Mobility Scooter Help

What is a Mobility Scooter?

Electric mobility scooters are manually operated machines, available in either 3 or 4 wheeled varieties. Traditionally, mobility scooters with three wheels have a smaller turning circle then those with four, but the four wheeled models offer increased stability for the user. Due to technological advances in the industry, new models have been introduced with four wheels at the front which are closer together, thus giving the mobility scooter a happy balance between stability and manoeuvrability.

What Should I Look for When Choosing a Mobility Scooter?

There are literally hundreds of different models of mobility scooters, making sure that you choose the one with the right range of features is very important. We recommend that you consider the following as a starting point:

Remember that you can try out any scooter you may be interested in any one of our UK or international outlets, or if getting to us is a problem, we'll arrange for one of our highly trained members of staff to come and show you the features of the mobility scooter in the comfort of your own home.

The Weight of Your Mobility Scooter
Each mobility scooter is designed to carry up to a certain amount in weight. Make sure that the scooter you choose can comfortably hold your weight, as this will ensure comfortable use of the machine.

Charging Your Mobility Scooter
Your mobility scooter will need to be charged regularaly, and the scooter's battery pack must be able to be near a source of electricity. We recommend that if you are charging your mobility scooter outside it would be wise to use a plug-in circuit breaker to provide extra safety.

Most mobility scooters have a lead similar to the one used on a kettle that is used for charging, and charging the machine is extremely simple. Additionally, some mobility scooters have detachable battery packs so that the batteries can be charged away from where the scooter is stored. These scooters tend to be the lighter, travel scooters.

Storing Your Mobility Scooter
Your mobility scooter will need to be kept in a safe, dry environment. Ideally this would be inside a garage, house or shed, but equally acceptable would be to sore the scooter outside under a waterproof canopy. To see a full selection of these canopies please use the link on the left of this page.

Using Your Mobility Scooter
It is important to consider everything that you want your new mobility scooter to do for you. Will you be using it for any trips where you are likely to encounter high kerbs? Are you likely only to be using the scooter on normal pavements and smooth grass? Are you likely to be going over rough ground or wanting to store the scooter in the car to take with you wherever you go? All of these questions are important to ask.

If all of this sounds daunting and you're a bit overwhelmed by it all...don't worry! That's what we're here for. We have many years of experience helping people choose the mobility scooter for them. If you don't know the answer to any of the questions you probably have by now, we will help you to answer them at a place and time that suits you. After all, we're number one for a reason!

How do Mobility Scooters Work?
Electric mobility scooters have both an accelerater and a deccelerator...In plain english they can go backwards and they can go forwards. Scooters have a "wig-wag", which is a lever with two handles. To move the scooter forward, you ease your thumb or finger on the right-hand side of the lever, and to go backwards, ease your thumb or finger on the left-hand side of the lever. The lever is "touch-sensitive", and so the harder you push it, the faster you'll start to go. If this layout is inconvenient, the operation of the right and left paddles can be changed for no extra charge by one of our service engineers.

If when you push your thumb or finger all the way onto one of the paddles you find you're going too fast, look for a dial or buttons on the scooter that limit the maximum speed the scooter will travel at. Most, if not all, of the mobility scooters we provide have this quality built in.

To steer your mobility scooters, simply turn the handlebars much like you would a bicycle. Turning the handlebars left will start you going in a left direction, and right vice versa. The tiller, which is the part of the mobility scooter containing the handlebars and main controls, is adjustable in height to best fit your riding position.

If you're worried about slowing down...don't be! To make a mobility scooter stop you simply do nothing. As soon as the "wig-wag" is released the brakes activate automatically, brining the scooter to a gentle stop.

You make a mobility scooter stop by doing nothing. As soon as you stop pressing the wigwag, the brakes automatically activate and bring the scooter to a gentle stop. This is called passive braking, and it works even if all the power to the electric scooter is cut off. It is the safest braking system possible and will stop the scooter even on a steep hill.Some scooters will also come with an emergency brake (most class three scooters have this)

You can learn to operate an electric scooter in five minutes, and design features that make it easier to use will let you enjoy riding it for years to come.

Electric mobility scooters come with a freewheel lever to permit easy rolling of the scooter when there is no power; long range batteries, so you can travel longer and further without running out of power; non-marking tyres, so you don't mark floors; larger wheels for greater outdoor traction and ground clearance, a tiller mounted recharge plug so you don't have to bend down to plug in the power cable; and colour indicator lights to tell you the status of the battery.

Riding electric scooters can improve your safety. When you ride a mobility scooter you don't have to worry about tripping or losing your balance, or getting tired and having to sit down.

Most models have an anti-tip device behind the back wheels for increased safety on steep gradients. They have a powerful electric motor to give you the power you need for going uphill. Make sure the motor drives the rear wheels for maximum traction.

Some other safety features to look for and consider:

Electric scooters must remain comfortable not just for a few minutes, but over several hours of operation. Some seats are made from orthopaedic foam for maximum comfort and support. Most seats can be adjusted both up and down and back and forth. They may also rotate into four positions for easy entry and exit, then lock in the straight ahead position for safety while riding. Armrests are often adjustable for width.