Best Mobility Scooter Reviews 2018

How much does a power scooter cost? Well, there’s no fixed answer to this question, mainly because there are many different types of mobility scooter from different brands. Prices will usually be determined by factors like the class, size, capacity, and other features. Naturally, a class 1 mobility scooter costs less than a class 3 model. So, the price you pay will be determined by the features you want.

Having said this, we did some digging and found that with between $600 and $1500 you can get a good mobility scooter. Of course, based on the price range, there will be obvious differences in the features you get, with the more expensive ones having more features. This doesn’t mean you’ll not get good value from the lower priced ones. These are not cheap mobility scooters that are of such low quality that they offer absolutely no value. With these, you will get the value you pay for.

Now you’re ready to get a mobility scooter, it’s important you get one that serves you well. The only way to achieve this is by knowing exactly what you want in a mobility scooter. We’ll help you find this out by listing a few things you need to consider to enable you decide on the exact type you require. Some of the factors to be considered include:

• Type
• Number of wheels
• Capacity
• Size
• Battery
• Controls
• Other use-related issues

Let us now try to look at these factors in some detail.

The very first thing anyone should consider when getting an electric scooter is the type they want. Basically speaking, mobility scooters come in three major types or classes.

• Class 1 – These are manually powered. They don’t have any electric power, so they must be pushed by an attendant or the user. As you can imagine, this is not a very popular type, as it defeats part of the purpose of a mobility scooter in the first place.
• Class 2 – These ones are electric powered and are ideal for use only on pathways. They usually cannot exceed speeds of about 4 miles per hour.
• Class 3 – These are the top class of mobility scooters. These are also electric powered but have more power and can be used on roads and highways. They can achieve speeds of up to 8 miles per hour.

Now, those are the three broad types from which you can choose based on your needs, but there are other differences which could also constitute a form of classification. These mobility scooters can come with different number of tires. They can have anywhere from three to five tires. Generally, if you require the best balance, then you should go for the four tire option. Some three wheelers have two additional tires in the front that adds some balance. These are the ones we described as having five tires.

Another thing to note about the tires is that just as with cars, some of these scooters can be front or back wheel drives. Front wheels drives are okay for use indoors and for users weighing less than 255 pounds. For outdoor use (indoor too if you choose) and for people weighing over 255 pounds, a back wheel drive is definitely a better option. Actually, some back wheel drives can accommodate weights of up to 550 pounds. Be sure to check for this when shopping for your mobility scooter.

Just to continue on the issue of the scooter’s capacity, you should be sure to find out how much weight the scooter can conveniently support. You should of course get something that will very easily support the weight of the user plus any shopping or luggage likely to be used.

Still on the issue of types of mobility scooters, we should also look at the size of the mobility scooter. Size? Yes, the size of the scooter can also be used to categorize it. Mobility scooters come in three major sizes. There is the Boot Scooter, the Mid-size Scooter and the Town and Country Scooter.

• The Boot Scooter – This type of scooter is so named because it can fit into the boot of a car or at least most cars. This means it’s portable, which in turn affects other aspects including its functionality. For starters, it’s smaller, has smaller seats, has less shock absorption, can support less weight and does not have much power because its batteries are usually small too. They usually last for about 10 miles.
• The Mid-size Scooter – This, of course, is bigger than the boot scooter and so will slightly make up for the shortcomings we listed in the boot scooter. For example, it usually has batteries that can last for up to about 30 miles. That’s almost 3 times the range of the boot scooter. It also has better balance and should you need to transport it, most of them can be dismantled.
• The Town and Country Scooter – This is the biggest of the three and offers the most power and comfort. Understandably, it offers more weight capacity than the previous two and also has more power, achieving speeds of up to 8 miles per hour. This is not in any way portable and was not built to be that. It was built to offer the best mobility scooters can offer.

To be sure your mobility scooter will serve you as well as you need it to, you need to know its battery capacity. The battery capacity will be an indication of how far you can go without needing to recharge. You don’t want to get midway and discover the battery has run down. The only way to avoid this is to know how far you can safely go with your mobility scooter. This is very important.

Another thing that can affect how easy it will be for you to use your mobility scooter is the controls. In most mobility scooters, the controls are split between the left and the right hands. The controls for the forward movements are usually found on the right while the controls for the reverse movement are usually found on the left. This is sometimes reversed for left handed users. If this is you, then look out for this.

There are a few other things to consider like the adjustability of the tiller and the braking system. By the time you’ve considered all the above factors, you’ll be in a good position to get the mobility scooter that suits you just right.