Type 3 Rollators

The Ontario Assistive Devices Program describes the Type 3 wheeled walker as the type most suitable for active use on most terrains. That is a fair summary: this is the rollator for someone who is out of the house regularly rather than moving between rooms.

Bigger wheels, and what they change

Type 3 rollators run larger wheels, typically 8 inches or more. On a pavement that is the difference between rolling over a joint or a lip and stopping dead at it, and it is what makes gravel paths, grass and kerb cuts manageable rather than a hazard.

The trade is size and weight. A Type 3 is wider and heavier than a Type 2, so it is less nimble in a narrow hallway and more of a lift into a car boot. If nearly all your walking is indoors, a Type 2 will serve you better.

Rest is the point

For most Type 3 users, the seat is as important as the wheels. Knowing there is somewhere to sit at any moment is what makes a longer walk possible: to the shops, around a park, through an appointment. People who are confident they can rest go further and stay out longer, and that has effects well beyond mobility.

It is not a walking frame

A rollator steadies you and carries your things. It is not built to be leaned on heavily, and weight on an unbraked rollator is a common cause of falls. If you need genuine weight-bearing support, a Type 1 walking frame is the right aid, even though it is slower.

Sizing and funding

Rollators come in sizes, and handle height should sit at the crease of your wrist with your arms relaxed at your sides. Getting that wrong causes hunched shoulders or a stoop, both of which make balance worse rather than better.

Type 3 rollators are funded devices under the Assistive Devices Program for eligible Ontario residents, subject to clinical criteria, with the category determined by the assessor. Contact us or come into the showroom and we will measure and fit one properly.