Folding Mobility Scooters - Which One To Go For?

Folding mobility scooters are designed to be lightweight (at least in comparison to a normal mobility scooter) and fit into a car boot. The folding part of the name can be a bit of misnomer as you'll find that although some do actually fold, many don't as they are designed to come apart to fit into your car although some of the top of the range models can do both.

When looking to buy any mobility scooter you need to consider several things -

The battery is an important element, after all, it's what make the scooter move. Most scooters actually have 2 lightweight batteries which will allow you to travel at up to 4 miles per hour for a distance of 8 to 12 miles. You'll need to be able to remove and refit them easily for folding and charging, although some models let you charge with the battery in place. A warning light for when you need to recharge is very useful.

The seat should be comfortable and roomy especially if you're on the larger side. Removable arm rests can assist in getting you on and off the scooter quickly and safely. If you're particularly short or tall going for a folding mobility scooter with an adjustable seat height will increase your comfort.

Likewise the tiller height is often adjustable so that you can move it up or down to make sure it's comfortable for you.

Folding scooters can come with 3 or 4 wheels. Solid puncture proof tyres are very popular as they are maintenance free but pneumatic tyres will give you a less bumpy ride if your local terrain isn't very smooth.

Brakes, of course, are very important for your safety which is why automatic electromagnetic braking systems can be found on most models.

So what about the "folding aspect"? The most popular way is to break folding mobility scooters into bits, usually 4 or 5 pieces. The advantage of this is that no one bit is too heavy to lift into your car and you can fit your scooter into any size boot. The taking apart and the putting back together isn't particularly difficult and with practise should only take a couple of minutes. However if you don't have the most nimble of fingers you may struggle a little.

Some folding scooters do actually fold up. You just flick some levers and then fold. This makes it very fast but the main disadvantage of this system is the weight. If you don't have the strength to lift it into your car then you will need to have someone around to do it for you.

Some of the more expensive models allow you to either take them apart or fold them up so that you have the best of both worlds.