I’m looking for recommendations for mobility scooters/powered wheelchairs that can go in the back of a car. Ideally one that it not to heavy on the hands when driving/steering. Also advise on where to buy from that would be reputable/have the MS sufferer’s best interest at heart. Thank you.
Hi LG. There is a vast array of scooters and chairs. You should be able to find one that suits.
I have two scooters both of which I got from CareCo who have stores across the UK. I’ve found them to be good and helpful, the one near me also has a little ‘test’ track of bumpy surfaces, inclines, turns etc.
The two I have are : CareCo Minimus and Moving Life Atto. Both are folding scooters and can be put in the back/ boot of a car. Both are a little more expensive than the more normal car boot scooters which break down into 4-5 pieces for easy lifting etc.
I got the Atto for its good ground clearance- I sometimes use if on pretty rough ground and tracks. The Minimus folds up to a vert small size and can be wheeled into e.g cafes, restaurants etc.
Do have a look on various websites and also try out a few- there are many different ones. Spoilt for choice. Mobility stores are pretty helpful and understanding.
If the user is anything like me there is a certain feeling/ hurdle of self consciousness to overcome when you first try and first go out but I now quite enjoy using the scooters. I’m also very pleasantly surprised at how helpful and kind people can be - whether in cafes etc, on the train, just going around shopping centres!
Hello, i went though a lot of thinking about a scooter. I wanted one that wasnt so heavy as i had hurt my back trying to lift an older one. I needed something that would fit in my car. In the end i bought one that electrically folds up. The prices vary so you have to shop around really
Hi, I too was looking for a motorised wheelchair for my wife just to get around our bungalow and could fold up and fit in the boot of our estate car. We went to CareCo where they had an array of scooters and wheelchairs to test out. We opted for the Alluvium Powerchair as it was one of the lighter models and fits in our boot. It folds like a pram and after a few tries you get used to it. However when i say it’s lighter it’s still quite heavy and I doubt my wife would be able to lift it even if she didn’t have MS. So a visit to one of CareCo’s showrooms is advisable just to try it for size. It has variable speeds from really slow to quite nippy and is most suitable for flat surfaces although it will navigate a slope very well. My wife’s verdict is that while its turning circle is good it’s not great on carpet (although this may have been due to it being set at its lowest speed) She says it’s not as comfortable as her much larger custom made Powerchair or even her manual one. *Note the Alluvium has wheel locks which can be unlocked to be able to use it as a manual wheelchair if required. The price can be a bit of a shock as it cost around £2,000 but i think it may have come down in price and there may be some 2nd hand ones out there or new but cheaper. One more thing my wife doesn’t like about it is the footrest. It’s one plate for both feet which can fold out of the way for access, but her legs are independant of each other with the left one jutting up in the air so no support.
Having said all that it may be what you’re looking for and I think there’s a lighter model they do which came out after we purchased ours.