Wheels, Glides, Carrying and Pediatric Gait Trainer Parts
Two things decide whether a walker works for someone: how it moves across the floors they actually use, and whether they can carry anything while using it. This collection carries 43 items covering both, from Drive Medical, Clarke Healthcare's Malte and Marcy ranges, TR Equipment and Comodita.
Most of what goes wrong with a walker is fixable with a part rather than a new walker. A frame that catches on carpet needs different feet, not replacing. A user who has stopped carrying their own drink needs a tray, not a different frame. These are cheap fixes to problems that otherwise reduce how much the walker gets used.
→ Part of Walkers & Rollators. Also see Standard Walkers, 4-Wheel Rollators, Knee Walkers and Canes & Crutches.
Compare Walker Feet and Wheels
| Part | Type | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive 10109 | 5 inch universal wheels | 350 lb | General replacement on most frames |
| Drive 10118SV | Bariatric 5 inch wheels | 500 lb | Heavier users and reinforced frames |
| Drive 10115 | Swivel wheels with lock | 350 lb | Turning indoors, locked straight outdoors |
| Drive 10108WC | Extended height wheels and legs | 350 lb | Taller users needing added frame height |
| Drive 10110 | Ski glides | Frame rated | Carpet and thresholds, no rolling wanted |
| Drive 10121 | Tennis ball glides | Frame rated | Quiet indoor use on hard floors |
| Drive 10106 | Rear glide brakes, 3 inch wheels | Frame rated | Controlled rolling with a braked rear |
| Drive RTL10389G | Rubber replacement tips | Frame rated | Restoring grip on a non-wheeled walker |
Wheels or Glides? The Decision Nobody Explains
A walker on wheels rolls continuously. A walker on glides slides when pushed and stops when it is not. Which one is right depends on how the person walks, and getting it wrong makes the walker less safe rather than just less convenient.
Someone who leans heavily on the frame for support needs it to stay put when they put weight on it. Wheels on all four legs mean the frame can roll away under load, which is how a walker contributes to a fall instead of preventing one. Glides on the rear legs stop that: the frame rolls forward when pushed and grips when leaned on.
Someone who uses the walker mainly for balance rather than weight-bearing generally does better with wheels, because lifting a walker every step is tiring and encourages a stop-start gait that is less steady than a continuous one.
This is a physiotherapist's assessment rather than a preference, and it is the single most useful question to ask when a walker feels wrong.
Glide types
Ski glides such as the Drive 10110 in white or black and the RTL100017 in grey have a curved front edge that rides up over carpet edges and thresholds instead of catching on them. A walker that catches is a walker that jerks to a halt while the user is mid-step, which is exactly the moment balance is worst.
Tennis ball glides, such as the Drive 10121 with additional glide pads, slide quietly on hard floors and do not mark them, which matters more in a care home or a flat with neighbours below than it sounds. The 10107C glide covers replace the wearing surface without replacing the glide.
Wheel options
Standard replacement: the Drive 10109 universal 5 inch wheels at 350 lb. Bariatric: the 10118SV heavy duty at 500 lb. Combined wheel and leg upgrade for height: the 10108WC extended height combo pack.
Swivel wheels with a lock, the Drive 10115, solve a genuine conflict: swivelling wheels turn easily in a kitchen or bathroom, and the same wheels wander on an uneven pavement. Locking them straight for outdoor use and unlocking indoors gets both behaviours from one walker.
Rear glide brakes, the Drive 10106 with 3 inch wheels, combine the two principles: the walker rolls when pushed and the rear grips when weight goes onto it.
For a non-wheeled walker, the RTL10389G replacement tips. Worn tips are a common and overlooked hazard: the rubber goes hard and smooth with age, and a tip that has lost its grip slides on a wet floor exactly when the user is leaning on it.
Speed Control and Safety Attachments
Dial-a-speed tabs restrict how fast the wheels can turn, so the walker cannot get away from the user. The Drive CE-1400 for the safety roller walker and the KA-1400 Nimbo attachment.
This addresses a specific and dangerous failure mode. On a downward slope, or with a user who pushes harder than they can walk, a rolling walker accelerates ahead of the person. They are then reaching forward for a frame that is moving away from them, which is worse than having no frame at all. A speed limiter makes that impossible mechanically rather than relying on the user to control it.
It matters particularly for users with cognitive impairment, who may not reliably judge their own pace, and for children learning to use a gait trainer.
Related: the CE-1500 swivel wheel locking brackets and the Marcy backwards stop, which prevents the walker rolling backwards when the user pushes up out of a seated position, the point at which a walker rolling away is most likely to cause a fall.
Carrying: Restoring What the Walker Takes Away
Using a walker occupies both hands, which means the user cannot carry anything. That sounds minor and is not: it means someone cannot bring their own tea from the kitchen, cannot carry a plate to the table, and becomes dependent on another person for small things they could otherwise do.
Trays: the Drive 10124 universal walker tray and the 10125 folding tray with two cup holders. A folding tray matters because a fixed tray gets in the way of sitting down and of folding the walker for transport.
Baskets: the 10200B basket with plastic insert tray and the 10200B-1 insert alone. The plastic insert is what makes a wire basket usable for anything small or liable to spill.
Bags: the RTL10254 universal mobility bag at 9 lb capacity, the RTL10255 small accessory bag at 3 lb and the RTL10256 medium flat bag in navy. Also the RTL10131 EZ walker caddy with removable top cover.
Weight capacity on these is worth reading rather than assuming. A bag rated at 3 lb is for a phone, keys and a wallet, not shopping, and loading a walker beyond what the attachment is rated for shifts the frame's balance in a direction the user does not expect.
Cup holders: the STDS1040S universal cup holder at 3.5 inches wide and the 10266-CH Nitro rollator cup holder attachment. The Comodita Avanti rolling walker with tray bag comes with carrying built in.
Pediatric Gait Trainer Parts
A gait trainer supports a child who is learning to walk or relearning after surgery, and the support is configured to the child rather than being a fixed arrangement. That configuration is what these parts provide.
Drive Nimbo
Upper body support: the KA-1035 forearm platforms, which transfer weight through the forearms rather than the hands for a child who cannot grip or bear weight through the wrists.
Pelvic control: the KA-1050 pelvic stabilizer for the Nimbo posterior walker. Pelvic position is the foundation of gait, and a pelvis that rotates or drops takes the whole pattern with it, so stabilising it is often what makes stepping possible at all.
Seating: the Nimbo 2G walker seat and the extra small seat. A seat lets a child rest without leaving the trainer, which extends how long a session lasts.
Wheels and protection: the KA-8100 non-swivel front wheels with inner legs and the KA-8000 bumper guards. Non-swivel front wheels track straight, which is what a child learning a stepping pattern needs before they need manoeuvrability. Bumper guards protect the furniture and the walls a learning child will hit, which is a practical reason families keep the trainer in use at home.
Clarke Healthcare Malte and Marcy
Malte components: the pelvic and buttock pelotte pad, the forearm rest with grip ball or handle, the grip bar and forward push bar adjustable in depth and height, the folding padded seat in sizes 1 to 4, the parking handbrake in standard or extra small handle with reduced tension, the bumper wheels in size 0 and the deflector for sizes 1 to 4.
The extra small brake handle with reduced tension is worth highlighting. A brake a child cannot physically squeeze is a brake that does not exist, and hand strength rather than understanding is often what stops a child operating their own equipment.
Marcy components: the forearm arm pad with handle or grip balls, the parking hand brake, the extra small brake handle version and the backwards stop.
See Pediatric Medical and Pediatric Seating & Positioning for the wider pediatric range.
Powered Sit-to-Stand
The TR Equipment Bure Rise & Go electric sit-to-stand walker options and accessories at 330 lb and the TR-3000 Mod 21.
A powered sit-to-stand walker raises the user from sitting to standing, which addresses the transition rather than the walking. For many people the hardest part of moving is not the walk itself but getting up to start it, and a device that assists the rise can restore mobility that a conventional walker cannot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my walker have wheels or glides?
It depends how the person uses it. Someone who leans heavily on the frame needs it to stay put under load, and wheels on all four legs let the frame roll away, which is how a walker contributes to a fall instead of preventing one. Someone using it mainly for balance generally does better with wheels, because lifting a walker every step is tiring and encourages a less steady stop-start gait. This is a physiotherapist's assessment rather than a preference.
What do ski glides do that standard glides do not?
The curved front edge rides up over carpet edges and thresholds instead of catching on them. A walker that catches jerks to a halt while the user is mid-step, which is exactly the moment their balance is worst. In a home with rugs, door thresholds or a carpet-to-tile change, that is a frequent event rather than an occasional one.
Are tennis ball glides just a cheap fix?
They serve a real purpose: they slide quietly on hard floors and do not mark them, which matters in a care home or a flat with neighbours below. Purpose-made versions come with proper attachment and replaceable glide pads, so the wearing surface can be renewed without replacing the whole part.
When should swivel wheels be locked?
Outdoors, generally. Swivelling wheels turn easily in a kitchen or bathroom, and the same wheels wander on an uneven pavement where the user wants the walker to track straight. Locking them for outdoor use and unlocking indoors gets both behaviours from one walker rather than compromising on either.
What are dial-a-speed tabs for?
They restrict how fast the wheels turn so the walker cannot get away from the user. On a downward slope, or with someone who pushes harder than they can walk, a rolling walker accelerates ahead of the person, who is then reaching forward for a frame moving away from them. A speed limiter makes that impossible mechanically rather than relying on the user to control their pace.
Why do worn walker tips matter?
Rubber goes hard and smooth with age, and a tip that has lost its grip slides on a wet floor exactly when the user is leaning on it. It is a common and overlooked hazard because the walker looks fine: the failure is in a surface nobody inspects. Replacement tips are inexpensive and worth changing on a schedule rather than after a slip.
Why does a tray or basket matter so much?
Using a walker occupies both hands, so the user cannot carry anything. That means they cannot bring their own tea from the kitchen or carry a plate to the table, and they become dependent on someone else for small things they could otherwise do. A tray or basket restores that independence for a small cost.
Does the weight rating on a walker bag matter?
Yes. A bag rated at 3 lb is for a phone, keys and a wallet, not shopping. Loading a walker beyond what the attachment is rated for shifts the frame's balance in a direction the user does not expect, and on a frame someone is leaning on for stability that shift is a safety issue rather than a durability one.
What do forearm platforms do on a gait trainer?
They transfer weight through the forearms rather than the hands, for a child who cannot grip or bear weight through the wrists. Without them a child who cannot grip simply cannot use the trainer. Pelvic stabilisers serve a related purpose: pelvic position is the foundation of gait, and stabilising it is often what makes stepping possible at all.
Why do pediatric brakes come with extra small handles?
A brake a child cannot physically squeeze is a brake that does not exist. Hand strength rather than understanding is often what stops a child operating their own equipment, and a smaller handle with reduced tension can be the difference between a child controlling their walker and depending on an adult to do it.
MediDepot Purchasing Advantages
- Price Match Guarantee: found the same catalogue number for less elsewhere? We will match the verified price.
- Equipment Financing: available on larger facility orders.
- Extended Warranty: available on qualifying equipment.
- Military Discount: available for qualifying military medical facilities and personnel.
- Request a Quote: compatibility checks against your walker model, and case quantities for facilities replacing tips and glides in bulk.
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