Stopping with a Walker without Using the Brakes?

In this short video (see below), we observe a patient walking, stopping, and starting again without ever touching the walker’s brakes. This behavior might be surprising: why isn’t she braking? Is it risky? In reality, it’s completely normal — and even a very good clinical sign. In this article, we explain why this mechanism applies to both a classic walker and the Wheeleo®, and why the absence of brakes is not a flaw, but a valuable feature.

1. With a classic rollator: the brake is not used for stopping

Contrary to popular belief, a rollator’s brakes are not designed to stop walking in normal situations, but to secure the stationary position (sitting down, leaving your rollator on a slope, …).

When walking:

• When the patient stops, the rollator stops naturally.
• When the patient starts again, the rollator starts again with them.

This is perfectly observed in the video:
The walker follows the body — not the other way around.

If a person has to engage the brakes to stop, this primarily reveals:

• a lack of balance
• an inability to control their speed
• a clinical sign to investigate

… and not a problem related to the rollator.

2. The Wheeleo® operates on the exact same logic

The Wheeleo® one-handed walker follows the same fundamental principle as the classic rollator:

The movement of the walking aid depends on the patient’s movement.

The patient stops → the Wheeleo® stops.
The patient starts again → the Wheeleo® starts again.

No manipulation needed.
No brake to activate.
It’s the body that controls the stop — not a mechanical lever.

The absence of brakes is therefore not a deficiency, but simply the application of the natural principle already visible on a classic walker:
If postural control is sufficient, the brake is not useful.

3. So, when are brakes actually necessary?

Brakes are essential in specific situations:

• to stop the walker to sit on it
• to compensate for severe lack of balance

But for the vast majority of patients in motion, the brake is not involved in stopping.
It should not be used to “hold oneself back” or “slow down,” or even to sit down.
If it is, it’s a warning sign — not normal behavior.

Conclusion: the Video Shows Proper Walking, not a Risk

Stopping without brakes is not a problem.
It is an expected, normal, and even desirable function for fluid and controlled walking.

In this sense, the Wheeleo® merely extends this natural principle:
A walking aid should respond to the body, not constrain it.