The Mobility Journal
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The Mobility Journal

Getting around later in life, explained the way a friend would explain it.

Independent guides to walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, home access, travel and caregiving. No jargon, no spec-sheet theater — just what works in a real driveway, a real hallway and a real day out.

An older couple leaving their home on an autumn morning
Walkers & rollatorsPower chairs & scootersCars & transportHome & bathroom accessTravelCaregiving

Featured review

A lightweight electric wheelchair being lifted into a car trunk

We weighed the power chairs seniors actually buy. 29 lbs vs. 70 lbs isn't a spec — it's whether you leave the house.

Steel, aluminum and the new carbon fiber class, compared on the only test that matters: can one person lift it into a trunk, alone, on a bad day?

Read the review

Latest from the Journal

Ramps, thresholds and the three doorways that cause most falls

Home access

Ramps, thresholds and the three doorways that cause most falls

Where the trouble actually is in a typical house — and the low-cost fixes that make the biggest difference before you spend on a remodel.

7 min read

Flying with mobility equipment: what airlines really allow

Travel

Flying with mobility equipment: what airlines really allow

Battery rules, gate-checking, damage claims and the questions worth asking before you book the ticket.

8 min read

How to raise mobility equipment with a parent who doesn't want it

Caregiving

How to raise mobility equipment with a parent who doesn't want it

The conversation almost every family postpones, and the framing that tends to land better than worry does.

6 min read

How much should it weigh? The honest answer, by who's doing the lifting

Buying guide

How much should it weigh? The honest answer, by who's doing the lifting

What a person can realistically lift at 65, 75 and 85 — and a five-minute test you can run in your own driveway.

7 min read

Practical guides for everyday life

Tips and advice for living well with a walker, wheelchair or power chair — at home, out and about, and everywhere in between.

At home

An older woman in a wheelchair chopping vegetables at a kitchen counter

Kitchen

Setting up a kitchen you can actually cook in from a wheelchair or walker

8 min read

A bright bathroom with grab bars, a shower chair and a raised toilet seat

Bathroom

Bathroom safety without a remodel: the weekend fixes that matter

7 min read

An older man walking with a rollator through a tidy living room with a wide clear path

Home setup

Rearranging a room for a walker or wheelchair: paths, rugs and furniture

6 min read

An older woman sitting on her bed slipping on shoes with a long shoe horn

Daily living

Getting dressed more easily: adaptive clothing, shoes and simple tools

6 min read

Getting out

An older man walking with a standard walker on a sidewalk beside a physical therapist

Walkers

Your first week with a walker: fit, technique and the common mistakes

7 min read

A smiling older woman driving a power wheelchair along a park path

Power chairs

Your first month with a power chair: driving, charging and confidence

8 min read

An older man in a wheelchair reaching for a pepper in a grocery produce aisle

Errands

Grocery stores, restaurants and shopping trips with a mobility aid

6 min read

A group of older adults doing seated resistance band exercises, one in a wheelchair

Staying strong

Gentle exercise for walker and wheelchair users

7 min read

An older woman in a wheelchair gardening at a raised garden bed

Living well

Getting back to the hobbies you gave up

8 min read

An older man in a power wheelchair on a beach access mat at sunset

Outdoors

Parks, trails and beaches with a wheelchair or power chair

7 min read

Transportation & upkeep

A daughter helping her mother transfer from a wheelchair into a car seat

Car transfers

Getting in and out of a car safely

6 min read

An older man checking the wheel of a folded power wheelchair in his garage

Maintenance

Caring for your wheelchair or power chair: a monthly checklist

6 min read

An older couple reviewing paperwork and a laptop at the kitchen table

Money

Paying for mobility equipment: Medicare, Medicaid, the VA and other help

9 min read

Mind & family

A thoughtful older woman with a rollator standing on her porch

Mindset

The emotional side of starting to use a mobility aid

7 min read

A walker, rollator, manual wheelchair and folding power wheelchair lined up side by side

Decision guide

Walker, rollator, wheelchair or power chair? How to choose

8 min read

Start here: five questions before you buy anything

Most regret we hear about doesn't come from buying the wrong brand. It comes from skipping these.

  1. 1Where will the equipment be used most — indoors, the neighborhood, or travel?
  2. 2Who is lifting or loading it, and how often?
  3. 3What door widths, thresholds and steps does it need to clear at home?
  4. 4How long is a typical outing, start to finish?
  5. 5Who repairs it locally, and how fast?

Guides by subject

Measuring for a chair or walker

Seat width, doorway clearance, folded height and turning radius — the numbers that decide daily use.

Weight, honestly assessed

What a person can realistically lift at 65, 75 and 85, and how that should shape the shortlist.

Repairs and service

Warranties, parts availability and how long you'd actually wait if something breaks.

Batteries and range

Why advertised range rarely matches a real day out, and what to look for instead.

An adult daughter and her mother talking at a kitchen table

How we look at things

Mobility advice is usually written for catalogs, not for driveways and doorways. We start from ordinary moments — loading a car, getting through a bathroom door, lasting a whole afternoon out — and work backward to the equipment.

When we recommend something we say plainly who it suits and who it doesn't. When a piece is sponsored or published by a retailer, that's stated on the page.

New to this?

Our most-read piece is the one about weight — it's the single factor that decides whether equipment gets used or parked in the garage.

Read the featured review