Path Finder Panel Review
Review updated:
Path Finder is a wearable shoe laser designed to help with freezing and gait issues. The device helped all of our reviewers to some extent and increased their confidence walking indoors. However, the laser doesn’t project clearly outdoors and the product is expensive.
Highs
- All reviewers said their symptoms improved
- Clear instructions
- Improves confidence when walking
Lows
- The laser doesn’t work well outdoors
- You might need to make adjustments
- It may feel heavy and bulky on top of footwear
- Expensive
Meet our review panel
The six reviewers in our panel were asked to test out Path Finder for four weeks before sharing their feedback with us.
Symptoms: All the reviewers in our Tech Guide review panel currently experience freezing of gait, amongst other motor and non-motor Parkinson’s symptoms.
Tech confidence rating: Two very confident, three somewhat confident, one neither confident nor unconfident.
Location: Colwyn, Essex, Shropshire, Wiltshire and Yorkshire
Gender
- Men: 2
- Women: 4
Age range
Years since diagnosis
Background
Path Finder is a walking aid that attaches to your shoe. It projects a green line as a visual cue to help with freezing and gait problems. It is categorised as a Class 1 medical device.
Path Finder was created by Lise Pape, the daughter of someone with Parkinson’s and founder of Walk With Path. Pape decided to design a non-invasive solution that could improve her father’s freezing while she was a student at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London in 2014. She released the first version of Path Finder three years later in 2017.
The product consists of two devices that attach to your shoes. These devices each project a green line on the ground using a laser, taking turns as you walk. When you take a step, the laser attached to the foot that is stationary on the ground turns on, projecting a green line across your path. You can then use this line as a visual cue to guide your moving foot.
Due to the strength of the projection, Pape says the product works best indoors and away from bright sunlight.
“The aim of Walk With Path is to provide simple to use devices and products that help in daily life – with a specific focus on improving mobility,” said Pape, adding that the company welcomes feedback from users.
First impressions
Instructions
Upon unboxing Path Finder, our review panel all agreed that the product’s instructions were generally clear. They also said that the size and colour of the text made it very easy to read.
“The instructions were easy to follow, they were written in a straightforward way without confusing terminology,” said one person. “They included a balance of text and pictures.”
Two reviewers did say that they would have liked more guidance when it came to specific parts of the set-up process.
“[I] had to get help in sorting which plug to use. [There was] a bewildering array included in [the] box.” said one person, referring to the four regional adapters included in the box for charging.
“Although well designed, the instruction leaflet could have been more detailed and helpful [and] could have been extended to include a trouble shooting section,” they added.
Fitting the device
Some reviewers found fitting Path Finder on their shoes to be a bit tricky, though most were able to set them up within a few hours either alone or with help from Walk With Path customer service.
They’re “easy to strap to your shoes,” said one reviewer who called the device “self explanatory”.
However, another reviewer didn’t find it quite so easy. “I couldn’t stretch the rubber to fit my shoes and had to ask my partner to help. However, when I contacted the provider I found them very helpful and I received a larger size very promptly.
“Some indication that this might happen could usefully have been included in the instruction booklet.”
Another reviewer needed to buy new shoes to use Path Finder.
“I found that my trainers were too wide and it was difficult to attach at the back,” they said. “I purchased a pair of shoes specifically for the device [and] found the strap fitted more easily on these.”
This person also said that the strap holding onto the shoe was difficult to manipulate when the tremor in their hand was more apparent, and that they would have liked more guidance regarding how to achieve a good fit.
On a more positive note, one reviewer said that, once their Path Finder was fitted, it “became part of the shoe.”
Setting up the laser
Another common problem reviewers encountered while setting Path Finder up was getting the laser to project a line at the right place.
“Getting the beam in the right place was the most challenging part of the set up process. It required some time to get it right,” said one person.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll need to charge the device before using it for the first time.
Daily Use
Using Path Finder for the first time
All of our reviewers found Path Finder easy to use, with one calling it “a straight forward device to use.”
I had no freezing, and walked much faster and more smoothly than usual. It felt miraculous!
One reviewer said they felt “an immediate impact walking around [the] house.”
They said: “The first time I used Path Finder I got very excited – I walked around the house freely taking longer steps than usual. I had no freezing, and walked much faster and more smoothly than usual. It felt miraculous!”
This reviewer has tried other Parkinson’s devices to help with their symptoms which “had not had a dramatic effect”. They found that wearing the Path Finder, by contrast, led to “positive effects [that] carried on for the rest of that day and into the next.”
Other reviewers found they needed to play around with the product and make continued adjustments to the fit of the device.
Daily life
Most of our reviewers found it easy to integrate Path Finder into their day-to-day lives.
“I thought the portability was great,” said one user.
Another said: “It was easy to turn on and off[, and] easily charged. I left the device attached to the shoes. The strap seems robust. I wore the device both indoors and outdoors.”
“[It] helps me to no end especially with walking around the house and eliminates me freezing in the doorways,” said another reviewer. “I could even drive with them on, so no messing around changing footwear.”
Only one person on our review panel found the device fairly difficult to integrate into their life, sharing that the lasers made their shoes feel “bulky and heavy”, and so it took some time to adjust to them.
Despite this, they said “The positive effect on my posture and gait continued for some hours after I stopped using Path Finder.”
The feedback was primarily positive, with one reviewer noting that Path Finder helped them get out of freeze situations by forcing them to concentrate on the laser lines projected by the device. It also helped them to walk with more stability in the evening.
One person said Path Finder helped them remember to lift their feet when walking, while another said that it helped them both in the house and out shopping.
The device made me think about where I was placing my feet.
Another reviewer, whose anxiety increases when they walk, said, “I found the device made me think about where I was placing my feet. It did encourage me to look down rather than where I was going.”
None of our reviewers encountered any difficulties keeping their Path Finder charged, with most choosing to plug them in after each use or overnight.
Issues
I tried Path Finder outdoors and was really disappointed since the lasers didn’t show up.
There are some situations where Path Finder may be less suitable, as one reviewer noted: “My issue is sleeping and walking at night and I wouldn’t put it on to walk across the landing.”
Walk With Path doesn’t recommend using Path Finder outdoors or in direct sunlight as the projection isn’t strong enough for the lines to show clearly in these conditions. This is a drawback we previously noted with the LaserCane cueing laser.
One reviewer said: “I tried Path Finder outdoors and was really disappointed since the lasers didn’t show up, and my walking was no better. I kept on trying and although the effects varied depending on weather and ambient light, the transformational effects I experienced indoors did not translate to outdoors.”
One of our reviewers also complained about needing to reset the lasers each time they put their Path Finder on, stating that it “was difficult and took ages.” This involves rotating the unit and the dial so that the line appears at the right distance from your foot.
Another person said that “the casing that held the unit to the shoe became over stretched and flicked off at
times” and that they ideally “would like to see a more comfortable fit on shoe, less clumpy style and a massive reduction in cost.”
Furthermore, some members of our review panel wondered about the robustness of Path Finder over time, particularly if they have a shuffling gait that could wear down the strap where it sits under the sole of their shoe. Replacement straps are available if needed.
Value
Our review panel agreed that Path Finder is quite expensive at £835. In fact, this was the most widely shared criticism by the group.
The price seems very high.
“The price seems very high,” said one person. “I would be unlikely to invest this much without having tried it beforehand.”
“They do seem a bit expensive, I’m not sure I could afford them,” said another person who is on a limited budget because of their disability.
It’s also worth noting that you can buy replacement straps for the Path Finder if the ones in the box become worn out, but these come at an extra cost.
Despite this, most of our reviewers felt satisfied with Path Finder at the end of the review period, and they all agreed that it had improved their life to some extent.
It has improved my mobility. I feel more confident with them on.
“It gave me more confidence in overcoming freezing, at least indoors,” said one person, “To some extent this gave me more confidence outdoors whether I was wearing the lasers or not.”
“It has improved my mobility” and “[I] feel more confident with them on,” said two other reviewers.