How To Choose The Best Shopping Trolley For Elderly?

A shopping trolley makes shopping and walking around town so much easier for the elderly. No more carrying around heavy bags by hand.

A trolley is especially helpful for seniors who have mobility and strength problems caused by arthritis, a bad back or some other condition.

A good shopping trolley should be sturdy and lightweight. It should have enough capacity to hold a decent amount of shopping as well as other items like medication, a mobile phone, and a bottle of water.

Look out for extra features like a pull out seat or an insulated pocket for cold and frozen groceries.

In this buying guide, we recommend the top five shopping trolleys for the elderly that you can buy online in the UK, and give you tips on how to choose the right one for yourself or a family member.

What to Consider When Choosing A Shopping Trolley

A. Capacity

The first thing to decide is how big of a shopping trolley you want. The ideal size depends on how much shopping is done and the strength of the user.

A large shopping trolley will have a larger capacity. Some trolleys have bags with a capacity close to 50 litres. This is handy if you want a trolley that can hold a lot of shopping, such as a week’s worth of groceries for two people.

On the downside, a large trolley can be heavy when full, making it harder for someone with weak hands or a bad back to handle.

A smaller trolley – 30 to 40 litres in capacity – is suitable for someone who only buys a few things at the supermarket. A smaller and lighter trolley is also the best for someone who has reduced mobility and strength.

Something else to check is the variety of storage options. We recommend a shopping trolley with one or two main compartments plus smaller pockets for medication, mobile phone, a small umbrella and other items.

B. Build Quality – Frame & Bag

Next, look at how the trolley is constructed. Starting with the frame, you want one that’s made from aluminium. An aluminium frame is sturdy but lightweight. Aluminium also doesn’t rust.

Check the quality of the shopping bag itself. It should be made from a strong fabric with good stitching at the seams. The bag should carry loads of shopping without coming apart. Of course, you should always stick to the weight limit.

If you can, get a bag that’s waterproof or at least water resistant. This ensures all your shopping doesn’t get wet should you be caught in the rain.

C. Mobility (Wheels)

Next, check the wheels of the trolley, specifically the number of wheels. For seniors who are fairly healthy and strong, a basic two-wheel trolley is good enough.

For users who need more stability and balance, we recommend a 4 or 6-wheel trolley. Make sure the front wheels can swivel for easy mobility.

If you are buying a shopping trolley for someone who has to climb stairs, look for one with stair climbing wheels. These look like large fidget spinners. Each set has three wheels that allow a trolley to be pulled up the stairs or pushed down the stairs.

D. Safety

Unless you are buying the trolley for someone with adequate strength and control, we highly recommend getting a trolley with brakes.

Cable brakes with hand-operated levers are the best. They allow better movement control especially when going down a slope. On the downside, trolleys with these types of brakes are pricey.

A good alternative is a trolley with foot brakes. A safety foot brake holds the trolley secure when parked, keeping it from rolling off.

E. Additional Features to Consider

  • Foldable – A foldable shopping trolley is easier to store in a small space.
  • Integrated chair – A shopping trolley with a chair allows the user to stop and rest anywhere while they shop.
  • Isothermal bag – A shopping trolley with an isothermal bag or compartment is handy for carrying frozen and cold groceries.
  • Handle size – Don’t forget to check the maximum height of the handle. Taller users need a longer handle to ensure they don’t hurt their back. Some shopping trolleys have telescopic handles that suit different heights.

Best Shopping Trolleys for Elderly: Top 5 Reviews

1. NRS Healthcare Lifemax Leisure Trolley with Seat

This is the best choice if you are looking for a shopping trolley with a seat. You fold down the seat when you need to rest and fold it back up out of the way when pushing the trolley.

The seat has a weight capacity of 100kg, so no worries about whether it can hold your weight. It’s sturdier than it looks.

That said, users have two complaints regarding the seat: it is small and too low down. Large people and those with a bad back or hip issues may not be able to use the seat.

The shopping bag is decently sized. It has a 35-litre capacity and can hold shopping weighing up to 30kg. If you are not out shopping, you can also use the Lifemax Leisure trolley when gardening, for picnics and when going on walks.

Two large wheels provide easy mobility on different types of surfaces.

Once you get home, you can fold the trolley for easier storage.

Overall, the Lifemax trolley is a good value for your money. It’s affordable, well built, offers a good sized shopping bag and the seat is a big plus.

What we like about it:

  • Affordable.
  • Includes a fold down seat.
  • Lightweight.
  • Foldable.

2. Carlett Shopping Trolley

Looking for a trolley with more stability and balance? We recommend the 6-wheeled Carlett shopping trolley.

It has four sets of wheels, with the front two sets each having a pair of small wheels. The 6-wheeled design provides greater stability and easier mobility for seniors. A safety brake is included to ensure the trolley doesn’t roll away. The trolley also  has an anti-roll bar at the front.

The Carlett shopping trolley is also the best choice if you want to keep frozen groceries from thawing. It comes with a 10-litre isothermal compartment that keeps cold and frozen stuff at a constant temperature until you get home.

The main compartment has a 40-litre capacity, big enough for a week’s worth of groceries for 1-2 people.

The aluminium frame is sturdy but light. Most elderly users should have no trouble pushing it around.

The EVA wheels run silently, and the front ones swivel 360-degrees for easy maneuvering around corners and tight areas. By the way, you can convert Carlett into a 2-wheel trolley.

The Carlett is a bit pricier compared to other shopping trolleys, but it’s easy to see why. It holds plenty of shopping, is easy to push around, and even comes with a frozen foods compartment.

The Carlett shopping trolley is available in four colours: black, grey, mauve and red.

What we like about it:

  • Large capacity.
  • Safety features – brake and anti-roll bar.
  • Separate compartment for frozen groceries.
  • Adjustable handlebar.

3. Sholley Deluxe Shopping Trolley

Sholley is another great choice if you are looking for a stable trolley for someone who needs the extra support and balance.

Like the Carlett trolley, the Sholley Deluxe shopping trolley sits on four sets of wheels, two pairs for each of the front sets for a total of six wheels.

The front wheels are swivel, but you can also lock them. The trolley also includes a safety foot brake you can use to safely park the trolley.

Another safety feature that you won’t find on most shopping trolleys is the lack of a rear axle. This allows elderly users to walk comfortably behind the trolley without the risk of being tripped by a metal bar at the back of the trolley.

Even without the rear axle, the Sholley trolley feels stable and sturdy. We haven’t seen reports of the trolley wobbling or shaking.

As for the shopping basket, it’s one of the biggest you’ll find in a shopping trolley. If you buy lots of stuff on your shopping runs, Sholley is the best shopping trolley.

The basket has a capacity of 48.1 litres. In fact, some users complain it’s too deep, making it hard to reach items at the bottom of the basket. If this is a problem for you, Sholley recommends their separator bag that transforms the trolley into a two-tier shopping trolley.

In addition to the main basket, the trolley includes smaller compartments for easy organization and handy places to carry smaller items like an umbrella or your mobile phone.

Overall, the Sholley trolley is great for those looking for something big and easy to push. It’s pricey, but we love how much groceries it holds and its safety features.

The trolley is available in two variations: petite for shorter users and regular for taller ones.

What we like about it:

  • Extra-large capacity.
  • Six-wheeled for added balance and stability.
  • Includes safety brake.
  • Adjustable handle.

4. Hoppa 47Ltr Lightweight Shopping Trolley

Shopping on a budget? We recommend the Hoppa shopping trolley. For its size, it’s really well priced, making it the best choice for folks looking for a large shopping trolley that’s affordable.

The spacious bag is made from polyester that’s strong and waterproof. A drawstring secures the main compartment with a top flap offering additional security. A zipped pocket at the front provides extra storage for smaller items.

You can get the bag in different fun colours and patterns including black polka dot, butterflies, cities, and plain black.

The bag sits on a sturdy aluminium frame. The whole setup is extra light, weighing just 1.8kg.

A pair of wheels provide easy mobility around town. Several users have noted that the wheels are not exactly heavy duty, so be careful not to bang them too much against steps and pavement.

The rest of the trolley is also not designed to last for years. We recommend this trolley only for occasional use – about once a week. You’ll get about 1-2 years out of it. Considering the price, we still think it’s worth it.

What we like about it:

  • Large capacity for a low price.
  • Stylish designs.
  • Lightweight aluminium frame.
  • Waterproof.

5. Karabar Fully Insulated Wheeled Large Shopping Trolley

The Karabar shopping trolley has the best build quality of any shopping trolley in our buying guide. It is surprisingly not as expensive as we expected, making it a good value for your money.

The frame is aluminium, making it strong yet light. The bag is made from durable and waterproof polyester. It can withstand frequent use without tearing or coming apart at the seams. Your shopping will also be perfectly fine in case you are caught in a downpour.

Unlike most shopping trolleys, the bag on the Karabar trolley is fully insulated. That means cold and frozen groceries stay at a constant temperature until you get home.

The insulation also makes Karabar perfect for picnics. You can pack hot foods or cold drinks in the bag.

The bag is not too big – just 32 litres. It holds only a few days worth of groceries.

The Karabar trolley moves on two wheels. And these don’t break as easily as in most trolleys. But if they do, you are covered by a 10-year warranty, so you can request for replacements.

Overall, the Karabar shopping trolley is excellent value for money and a great choice for those looking for a long lasting shopping trolley.

What we like about it:

  • Good value for money.
  • Excellent build quality backed by a 10-year warranty.
  • Insulated bag.
  • Folds flat for easy storage.

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