Paying
Rent or buy?
Crutch rental rarely makes financial sense, and knee scooter rental often does. Here is the break-even for each, plus the loan-closet option most people never hear about.
Contents 6 sections
Rental is a sensible model for expensive, bulky, temporary equipment. Crutches are none of those things, which is why the answer here is unusually clear.
Find a crutch supplier near you
Crutches: buy them
A pair of aluminum underarm crutches costs $25 to $45. Where rental is offered at all, it typically runs $10 to $20 a week. Two to three weeks in, you have paid for a pair you do not own, and the average crutch recovery runs six to eight weeks.
There is also a practical problem: rental crutches come back adjusted for someone else, with whatever tip wear the last person left. For $30 you get a new pair set to your body.
Knee scooters: rent, usually
The math inverts because the purchase price is much higher. At $40 to $80 a week against $120 to $250 to buy, rental is the better deal for a four-week recovery and the worse one for a three-month recovery. Rental also solves storage, which matters more than people expect with an item the size of a small bicycle.
| Item | Buy | Rent | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underarm crutches | $25–$45 | $10–$20 / wk | ~2–3 weeks |
| Forearm crutches | $50–$120 | Rarely offered | n/a |
| Knee scooter | $120–$250 | $40–$80 / wk | ~3–4 weeks |
| Wheelchair (transport) | $150–$400 | $30–$60 / wk | ~6–8 weeks |
The option that beats both
Medical equipment loan closets lend crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs free. They are run by charities, service clubs, churches, and hospital auxiliaries, they exist in most US metro areas, and they are almost never the first search result. Call your county's area agency on aging, a senior center, or a large local church and ask whether there is a loan closet. Returning the equipment afterwards keeps it circulating.
How insurance sees the difference
Medicare classifies some durable medical equipment as rental-only, some as purchase, and some as either, depending on the item and expected duration. Crutches are ordinarily a purchase. If you are going through insurance, confirm which path your plan expects before the supplier processes anything, because switching afterwards is painful. More on coverage →
Where to ask
Rental, when it exists, comes from medical supply dealers rather than pharmacies. This directory lists 88,756 of them by city, with phone numbers. Ask two questions: do you rent, and what is the weekly rate including the deposit.
Common questions
- Can you rent crutches?
- Some medical supply dealers rent them, but many do not bother, because a pair costs about the same as two weeks of rental. Rental is far more common and more sensible for knee scooters, wheelchairs, and hospital beds.
- Is it cheaper to rent or buy crutches?
- Buying, in almost every case. Crutches are inexpensive enough that the break-even point on rental usually arrives within two to three weeks, which is shorter than most recoveries.
- Should I rent a knee scooter?
- Often yes. At $40 to $80 a week against $120 to $250 to buy, rental wins for a short recovery, and you avoid storing a bulky item afterwards. Past about four weeks, buying pulls ahead.
- What do I do with crutches when I am done?
- Donate them to a medical equipment loan closet, a senior center, or a local charity, or pass them on through a neighbourhood group. They get reused for years.
How we researched this guide
Written and maintained by the CrutchDirectory editorial team at NLH Enterprises LLC. Coverage rules, billing codes and equipment definitions are taken from primary government sources, linked below. Prices are typical US retail ranges observed at national retailers and change often, so treat them as a bracket rather than a quote.
- Medicare.gov: Durable medical equipment coverage Which equipment Medicare rents rather than buys, and when the rental converts
- CMS: DMEPOS fee schedule Rental and purchase allowables per code, which is where the break-even comes from
Not medical advice. These guides cover products, prices and coverage mechanics. They are not written or reviewed by a clinician and do not diagnose or treat anything. Which mobility aid suits your injury, and what weight you may put through it, are questions for the clinician treating you.