Between do-it-yourself projects and everyday activities, we often take on tasks that require more than two hands. A cart – or a special grocery cart – is a convenient solution, whether it’s the need to transport something that’s a bit too heavy or you just want to make fewer trips to the laundry room or to the groceries around the corner. A special grocery cart is a must-have for seniors that want to keep their independence.
Do Seniors need a Special Grocery cart? Yes. There are many different grocery carts on the market and there are some that may be lightweight, more comfortable and way more easy-to-use, and straightforward to fold and unfold. Seniors would definitely benefit from carts like this.
What Features Should a Good Grocery Cart Have?
I was recently trying to figure out what would make a Grocery cart great, what features a cart should have to be considered good, and I came up with these 6 features below. It may be helpful to keep them in mind if you are shopping for a cart, especially if you are a senior citizen:
Easy to use
A good grocery cart can make household chores a whole lot easier! Whether you’re unloading groceries or transporting laundry, a portable cart reduces multiple carrying trips and eliminates potential back strain.
Easy to store
Practical and simple to fold and unfold. When the cart is not in use, it should simply fold it flat for easy stow.
Durable
A good grocery cart should be durable, made with good materials and if some piece is damaged, it should be easy to replace it.
Comfortable
A good grocery cart should come with snaps on the wheels, which should make it easy to stop when needed. It should also have comfortable handles.
Lightweight
A good grocery cart should be also lightweight so it would be easy to be carried around by anyone – including seniors that have lost some of their strength.
Capacity
At the same time, when thinking about a good grocery cart, it should also be able to carry a good deal of packages.
Our pick:
Best Value Grocery Cart for Seniors: Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart has all the desirable qualities that we would hope for in a grocery cart and it’s the perfect grocery cart for hauling groceries, laundry, toys, and sports equipment. It’s also one of the cheapest ones on the market. But please note: cheap means not crap!
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart is easy to assemble and requires no tools to assemble. Once it’s assembled, there isn’t any other instruction, it is extremely easy to use.
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart is very easy to store. When the cart is not in use, it’s pretty straightforward and simply fold up, all you have to do is to pull up on the front basket top. Its collapsible design makes the cart extremely easy to be stored anywhere, actually, it’s ideal for small spaces.
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart is constructed of durable, and the frame made of stainless steel. Definitely a good sturdy construction. Reviews also mention a good performance of this cart in the city and sidewalk cracks (which seem to jam other shopping cartwheels).
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart is very comfortable. It comes with easy snap-on wheels and has a plush foam handle for comfort.
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart is very lightweight. It weighs around 10 pounds. Reviews confirm that it really seems more like a “child’s toy”, referring to the fact that can be easily lifted by a child.
The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart also offers a good capacity (storage space), measuring overall 19.13″ x 21.25″ x 34.5″ inches with the Interior basket measuring 13″ x 11.625″ inches. With this cart, you can carry 4 to 6 grocery plastic bags, depending on how full they are. Good enough for a weekly grocery shopping.
Price: Around $30
Check the last price on Amazon.
Best Grocery Cart for Seniors for Moving Around: Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is Made of heavy-duty steel. Like the previous from the list, it’s foldable.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries, like the previous in this list, is easy to install. Putting the wheels on will take you less than 5 mins. There is even a 1-min instructional video that will walk you through the process that much faster.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is also foldable and easy to store, it folds quickly and conveniently and it hardly takes up any room at all.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is also durable, made with thick gauge steel on wheel axles.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is also comfortable and it comes with a handle with soft grip. Besides, it has anoptimal maneuverability smooth wheels: thanks to two front 360 degree swivel wheels two 7in diameter back wheels, you can change directions smoothly for quick & easy use. Simply snap the back wheels on or off and effortlessly move in all directions.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is also somewhat lightweight. It weighs 10.12 pounds.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries also offers an awesome capacity (storage space) of 150pounds, as the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart. This shopping cart features double front swivel wheels and two oversized wheels on the back.
Price: Around $50
Check the last price on Amazon.
Best Overall Grocery Cart for Seniors: Dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart also has all the desirable qualities that we would hope for in a grocery cart and more. This is a more expensive cart and it features a few perks to justify its price.
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart, like the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart, is easy to install: All of the installation tools you need will come with the shopping cart in a box, you just need to follow the installation manual and the left side video to install. And just like the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart, it’s also easy to use, after installed.
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart is also foldable and easy to store. It does not occupy your space. It easily handles the foldable grocery cart, you can put it into your car trunk, under your bed, storage room or stand to the wall, etc.
- Extra feature from the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart is that we can’t find in the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart: The foldable cart frame can be converted into a dolly to transport large items, storing laundry, boxes, etc stuff. The removable grocery cart bag and basket can be used independently. You can put fruits, vegetables or something else into the cart bag to carry, the heavy things like cooking oil, boxes you can put into the basket then push/pull it home.
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart is also durable, made with high-quality stainless steel material.
- Extra feature from the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart that we can’t find in the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart: This cart contains a basket that is waterproof. Plus, the function of rust-resistant and durable will not make shopping cart rust or wet your things into the bag during the rainy day.
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart is also comfortable.
- Extra feature from the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart that we can’t find in the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart: This cart is considered a versatile shopping cart with front wheels that can be rotated 360 degrees and back wheels that are adopted with the triangular design for easy up/down stair climbing and, moving smoothly.
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart is also lightweight. It also weighs less than 4 pounds.
- No Extra feature when compared to the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart
The dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart also offers a good capacity (storage space).
- Extra feature from the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart that we can’t find in the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart: This cart has a High Capacity. Contains 8 compartments, which include a beverage holder. The shopping cart frame can hold up 150 pounds objects and the capacity of the basket is enough for your requirement in normal life. The display size of the shopping cart is 16″ x 18″ x 38″ inches (while the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart measures 19.13″ x 21.25″ x 34.5″).
Price: Around $50
Check the last price on Amazon.
The Bottom Line
| Features | Whitmor Cart | Pipishell Shopping Cart | dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart | |
| Easy to assemble/Easy to use | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Easy to store | Yes | Yes | Yes. Extra perk: The foldable cart frame can be converted into a dolly to transport large items and the removable shopping cart bag and basket can be used independently. | |
| Durable | Yes | Yes | Yes. Extra perk: This cart is rust-resistant The basket that is waterproof. | |
| Comfortable | Yes | Yes | Yes. This cart comes with front wheels that can be rotated 360 degrees and back wheels that are adopted with the triangular design for easy up/down stair climbing and, moving smoothly. | |
| Weight | 10 pounds | 10 pounds | 4 pounds | |
| Capacity | The display size of the shopping cart is19.13″ x 21.25″ x 34.5″ | The shopping cart frame can hold up 150 pounds. | The shopping cart frame can hold up 150 pounds. The display size of the shopping cart is 16 x 18 x 38 inches (while the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart measures ), folding size is 8.3 x 37inch. | |
| Price | Good value | More expensive (but it’s also worth it) | More expensive (but it’s worth it) |
So, if you are looking for a cart that would perform well not just on a perfectly paved surface but also on sidewalk cracks. This is it. One might wonder whether a simple, thirty dollar Amazon cart could do the trick. It does. The Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart transports jumbo loads and heavy items with greater ease.
An interesting review mentioned the wrong first-time impression of this being small, but after several uses, the reviewer was very satisfied with the fact that the cart holds much more than it looks like it would, and still, he can push it on all 4 wheels in front/alongside him with one finger. Another reviewer confirms that pulling is not a strain either. She has used several carts through the years, some caused back pain and leg pain from the heavyweight, but this unit is much less expensive, does the same loads value, and even looks good w/chrome-like finish, and no pain. Several reviewers mention the fact that the cart is very easy to fold up and that it stands without sliding down to the floor.
The Pipishell Shopping Cart with Dual Swivel Wheels for Groceries is very similar to the previous one, but it’s easier to move with it thanks to its smooth wheels. And it has a bigger capacity.
But…
If you look for something great, dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart worth every penny.
This shopping cart is very convenient. One reviewer claimed that even her little sister could easily push it. Another reviewer claimed the same but giving the example of her 60-year-old mother. This cart also works wonders in stairs, it’s perfectly designed to be able to climb them. So if you need some heavy lifting, the cart will do all of the work with no help needed. A lot of reviewers seem to be amazed by features from both the front and the back wheels: as mentioned before, they can easily climb stairs, they rotate 360-degrees and they are made of really hard rubber (so they don’t get flat from running over anything sharp).
If anyone is looking for a highly durable and practical cart or has any questions about these ones whatsoever, feel free to ask.
Related Questions:
How Much does a Grocery Cart Cost?
Grocery carts cost an average of $25 to $65 on the market, with the Whitmor Utility Shopping Cart being one of the cheapest ones available and the dbest Bigger Trolley Dolly Foldable Cart being on the high spectrum prices.
What are the Other Names for Grocery Carts?
Depending on where you live, you have probably heard people refer to the wheeled contraption that holds your groceries by several different nouns. The most common name is “grocery cart” or “shopping cart.” However, if you live in the southern United States, the term “buggy” is often used. Even though a shopping cart and a shopping basket are two different things, people sometimes use these labels interchangeably. We have even heard the term “bass cart.” After scouring the net, we found several studies on the matter.
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Comments
This is perfect!! Great tips for buying a shopping cart for seniors! Very practical for seniors to have the perfect shopping cart for them.
Thank you, Sofia. We figured that there wasn’t so much info about this subject on the Internet. We are glad that our post has helped you.