Purchasing your first mobility scooter
Mobility Scooters provide you with a safe and effective way of getting around town and ensure you can maintain an independent lifestyle. There are a number of considerations when purchasing a mobility scooter such the type of surface you will be mostly driving it on and whether you’ll be using it mainly indoors, outdoors or an even mix of both.
For a scooter that you would wish to drive inside your house, you will need to make sure you take the doorway measurements less how far any hinged doors protrude into the doorway width. If you’re going to be using the scooter mostly in the great outdoors, then you will need a good amount of ground clearance (how much space is under the scooter) with large pneumatic tyres.
They are 3 sizes of mobility scooters, small, medium and large and they are specifically designed for those who can no longer walk long distances whether indoors or outdoors. The use of a mobility scooter could be associated with a particular medical condition too, you might be battling with cancer, have trouble breathing and need to carry an oxygen bottle with you or have some other serious condition that makes getting around a challenge nowadays.
Mobility Scooters should be made to the highest standards.
The scooter you purchase should be compliant with the therapeutic goods association of your country and should be manufactured in accordance with all relevant international standards. The store you purchase a scooter from should have a suitability program in place for you to participate in; this should incorporate you being able to use the scooter at home for a week or so, to all you to decide if that particular scooter is the best fit for you and your needs.
Mobility Scooters typically have an abundance of safety features. They are made to be sturdy and capable of supporting shifting weight without toppling over. The tyres that the scooters come with are matched to the scooters intended use. In most cases the standard types of tyres that these units come with are while meant to be driven along footpath.
Standard tyres should be able to withstand occasional use on grassed or dirt areas. If in doubt check with salesperson or look up that particular unit online at the manufacturers website. There may be occasion you will need to get off a hard surface and onto soft ground in order to avoid or prevent a hazardous situation.
Even though mobility scooters in most countries will be speed limited to 10kmph for safety reasons, they will generally come with two speed settings (high and low). The speed settings are for your comfort and safety, you may select to use the low speed setting for while whilst you are adapting to the scooter.
Mobility Scooters provide you freedom & flexibility.
If you have read our article on avoiding loneliness and isolation, you would have seen where we mentioned how beneficial mobility scooters can be by getting you out of your house and out into world. Mobility scooters provide you with the freedom to go exploring and make new friends. They can get you down to your shopping centre, café strip or your local lawn bowls club without needing to book a taxi/ride service or rely on friends or family. If you are still driving your car you can get lightweight scooters that can fold up and get placed in your car.
Going to your nearest shop for bread and milk is probably easier on a scooter than in your car as you won’t have to worry about traffic or parking. If you car has an internal combustion engine, then using your scooter instead of your car is better for the environment. Smaller and narrower scooters will able to navigate the internals of your house, you may need to keep a large scooter in your garage.
Large Heavy Duty Mobility Scooters.
A large number of purchase considerations for a large mobility scooter are listed below. In addition to all those points, you should be able to get on and off the scooter you purchase reasonably easily and safely with no external help. If you come across a scooter that’s difficult for you to get on and off of, don’t panic, take your time and shop around as there can be quite a lot of differences between scooters.
The larger models of mobility scooters should be packed with lots of great features such as:
1. Large pneumatic tyres, ideally 330mm for ride comfort and a decent amount of ground clearance. If you are going to be using your scooter on off the beaten path with some regularity, then you might need to opt for rugged all terrain tyres.
2. The weight of the scooter should be evenly distributed and with a low centre of gravity
3. Front and rear suspension.
4. Front and rear bumpers.
5. The fully charged range should be greater than 35 kilometres. The travel range of your scooter will vary depending on how much weight you ask it to carry, how much level ground you get to travel on, the condition of the battery, the type of charger your scooter comes with, and how you drive the unit.
6. There should be 2 batteries with minimum capacity of 75 amp hours.
7. Should be capable of accepting the weight of a user and all their shopping, it should allow for as much as 210 to 230kg.
8. The turning radius should not be more than 250cm
9. The maximum speed should not exceed 10kmph for your safety as well as the safety of others.
10. Should be able to climb up to
11. A high back seat with lumbar support and a headrest that is able to recline. The seat should also be able to slide forward and back for optimum operating position. A seat that rotates around to will make it easier for you to hop on and off.
12. An adjustable steering tiller with ergonomically designed comfortable handles.
13. Fully adjustable padded armrests that can fold up or down out of the way when required.
14. Powerful LED headlights, hazard lights, reversing sensor and lights and directional blinker lights.
15. USB outlet to charge your phone or other devices you might have with you.
16. A dash that provides you with all the information, levers and button you need such as speed, battery level, turn signals, hazard lights, Speed options, a horn, ambient air temperature and odometer.
17. Should be able to climb an inclination up to 12 deg
18. Rear wheel drive.
19. Either hydraulic or electromagnetic brakes.
20.Be sure to check out what options are available to you for your scooter prior to finalizing your purchase decision, the brand you go for should be able to provide the following accessories:
a. Rear Shopping bag
b. Walking frame/rollator holder
c. Rear sturdy rear case/pod that can be locked via a key.
d. Rear view mirror.
e. Cup holder
f. Sun Canopy
g. Oxygen bottle carrier
h. High Visibility Flag
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