Review on Ergobaum® 7TH Generation Prime Forearm Crutches - Adult Adjustable From 5' To 6'6'' (Green) - Ergonomic Pair (2 Units) By Ergoactives by Jen Smith

I'm a 66 year-old amputee since 1994, 5'11", 175lbs. In those 28 years, I've mostly used a prosthesis, but I have extensive experience with simple forearm crutches. However, I've been suffering from an arthritic carpal-metacarpal joint on my left thumb/hand which now makes the use of rigid forearm crutches painful. I had to recently return to the use of forearm crutches because of stump issues that prevent me from donning my prosthesis. So.back to the old crutches. I began searching for a more comfortable crutch and came across the 7G. A bit pricey, but given that I'll be using them for the next few months after the upcoming re-amputation of my leg, I decided that I needed these guys!A fair warning, though. Even if you're an old pro with forearm crutches like me, these guys will take some time to properly adjust them and a bit of practice to use them. There are two factors that come into play with these new crutches and may give you cause for concern (though temporary).The first is the spring shock absorption built into the lower end of the crutch. Even though you adjust them to your height, you will immediately find that they get a little shorter in length, which causes you to bend your knee(s) a little more during each stride. At first, this is disconcerting, but you will quickly get used to it, and trust me, the shock absorbers are WORTH it!The second is the shape and "squishyness" of the handgrip as you follow-through your stride, placing your full weight upon it. It made me feel a bit unstable at first, but once I learned exactly how to hold the grip in my palm, that instability evaporated. The bottom line is that if you are gripping them incorrectly, you will experience some instability during weight-bearing on the crutch. These grips are the answer to my arthritic thumb problem and I can't praise the "ergonomic" design enough!They are heavier than normal forearm crutches, but not by much, and I don't notice it during use. I like the floor grips, which feel more stable to me. As for the "horn".I don't really see the point, although the pitch is not identical in both crutches. In fact, as a musician, I noticed right away that there was a Major interval of a third between the two.so even though useless, they DO harmonize. 🤣However, the light is definitely useful during those midnight trips to the restroom.As for quality.the metal components such as the shaft and adjustment locking mechanisms seem to be robust and feel solidly reliable. The upper arm rest and grip assembly, though made of a type of plastic, are equal solid and "give" in all the right ways and at the right times. I haven't had them long enough to report on any stress-tests of the upper assembly. I will say that the hand-screw adjustment of the grip angle seems surprisingly sturdy and that portion is of a solidly metal composition.I've only had these crutches for two days, and I'm certain that I'm still not finished with tweaking the height and grip/angle adjustments, but I would recommend these to anyone who has the string to use regular forearm crutches with one caveat - no matter where you are on the experience level with forearm crutches, be patient, use them and get used to them before making any judgments about them. I'm certain you'll be glad you did.Five stars from me!👍