Introduction: There are many different types and designs of
mobility scooter available on the market today & for the uninitiated it can
be a minefield to navigate or even to know where to start. So exactly how does
one go about picking the perfect mobility scooter for their needs?
The first thing to be aware of is
that there is no such thing as the perfect mobility scooter. Any purchase will
always be a compromise - want a lightweight scooter but need massive range?
Batteries are heavy. Need a captain’s chair but must fit in a small car boot?
Captain’s chairs take up a lot of space leaving little left for the body of the
scooter.
Key questions: The two most important things to clarify before you
start your quest to identify your ideal machine are: “What do I need it for?” & “What
do I want it to do?”
Constraints: The answer to the first
question will identify the constraints of the specification eg: the scooter
MUST be able to do the following…
- It must break down into pieces to fit into the
boot of my car. This will mean a “Boot” scooter is required. Or
- For walking my dogs – this will need a fairly
powerful scooter with good ground clearance. Or
- Some customers may have been disqualified from
driving due to deteriorating eyesight or poor health so they may need a Road
legal mobility scooter (called Class 3).
Criteria: Once you have identified what
the scooter must be capable of doing, you can then move onto identifying what
you would LIKE the scooter to be capable of (the scooter’s criteria). This
section is where the compromise becomes apparent:
- I would like it to have good range. Or
- I would prefer it to be as lightweight as
possible. Or
- I would like to be able to do my weekly shopping
with it.
Scooter Classifications: There are 2 main legal classifications of
mobility scooter -
Class 2 mobility scooters are can weigh
no more than 113Kgs and travel up to 4MPH. They are to be used on footpaths and
pavements only.
Class 3 mobility scooters can weigh up
to 150Kgs and can travel up to 8MPH. When being ridden on pavements they must
be restricted to 4MPH maximum for safety reasons. They are road legal also
which means that they come with a lights front & back, indicators and a
small horn / buzzer. Whilst they are legal to ride on the road, caution should
be exercised as cars and lorries whizzing past at 50MPH can be very unnerving!
3 wheel versus 4 wheel: The most popular scooters come with 4
wheels, but 3 wheel versions are available. The advantage of the 3 wheel
scooters are that they are sometimes more manoeuvrable for riding in tight
spaces like shopping aisles etc but the downside is that they are more prone to
tipping over, especially on adverse cambers.
Types of boot scooters: There are 3 main types of boot scooter -
One piece body: The main body of the
scooter comes in one piece but the seat and battery are removable. This is
simple to assemble but the one piece body can be heavy and cumbersome to load
into the car. If you have two people to help when loading then this can be a
way to manage it. These split into 3 pieces.
Two piece body: The main body of the
scooter can be split apart into the front half and the back half. These are
easy to manage and lift, but can be fiddly to assemble depending on the
mechanism design. The seat and batteries are removable so these split into 4
pieces.
Ultralight: This type of boot scooter
folds up like a child’s push buggy. Some designs are quite ingenious with
folded dimensions that fit inside a small suitcase. The main disadvantage is that
when folded they can still be quite heavy as they still remain in one piece
including the seat and battery. Also, the batteries tend to be quite small so
will yield minimal range. They can be quite expensive also.
Scooter storage: Where will you be storing your scooter? A basic
option is to buy a standard PVC cover. There are some clever options for
scooter storage that have recently come on the market. One of them is a scooter
shelter that the rider can ride into & pull over the top of the scooter
locking it securely afterwards. There is no substitute though for keeping your
scooter in a secure warm environment. Remember though, at the end of the day,
they are electronic devices - would you store your TV there?
Charging: Don’t forget that your scooter will need to be charged
regularly. This isn’t really a problem with boot scooters because the batteries
can be removed for charging in a convenient location. However, if you opt for a
larger scooter, you will need access to a charging point wherever the scooter
is stored.
Battery capacity versus range:
Battery
capacity is measured in units called Amp / Hours. Simplistically speaking this
means the amount of current (measured in Amps) that the battery can supply
continually for one hour. Therefore the more Amp / Hours (AH) the battery has,
the further your scooter will be able to travel. The heavier your scooter is,
the more current will be needed to propel it on it’s way. As a rule of thumb,
if a Mobility Scooter manufacturer quotes a range of for example 20 Miles in
ideal conditions, you should assume a
realistically usable range of two thirds that. This will take into account variables like terrain,
tyre pressures, rider weight etc… The bigger the
batteries are, the heavier the
scooter will be.
Battery rating scam: Scooters typically employ
24 volt systems, which means that they have two 12 volt batteries connected in
series to give a 24 volt supply. Two 12AH batteries connected in series is
still a 12AH battery capacity (because it provides 12AH at 24 Volts). Be wary
of some unscrupulous vendors that describe their scooters as having double the
AH rating than they actually have. Ensure you compare like-with-like when
looking at specifications.
Seating comfort: Most boot scooters come with a fairly basic seat
design. This will typically include seat rotation, seat height adjustment and
arm-rest adjustment only. Larger scooters such as Class 3 scooters usually come
with what is known as “Captain’s Chairs”. These incorporate a wider range of
adjustments such as seat slide, seat recline, head rest adjustment etc… Whilst
these are great for obtaining the perfect riding position, they can add
significant weight to a scooter and the customer would need to be reasonably
able bodied to remove it if the scooter had to be transported in a car.
Try before you buy! Before parting with your hard earned cash, make
sure that you test ride a range of scooters first. Nothing beats actually
trying the scooter first, it is the only way to be sure that the seat is going
to be comfortable and that you have adequate leg room.
Weather protection: One final thing to consider when choosing a
scooter is the sort of protection you require from the wind and rain. When
riding a boot scooter, your options are fairly limited & most people opt
for a raincoat or ride on Zip-Up
Cape. These cover both
the rider and the scooter in the event of an unexpected shower. The rider can
zip themselves up and pull a hood over their head. Not ideal but better than
getting soaked! Larger scooters are generally available with the option of a
fully fitted canopy that incorporate a sturdy metal frame. Riders can zip up
the sides so they will be cocooned away from the worst of the elements. Most
designs allow the rider to partially unzip the sides so things like Zebra
crossing buttons can be pressed without having to leave the shelter of their
canopy.
This is by no means an exhaustive
list of things to consider when choosing a mobility scooter, but we hope that
it has provided some structure and food for thought. Good luck, the benefits of
independent living that a scooter can bring are amazing!
