3 things to know when buying a Mobility Scooter

At All Star Medical we have customers come into our stores to purchase mobility scooters and most don’t have an idea of how they work so we spend time with them to show them the features and the pros and cons of each mobility scooter so they select the right one for their needs. Below are the top  things All Star Medical believes you should know when purchasing a mobility scooter.

1. Portability & Weight

   When purchasing a mobility scooter the biggest question I get asked is how much does it weigh and how am I going to transport it? Most mobility scooters have the ability to breakdown or fold up. The question you need to ask yourself is can I do this or will I have someone to help me with this? Scooters breakdown into multiple parts and the heaviest pieces weigh about 35 lbs and go up from there. There are a lot of folding scooters and they are great for transportation but they are one piece which weighs on average of 55 lbs. That 20 lbs can be a big difference so we recommend you come into one of our store locations and try to pick them up for yourself.

Mobility scooters that break down into multiple pieces                Scooters that fold up for easy transportation

2. 3 wheel vs. 4 wheel ( maneuverability)

    Most mobility scooters come in a 3 wheel or 4 wheel version. The biggest difference is the turning radius which can be up to 10 inches different. This is a big deal when you are trying to use the scooter in confined space. This is where at All Star Medical ask you where will you use the scooter at and where do you see yourself in 1 to 2 years, will you need it inside your home, will you have to use it full time? Also what type of terrain will you be on? Most all scooters will be fine on carpet and tile but if you start to look at grass that when you need to consider ground clearance and tire size.

          4 wheel mobility scooter                                    3 wheel mobility scooter

3. Indoor Vs. Outdoor

    Can I use my mobility scooter outside? At All Star Medical we get this question all the time and the answer is YES. Now that doesn’t mean you can go along side your buddy in his ATV, we have to use some common sense and realize that these mobility scooters have limits. You can get mobility scooters that have very large wheels and can go on the grass but you are not going to fit them into your house unless you have a very large open floor plan. Below are some outdoor scooters along with some that can do both. Most of these models have 10 inch wheels which go grass a little better and have more ground clearance.

                                                                  Outdoor Mobility Scooters

  4.  Safety Features

        When it comes to this topic there are many things to think about. Some of your larger scooters come with a seat belt and most of the small ones don’t. For the most part now a day they all have reflectors and most have some type of light package. Some even have turning signals.Other safety features are swivel seats which make it easy to get in an out of the scooter along with flip back arms to make getting up to a table easier.            

5. Weight Capacity

This is where the size and cost of the mobility scooters can really change in price. The basic small scooters start our with at least a 250 lb weight capacity and they go up to a 500 lb capacity. Most of the manufacturers have gone to a standard of 300 lbs or higher. Golden Technologies and Pride Mobility now have a mobility scooter that has a 375 lb capacity and comes apart so you can transport them in a vehicle without the need of a mobility lift. Once you get above that weight capacity you lose what we call portability, you would need a portable ramp or a mobility lift for anything that has a 400 lb or higher weight capacity.

6. Affordability

Affordability comes down to what you need and want in a scooter. After thinking about all the topics above you can decide which mobility scooter you think fits your needs the most. Scooters range from around $600-3500, the average is around $1200. 

These electric scooters below work well indoors and outdoors

I hope this was helpful. You can click on the images to go directly to the pages of these mobility scooters.We can ship these scooters directly to your home or you can call us or stop by one of our convenient Nashville Tennessee locations.

Hermitage Tennessee 615-730-9438

Franklin Tennessee 615-567-6116