “best of” comparison, beating out the original upright walker UPWalker Upright Walker and UP Walker Lite, thanks mostly to its solid overall performance and significantly lower price.
While the UPWalkers may both be technically slightly better products, the question is are they worth more than twice the price of the Elenker?
Maybe for some people, but overall we think Elenka is a good choice for most. As such, if you want an upright walker that does the job well and won’t cost an arm and a leg, this is the one to go to.
Elenker upright walker review
characteristics
- Weight capacity: 300 lbs
- Product Weight: 24 lbs
- Handle height adjustment: 38″ — 47.3″
- Approximate User Height: 5′ — 6'2"
- Overall Width: 25″
- Overall Length: 28″
- Width between handles: 18″
- Storage bag dimensions: 15.4″W x 3.8″D x 11.8″H
- Seat Height: 22″
- Seat Dimensions: 18″W x 10″L
- Wheel size: 10″ front and 8″ rear
- Folded dimensions: 17″L x 35″H x 13″W
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Our analysis
Elenker entered the fairly honest mobility market in 2017. Since then they have released several respected and highly-rated rollators and knee-walkers.
Their Euro-style upright walker is the newest product in the lineup and is already getting a lot of positive reviews from customers. In fact it was one of our readers who bought one and loved it so much that they brought it to our attention and suggested we give it a look.
Design and style
To be honest, there is not much to say about the design of this Elenka product. It looks about as standard as you can get for an upright rollator. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a simple design that focuses more on function than form.
The main body of the frame is made from aluminum tubes attached to a black aluminum “X” style cross brace that connects the two sides of the rolling walker and provides hinges for folding the unit. Extendable arm rests are mounted on silver aluminum tubes.
Exposed brake cables, chunky armrests, black plastic knobs, and a nylon seat and storage bag complete the look. It certainly won’t win any awards for its design aesthetics but it’s simple and functional and available in your choice of three colours; Red, white or silver.
on the way
Elenker Upright Walker performs well indoors with smooth rolling of 8 inch wheels and lightweight frame maneuverability. Floorboards, tiles and carpets are all easily handled, as are transitions and little interruptions between surfaces.
One of our testers found the seat position when you walk too close to their knees, so when you first get used to the walker you can lightly bump your knees against the soft fabric seat until your knees adjust.
However, our other two testers didn’t mention this as an issue so it probably depends on the individual.
Outdoors Elencar works well on flat and smooth surfaces such as pavements, carparks and around malls. Firm grass and compact dirt are also not a problem. Obstacles like small cracks in the pavement and small pebbles were easily overcome and Elenker made short work of them.
However, when the manufacturer says the wheels are “multi-terrain” it’s not really an all-terrain walker. When the road gets bumpy, the grass gets soft, or the obstacles get bigger, the Elenkar will start to go downhill a bit.
To be fair, this is a fairly common problem with most upright walkers as they aren’t really designed for this type of use.
movement
The Elenker steep handles quickly and walking around the house is a breeze. Navigating around doors, halls and furniture is relatively light and quite easy thanks to the fairly small footprint.
To put things in perspective, it weighs just 24 pounds, which is 8.5-pounds heavier than the UPWalker Lite, but 1.5-pounds lighter than the original UPWalker.
And it measures 25-inches wide by 28-inches tall, which is about an inch shorter and narrower than the UPWalker Lite and significantly smaller than the original UPWalker. So it’s right up there with more expensive models handling relatively tight spaces in terms of maneuverability.
Weight and folding size
Tipping the scales at 24-pounds, Elenka’s mobility aid is close to the average weight of a rollator walker. Most seniors and elderly people will have no problem using this weight walker for regular daily activities.
When folded for transport or storage, the Elenker compresses to 13-inches wide, which is slightly wider than average compared to other products in this category. For comparison, the UPWalker Lite folds 8.5-inches wide and the original UPWalker folds 11-inches wide.
So if ease of transport is a high priority for you then the UPWalker Lite is probably more suitable due to its light weight and small folding dimensions.
the sea
The Ellenker features an 18-inch wide by 10-inch deep sling-style seat with a backrest for comfortable support. On the plus side, there is a seat, and in a pinch, it can come in handy if you’re tired and have no other options.
Unfortunately, the downside of the seat outweighs the positive as the seat isn’t the best design and is fairly uncomfortable. Suspended between two upright arm poles, the seat has little room on either side because you’re wedged into the walker’s frame.
If you manage to fit comfortably in there, you have armrests and straps that go into your upper body and no backrest to provide support. Finally, if you manage to sit down without any of these issues affecting you, getting up can be difficult because there is no handle to stand on and no easy place to use your arms to help you up.
If the seat is an important factor in your decision and you use it regularly, the Elenker may not be a good option for you. You’ll also like the UPWalker Lite, which comes with a similar-sized seat but is more comfortable, better-engineered, and has sit-to-stand handlebars.
the wheel
10-inch front wheels and 8-inch rear wheels adorn the Elenka Upright Rollator Walker, which is quickly becoming the standard for most walkers because it offers a nice balance between handling, smooth rolling and the ability to overcome most obstacles.
They come wrapped in “multi-terrain” tires that, while not suited for true off-road duty, are capable of handling your typical day-to-day needs.
break
The Elenka features the same dual-lock loop-style brakes you find on most walkers. To slow down you pull the hand brake levers towards you. To engage the lockable handbrakes while walking, push the levers away from you to activate the park brake.
They are fully adjustable so you can get the right braking force for your size and weight. The brake cables are external which presents a small chance of them snapping over obstacles, although this is fairly uncommon.
Overall we found that when assisted upright posture walkers are used correctly the brakes work well and provide the safety and stability you need.
But the weak point of the braking system is actually the tires, which will break traction if you push hard enough with the tread. This isn’t a problem under normal conditions, but especially on loose or slippery surfaces, or if you’re trying to force the walker to move with the brakes on, remember that you’ll probably be able to!
storage
On the front of the Elenker you’ll find a large nylon storage bag perfect for personal items. The personal item bag measures approximately 15.4-inches wide by 11.8-inches tall and 3.8-inches deep. Plenty of space for your purse, wallet, car keys and other daily essentials.
But it’s not really deep enough to carry any shopping or anything heavy. And the location of the storage bag makes it a bit cumbersome to access as you have to open the bag from the front of the mobility walker. It’s not easily accessible from a side walk or sitting position which is a shame. There is also a built-in can holder which is a nice touch.
Construction standards
The frame of Elenka Upright Walker walking aid is made of high quality aluminum and is very sturdy. Even near the 300-pound weight limit it showed no signs of flexing or bending. The plastic components feel a bit cheap but they are very strong and seem like they will last a long time.
What did we like?
- Price!
- 300 lb weight capacity
- Suitable for people 5′ to 6'2".
- Small, light and easy to maneuver
- Most of the same features as products costing as much as 2–3X
- Very sturdy and well-built frame
- Available in red, white or silver.
- Padded armrests
- Comfortable padded seat with backrest
- Comes with a cane/umbrella holder
What can be improved?
- The seat is not very comfortable
- Drink holder is not included.
- Benefits of using an upright walking aid
- Walk with a more natural posture, encouraging better posture
- Be more mobile with greater dignity
- Reduces pain while walking by relieving painful pressure on the lower back
- Advantages of using an upright walker over a traditional walker or conventional walker.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best value upright walker on the market, the Elenker is hard to beat. It is fairly lightweight, easy to manoeuvre and has the same basic features as other products in the category that cost more than twice the price.
