Two days on crutches is usually enough to understand the complaints. Your hands ache, your shoulders are doing a leg's job, and carrying a cup of tea has turned into a two trip problem.
A knee walker takes most of that away. You rest the injured leg on a padded platform, both hands stay on the handlebars, and you steer. The question is whether to hire one for the few weeks you need it, or just buy one.
It comes down to a single number, and it is not the weekly price. By the end of this you will know what hiring really costs in Australia, which week buying becomes cheaper, and which side of that week you are on.
Hire if you need it for six weeks or less and are sure that will not be extended. Buy if it is eight weeks or more, or might be extended at the follow up. At the hire prices we checked, buying becomes cheaper at about seven weeks, because the delivery and collection fee costs more than the weekly rate suggests.
What hiring actually costs
The weekly rate is the easy part. Across the Australian hire companies we checked in September 2026, a standard knee walker runs about $33 to $34 a week. Some add insurance on top, around $3.50 a week.
The part that decides the whole decision sits further down the page, in the terms.
Delivery and collection. One Sydney company charges $140 for a small item and $200 for a large one. Another quotes delivery from $195. A Melbourne company charges $2.50 a kilometre plus $25 plus GST, calculated one way from their depot, so you pay it going out and again coming back. That fee lands whether you keep the walker for two weeks or ten.
Two other terms worth reading before you book. Minimum hire periods run from one to two weeks, and several companies invoice four weeks in advance, refunding unused weeks only once the equipment is back with them.
The week where buying becomes cheaper
Our knee walker is $380, and it is over our $99 free shipping threshold. Here is how that compares against hiring at $33 a week with a $140 delivery and collection fee, which is the cheaper end of what we found.
| How long you need it | Hiring | Buying | Which is cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | $206 | $380 | Hiring, by $174 |
| 4 weeks | $272 | $380 | Hiring, by $108 |
| 6 weeks | $338 | $380 | Hiring, but only just |
| 8 weeks | $404 | $380 | Buying |
| 12 weeks | $536 | $380 | Buying, by $156 |
The crossover lands at about seven weeks. If the hire company charges $195 for delivery instead of $140, it moves forward to about five and a half.
Everyone compares the weekly price. The delivery and collection fee is what actually decides it.
How long will you really need it?
Most people keeping all weight off one foot are told six to eight weeks, which puts a lot of recoveries within a fortnight of the crossover. Two things tip it.
Whether the six weeks holds. Non weight bearing periods get extended at the follow up more often than people expect, and an extra month of hire is another $132 with nothing at the end of it.
And whether anyone else in the house might need one later. A knee walker that sits in the shed for two years and then saves someone another $400 has paid for itself twice.
So which one should you choose?
Hire if the period is six weeks or less and you are confident it will not be extended. You will be a little ahead, you do not have to store anything afterwards, and if it breaks it is their problem.
Buy if the period is eight weeks or more, if your surgeon has used the phrase "we will see how it looks", or if you would rather not think about return dates and collection windows while you are recovering.
Between six and eight weeks it is close enough that the money does not decide it. Pick on convenience.
The one we sell: Knee Walker, $380
Steel frame, rated to 120kg, with locking hand brakes and a storage bag on the front so you can move a cup of tea from one room to another. The knee platform and the handlebars both adjust. It weighs 10.3kg and the handlebars fold down, so it goes in a car boot. GST-free, and delivered free. See it here
Two numbers to check, whichever way you go
A knee walker that does not fit is worse than crutches, and this is the part hire companies rarely ask about.
Fit is only half of it. The other half is the house. Our guide to setting a home up for recovery covers the bathroom and bedside changes that make the first few weeks easier.
Knee pad height. Measure from the floor to the back of your knee with the injured leg bent, in the shoe you will actually be wearing. Ours adjusts from 41 to 57.5cm, which covers most adults. Set it so the injured leg rests with your hips level rather than tipped forward.
Handlebar height. Set these so your elbows are slightly bent on the grips. Ours go from 81.5 to 96.5cm. Too high and your shoulders creep up, which is the problem you were escaping.
Stairs are the one thing a knee walker will not do. Keep crutches or a rail for those.
A knee walker only works if you can bend the injured leg and kneel on it comfortably. If the problem is the knee itself, this is the wrong aid, and a frame or rollator from our walking support range will serve you better. Ask us before you order either way.
NDIS and Home Care funding
At $380 a knee walker sits well under $1,500, so under the NDIS it counts as low cost assistive technology and there is no quote or assessment to arrange first. Self managed, order and pay as normal and we will send you an invoice. Plan managed, choose that at checkout and put your plan manager's email in the order notes, and the compliant invoice goes to them. Here is how that works
Under Support at Home, equipment comes from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications budget, which is separate from the budget paying for care hours. Ordering a knee walker does not eat into anyone's hours.
We have set out the three Support at Home tiers, who places the order, and what to ask a care manager in our guide to using Support at Home for mobility aids
Common questions
Is a knee walker better than crutches?
For most people keeping weight off one foot below the knee, yes. Your hands stay free, your shoulders are not doing a leg's work, and you are considerably steadier. Crutches are better on stairs and in very tight spaces, so a lot of people keep both.
Once you are allowed weight on the foot again, most people move to something with wheels rather than back to crutches. Our guide to choosing a walking frame or rollator covers what suits that stage.
How much does it cost to hire a knee walker in Australia?
About $33 to $34 a week, plus a delivery and collection fee that ran from $140 to $195 at the companies we checked in September 2026. Some add insurance at around $3.50 a week. Minimum hire periods are one to two weeks.
At what point is buying a knee walker cheaper than hiring one?
At about seven weeks, comparing $33 a week plus a $140 delivery and collection fee against buying one outright at $380 delivered. If the delivery fee is higher, the crossover comes sooner.
Can I use a knee walker on stairs?
No. Use crutches or a handrail for stairs. A knee walker is for flat surfaces, indoors and on reasonable footpaths.
How do I know what size knee walker I need?
Measure from the floor to the back of your knee with the injured leg bent, wearing the shoe you will have on. The knee platform on ours adjusts from 41 to 57.5cm, which covers most adults, and the handlebars adjust from 81.5 to 96.5cm.
Can I claim a knee walker on NDIS or Support at Home?
At $380 it counts as low cost assistive technology under the NDIS, so there is no quote to chase. Under Support at Home it comes from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications budget, which sits separately from your care hours. Your plan manager or care manager can confirm your own situation.
Is a knee scooter the same as a knee walker?
Yes. Knee walker and knee scooter are two names for the same thing: a frame on wheels with a padded rest for your bent knee, so that foot stays off the ground while you push along with the other leg. Ours is the Knee Walker, $380, with a knee pad that adjusts from 41 to 57.5cm and a 120kg limit.
Can you rent a knee scooter?
Yes. Renting and hiring are the same thing here. In Australia hire usually costs about $33 a week, plus $140 to $195 for delivery and collection, which is why buying works out cheaper if you need it for more than about six or seven weeks. Our Knee Walker is $380.
Three questions and you'll have a specific recommendation for your situation, no guesswork.
Bianca worked in disability services before becoming a mother. She now runs SteadWell, an Australian store for mobility and daily living aids, and personally selects every product in the range against SteadWell's checklist, so families can choose with confidence rather than guesswork.
