Four seat heights
NOVA Zoom
Zoom 18 for petite women, Zoom 24 for tall ones.
See it on amazon.com*Guide
The right rollator size: handle height is everything
A rollator that is too tall lifts your shoulders and makes you walk behind it; one that is too low makes you stoop over it. Both tire you out and both are the reason rollators end up in the hallway. Two measurements prevent it, and the calculator below does the arithmetic.
In short
Stand upright in your usual shoes, arms relaxed: the handle should reach the crease of your wrist, so your elbow bends about 15 degrees when you hold it. The seat should let you sit with feet flat and knees at a right angle. Petite women (under 160 cm) need handles from about 70–75 cm and seats of 45–50 cm – the Topro Troja 5G and Rehasense Athlon SL in size S, the Rollz Flex Small and, in the USA, the NOVA Zoom 18 and the Drive Nitro Hemi go that low. Tall women (over 180 cm) need handles to 95–100 cm or more: the Topro Troja 5G in size M, the Saljol Carbon CR62, the Rehasense Athlon SL in size L and the Drive Nitro Tall.
Your two numbers
Handle height
Shoes on, stand upright with relaxed arms. Measure from the floor to the crease of your wrist – the line where the hand bends. That is your handle height. In use the elbow bends about 15 degrees.
Seat height
Sit on a chair with feet flat and knees at a right angle. Measure from the floor to the back of your knee. The rollator seat should be within about 3 cm of that number: lower and you struggle to stand up, higher and your feet dangle.
Check the ranges
Every model page shows the handle range and the seat height. Your handle number should sit in the middle third of the range, not at its very end.
1 inch = 2.54 cm. 5 ft 4 in is about 163 cm.
Handle height–
Seat height–
Rule of thumb: the handle sits at the crease of your wrist when you stand upright with relaxed arms, the seat at the height of your knee crease. Measure to be sure.
The table by body height
Rules of thumb for an average build; your own measurement always wins. Handle height is roughly 48 percent of body height, seat height roughly 27 percent.
| Body height | Handle height | Seat height | Typical models |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4 ft 11) | 70–74 cm | 43–46 cm | NOVA Zoom 18, Drive Nitro Hemi (US), Rehasense Athlon SL S, Dolomite Jazz 510 |
| 155 cm (5 ft 1) | 72–77 cm | 44–48 cm | Topro Troja 5G S, Rollz Flex Small, Rehasense Athlon SL S, NOVA Zoom 18 |
| 160 cm (5 ft 3) | 75–80 cm | 46–50 cm | many models at the low end of their range |
| 165 cm (5 ft 5) | 77–82 cm | 48–52 cm | most models, middle of the range |
| 170 cm (5 ft 7) | 80–85 cm | 50–54 cm | most models, middle of the range |
| 175 cm (5 ft 9) | 82–88 cm | 52–56 cm | most models, upper half |
| 180 cm (5 ft 11) | 85–90 cm | 54–58 cm | Topro Troja 5G M, Rehasense Athlon SL L, NOVA Zoom 24 |
| 185 cm (6 ft 1) | 87–93 cm | 56–60 cm | Topro Troja 5G M, Saljol Carbon CR62, Drive Nitro Tall |
| 190 cm (6 ft 3) | 90–96 cm | 58–62 cm | Topro Troja 5G M, Drive Nitro Tall, Trionic Veloped L |
Petite women: under 160 cm
Most rollators are designed around a woman of 165–175 cm; their handles start at 78–80 cm and their seats at 50 cm or more. If you are under 160 cm, choose by the lowest handle height first and weight second. Models that really go low: the Topro Troja 5G in size S (handles from about 69 cm, seat 54 cm, for about 135–170 cm), the Rehasense Athlon SL in size S (from about 63 cm, seat 50 cm), the Invacare Dolomite Jazz 510 (from about 65 cm, seat 51 cm), the Rollz Flex Small (69–81 cm, seat 52.5 cm, for about 140–160 cm) and, in the USA, the NOVA Zoom 18 (from about 70 cm, seat about 46 cm) and the Drive Nitro in its Hemi size (seat about 46 cm). For women who need no seat, the Stander Wonder Walker Plus comes in a Short version for about 150–170 cm. In Germany the Dietz Taima S-GT, in Japan the Teicob Little Slim and the Happy Mini are built for smaller frames. Not petite, despite the name: the byACRE Carbon Ultralight in size Compact – it has a narrower seat, not a lower one (handles from about 79 cm, seat 56 cm).
Tall women: over 180 cm
Handles that stop at 90 cm force a tall woman to stoop. Look for ranges that reach 95–100 cm or more: the Topro Troja 5G in size M (to about 100 cm, for women up to about 200 cm), the Saljol Carbon CR62 (to about 103 cm), the Rehasense Athlon SL in size L (to about 102 cm), the Drive Nitro Tall (94–105 cm), the Invacare Dolomite Jazz 610 and the Rollz Flex Standard (both to about 100 cm) and, for rough ground, the Trionic Veloped in frame L (to about 104 cm). Seat height matters too: 58–62 cm so the knees stay at a right angle. Several popular models stop short: the TrustCare Let's Fly at about 92 cm, the byACRE Carbon Ultralight at about 95 cm and the Trionic Walker at about 96 cm are borderline for women over about 185 cm.
Width and depth
Measure your narrowest door – usually the bathroom – and subtract 5 cm; that is the maximum rollator width for your flat. Indoor rollators are 55–60 cm wide, standard ones 60–66 cm. The length matters in lifts and small kitchens: 65–75 cm is normal.
Setting the handles
Most rollators adjust with a push button or a clamp lever in 2.5 cm steps. Set both sides to the same mark, stand inside the frame and check: shoulders down, elbows slightly bent, wrists straight. If you have a shoulder that hurts, set that side a notch lower. Recheck after a month – people stand taller once they trust the rollator.
Weight ratings
Every rollator has a maximum user weight, usually 130–150 kg, some compact models only 110–120 kg. It is about the frame's strength under a sitting person, not about how light the rollator feels. Choose a rating above your weight with a margin, and remember that the bag limit – usually 5 kg – is separate.
Matching models
Models for small and tall women
Most of these come in a small and a tall size. The size table under each model lists the exact ranges.
Best-selling value
Drive Nitro
Hemi with a 46 cm seat, Tall to about 105 cm.
See it on amazon.com*Ultra-light, no seat
Stander Wonder Walker
Short version for about 150–170 cm (no seat).
See it on amazon.com*Forest and beach
Trionic Veloped
Frame L to about 104 cm, for rough ground.
See it on amazon.com*Comfort seat
Medline Empower
Seat adjusts from about 51 to 64 cm.
See it on amazon.com*Questions women ask us
What size rollator do I need for my height?
Measure floor to wrist crease standing upright in your usual shoes; that is your handle height. Roughly 48 percent of body height: about 77 cm at 160 cm, 84 cm at 175 cm. The model's handle range must include it.
How high should a rollator seat be?
At the height of the back of your knee when you sit with feet flat – roughly 27 percent of body height, so 46–50 cm at 160 cm and 52–56 cm at 175 cm. Within about 3 cm either way is fine.
Which rollator is best for a short woman?
Look for handles that go down to about 70 cm and a seat of 45–50 cm: the Topro Troja 5G and Rehasense Athlon SL in size S, the Invacare Dolomite Jazz 510, the Rollz Flex Small and, in the USA, the NOVA Zoom 18 and the Drive Nitro Hemi. The byACRE Carbon Ultralight is not a petite model in any size – the Compact has a narrower seat, not a lower one.
Which rollator is best for a tall woman?
The Topro Troja 5G in size M (to about 100 cm), the Saljol Carbon CR62 (to about 103 cm), the Rehasense Athlon SL in size L (to about 102 cm) and the Drive Nitro Tall (to about 105 cm). Check the seat height too: 58 cm or more for women over 180 cm.
Should the handles be set at the wrist or the hip?
At the wrist crease with arms relaxed – that puts the elbow at about 15 degrees in use. Hip height is a different measurement and usually comes out too high.
Where the information comes from
Weights, dimensions and colours come from the manufacturers’ websites and the Amazon listings; we have not tested the products in a laboratory. We compare the data, read owner reviews and say plainly who a model suits and who it does not. We earn a commission on purchases made through our links; it has no influence on which models we show or what we say about them.
Read next
Our pick: NOVA Zoom
Check price*