Mobility scooters can be big and cumbersome things often needing a hoist or ramp to get them in and out of a vehicle.
There must be lighter and easier to transport models that one person can easily lift in and out of a vehicle.
What models would forum members recommend and why.
And what models would forum members recommend giving a wide berth and why.
Never used one and can’t recommend, but thought these looked interesting.
Had a Travelease 3 wheeler as a ‘bogof’ when I bought a Pride 4 wheel scooter in 2003. Useless!
Unstable: hard to fold (I have only 1 good hand); still quite heavy (needed to find a man to help unload and load it into car): only went 3-4 miles on very even ground (basically just about ok to go round supermarket but not enough room to carry goods!).
I don’t know how the newer models compare but bear in mind that if a scooter has to carry you and shopping the batteries will last considerably shorter period of time.
Good luck on you search, I don’t think Eutopia has been reached in this market. Ann
You should pay a visit to your local reputable mobility emporium.Have lots and lots of road tests,take the car that the buggy will be going in,the person who will be doing the humping,and a list of questions about servicing,technical support blah blah.
T’internet will be cheaper but will a little man come from China to help with any problems?
Wb
WOW Whammel what a great scooter! Well worth watching demo video. I thought it would be about £4k so was surprised to see basic kit is under £2k.
Folding it seems to be a bit complicated but I think a bit of practice and would be easy. Personally I wouldn’t be able to lift it or pull it but then I always have someone with me when travelling.
Thanks for posting this. Very interesting.
Pat x
Hi,
I’m in a similar boat. I’m just starting to consider moblity scooters but as I’ve only got a Fiesta I’m looking for something that’ll fold down quite small. I saw the Mobie mobility scooter advertised in a few places - that folds down to suitcase size - but my MS Nurse wasn’t too keen as it doesn’t look very stable. I’ve only got about £500 to spend and have seen a couple that seem to fit the bill on the Betterlife web-site.
My husband thinks I should exchange my Motability car for a Motability scooter, but we live in a small village and there isn’t much need to use a scooter here other than to pop to the school occasionally or the odd event. I don’t want to lose my independence by losing the car, although I’ve suffered from fatigue for several months now haven’t used the car myself sine about October/November. Whether I’d have the strength to assemble a scooter is another question.
Heather
From what I have seen a mobility scooter that may retail at £2000 is suddenly ‘worth’ £4000 if it is on the motability scheme.Strange.Judicious use of the four weekly mobility money gives much more flexibility as everybodys’ requirements are different.
Wb
Hi,
I’ve researched this topic endlessly and test driven quite a few lightweight scooters. It all depends what you want the scooter to do. If you plan to use it anywhere other than perfectly flat shopping malls most of the lightweight ones just don’t cut the mustard. The ones I tested didn’t have the umph to get up my steep drive (I’ve moved now but it was a good test)
Also they are still quite heavy. There are ones that take to bits but even they are not featherweights. I liked the look of the Luggie too but never got to try one out.
The video makes it look easy to put in a car but I don’t know what the reality would be.
In the end I gave up on the quest for a transportable scooter and put my money into a powerchair. I’m going the hoist rout to get it in the car. I decided that this was more versatile for me as I can use a chair on public transport (I don’t drive) but I realize this is not a solution for everyone.
Jane
[quote=“whammel”]
Never used one and can’t recommend, but thought these looked interesting.
[/quote] This does look very interesting. Taking your lead regarding the internet it does seem a possibility. I see it weighs about 50lbs and the video shows a young women lifting it easily in an out of a car. Apparently it’s made in Taiwan so the build quality should be good. One thing made me smile was the cost I recall in the USA is $1895 dollars while in the UK it’s £1895. That said it looks like a possibility. There’s a UK importer so no problem regarding exercising your statutory rights if you need.
Thank you Ann. Great advice particularly your comment about range and the importance of terrain.
Heather thank you for adding the Mobie to the mix. I see that it weighs in at about 50lbs much the same as the Luggie. Similar price too. Used correctly I don’t think stability should be a problem unless you plan to take corners on two wheels. LOL
I have a very small 3wheeled scooter about the smallest ive seen got it for holiday and was great for that but not very sturdy and rubbish battery life. It goes into the boot of a car very easy but still need two people to do it noway could i do it alone. Also not to comfy after a while, but it fits into a saxo boot and on a flat surface is ok but wouldnt use it without someone with me.
I’ve continued with my internet search and have found this intriguing scooter — TravelScoot. see www.travelscoot.com/demonstration.htm
It doesn’t get any lighter than this at 35lbs or so.
One downside is that you would have to import from Germany so customer support may be difficult to sort out. Upside is there seems to a big fan base in the States.
Apparently not good in the mud or long grass but there again neither am I. LOL
I have an Elite Traveller which is good for me. It is lightweight, dismantles into 4 bits and goes easily into the car boot. My OH can manage it quite easily . The battery will do about 7 milles (I think, but please check!) But there is another larger, heavier battery available which goes further.
As others have said the trade off with light weight scooters is the terrain that they can manage. Mine is great in shopping centres but can’t do cross country. It is probably worth doing quite a bit of research, going to a dealer and trying them out to find the one which is right for you. Be careful with 3 wheel scooters they can be a bit unstable.
My scooter is one of the best things I ever bought, it lets me to do so many things…
Enjoy…
Have used one and CAN recommend! I absolutely love my Luggie. It is so easy to get in and out of the car; I can do it by myself sitting down on the boot lip. Toooooo easy
Because it is so small I can finally get into a dress shop without trashing half the display and dragging all the clothes out of the shop festooned all over my scooter. Honestly, it goes wherever a person would go standing up. Even up gutters and one or two small stairs because you can just hop off, grab the towing handle at the front and pull it up a stair or two in the way that you would pull a suitcase on wheels with a handle. And it makes sitting at a table so easy. No more trying to eat lunch half twisted to the table and a ful arms length away. The Luggie’s handle is telescopic and you just drop it down and scoot right in under the table and bingo, a comfy seat at the correct height for the table.
Homestly, the Luggie has revolutionised my life. I still use my BIG scooter for going out for a real “walk”. If I am taking the dog or tackling rough ground or lots of steep hills I wouldn’t use my Luggie. It lives in my car and I use it for shopping, any town sort of stuff, super market, the mall etc. I have a separate battery docking station so I can take the battery out for recharging but leave the Luggie in the boot.
Go ad try one. You’ll be amazed.
Cheers,
Belinda
I have just bought one online a Pride go-go traveller elite £504, it fits in the boot of our fiesta no problem, but i wouldnt call it lightweight, it serves the purpose for me, for days out and the shops and is fine for just that its s a 4mph one so isnt robust, but for what i need it for its great, my partner lifts it in and out of the boot for me, because i couldnt,because the battery is the heaviest bit,i would be floored if i tried,but i like mine much better than the w/c i have to use.the main advantage is once on it you have a bit of independance,unlike the w/c where i have to be pushed,as i am too weak to self propel.you can ring the helplines if you look at the websites and they can advise you.
Belinda thanks for taking the time to jot down your experiences. Much appreciated. It sounds definately one worth following up on. Have you used it abroad?
Does anyone have experience of taking a mobility scooter on an airplane? Grateful to hear of experiences.
Nimrod, if you go on Luggie site there are comments from users and some are about experiences with Luggie on airplane.
Pat x
Thx Pat — will do.
Getting out and about on holiday is another of my criteria and I wonder how airlines view the carriage of mobility scooters? Getting slightly off topic so will start a new thread.
Again Pat thx for your comments.
Hi Nimrod,
I haven’t taken it abroad but I am about to fly to Queensland in June. It should be a total doddle with the luggie. Because they are dry cell batteries the airlines have far fewer restrictions in carrying them than wet cell types. And because it can fold down in a long version as well as the compact version, it is really easy for the airline staff to then wheel away to the hold after I have boarded. I am expecting it to all be a lot less hassle than when I have flown with my manual wheel chair. Then I was always terrifed they would lose a wheel or a foot rest or some other vital detachable part.
Also the luggie has a separate accessory of a hard case with wheels and pull out handle (basically a suitcase) which the Luggie goes into for air travel if you are a frequent flyer. I am not bothering with it because I don’t fly often enough to justify the extra expense.
With flying with a scooter as long as you inform the airline at the time of booking it is no problem. I actually find it has its advantages. I get priority check in so no queuing and get seated first so no queuing and get an automatic upgrade to a seat with more leg room simply because disabled passengers have to be seated near the bulkheads at the front of the plane for safety reasons. Bonus!
Belinda