A simple shopping cart, complete with swivel wheels and a strong steel frame, can make a massive difference to the life of an elderly person. It holds all their grocery shopping and can be used to carry many other store-bought products. It replaces a heavy and cumbersome shopping trolley and makes it easier to carry all purchased products home.
What to Look for in a Shopping Cart
A high-quality shopping cart provides numerous features and benefits. To find the right cart for you, keep an eye out for the following features:
Storage
No one needs more clutter. The bigger things are, the more they get in the way and the more likely they are to be stuffed in the back of a closet or stored in the basement and forgotten about. You don’t want your shopping cart to go the way of that exercise bike you bought 20 years ago and those endless kitchen gadgets you bought following infomercial splurges.
To prevent this inevitable clutter, make sure the cart is foldable and can be stored away with ease. You can keep it near the door, grabbing it just before you head out for a shopping trip.
Materials and Design
Don’t simply choose the bag that has the best design and the lowest price. The material and construction of the cart are key.
The frame needs to be strong enough to withstand a lot of bumps, drops, and scrapes, from those times you accidentally drop it to the times you drag it up and down concrete stairs. Weather also plays a role, as you don’t want the frame to rust.
As for the bag itself, it should be waterproof, tear resistant, and stretchable. More importantly, it should be removable and easy to clean. You’ll be using it to store groceries and a host of other items, so there’s a high risk of spills.
The Wheels
Are the front wheels and back wheels strong and durable, are they rust-proof, and can they take the pressure applied by the weight of a week’s groceries? Some wheels are made of plastic and rubber and others are constructed from strong alloys.
The material isn’t that important, as they can be equally strong, but the way they move and withstand pressure and damage is key.
Comfort
How easy is the shopping cart to use? Does the handle feature a strong and comfortable grip, or is it little more than a steel bar? You could be pulling it over long-distances, so it’s important to make sure it’s comfortable to use.
Shopping Bag Size
How much storage space does the cart have? If you’re shopping for multiple people or making infrequent trips, you may need a lot of supplies, which means you’ll want a cart with a large capacity and high weight tolerance.
If you’ll be making frequent trips to a local store and don’t need to be able to hold large quantities of groceries, a smaller bag should suffice and will offer easy maneuverability.
The Best Shopping Carts for Elderly Users
We have listed the very best shopping carts below, taking all of the above features into account and also considering the value, manufacturer, and availability.
dBest Products: Collapsible Stairclimbing Trolley Dolly
An incredibly versatile grocery shopping cart that features pretty much everything that you need. It is large, easy to fold and store, and offers many different storage compartments. Its portability is second-to-none and it can take up to 150 lbs. of groceries and other supplies.
It has two sets of wheels, each featuring six wheels. This is what turns the dBest from a simple foldable cart into an ingenious stair climber, making it ideal if you have any stairs on your journey or if you live in an apartment.
The only downside is the price, as it costs upwards of $150. You do get a lot for your money, however, and it’s incredibly well built.
The Climb Cart
If you want a stairclimbing grocery cart but can’t afford the dBest price tag, take a look at The Climb Cart. It’s available for around half the price and offers many of the same features, including the 6-wheel setup that allows it to be dragged up the stairs.
It’s lightweight, durable, and comes with a jumbo bag. It can store multiple grocery bags, taking up to 100 lbs. in total.
It’s not as well built and doesn’t possess the strength or the durability of the dBest, but that’s why its price is much lower.
BeebeeRun Folding Shopping Cart
A well-made and very affordable option. The BeebeeRun has a removable, washable, and water-resistant bag, is capable of climbing stairs, and can fold away for easy storage. It has an upgradable and adjustable handle and is convenient enough to use as a utility shopping cart and a transporter, with many customers using it to help with yard work and home improvement.
You can buy this cart for around $50 to $60 at Amazon.com.
The Whitmor Utility Cart
This cart is as basic as you can get without sacrificing quality. It’s a simple, steel-framed cart that features a large foam handle and four sturdy wheels. At the time of writing, you can pick it up for around $30.
If you have mobility issues and need something with stairclimbing ability, or you’re a senior citizen with minimal strength, we recommend splashing the cash a little and getting one of the options above.
However, if you want a cheap and cheerful option, it’s perfect. Many customers are using these carts to help with yard work or just to store children’s toys. If you look on Amazon, you’ll even find a 5-star review from a customer who took the cart on a 350-mile trek, snapping multiple pictures along the way.
If it can withstand all of that, it can surely handle your weekly shopping trips.
Conclusion: Utility Carts and More
It’s important to maintain your independence as much as possible when you suffer from mobility problems. Research suggests that the longer someone can live for themselves and care for themselves, the less likely they are to suffer from depression and the longer their lifespan will be.
That doesn’t mean you should force yourself to do things that you can’t do, but rather, you should find ways to adapt your life and make your daily chores easier.
Shopping carts are a great way to do this. You can make regular visits to the grocery store, get some fresh air, and keep your kitchen stocked with healthy food, all without relying on other people!
If you need a helping hand in other areas of your life, take a look at our many other mobility product reviews, covering everything from simple tools available on the Amazon online store to heavy duty equipment you can buy from major mobility dealers.