Indoor scooters are almost always three wheeled scooters and while all of the three wheeled scooters on our Travel/Portable Scooter page would be included in this category, I'm going to be talking only about the larger mid-sized indoor scooters in this web page.
The scooters in this section are designed for longer periods of use both indoors and on solid surfaces outdoors. They will be more comfortable than the travel scooters, have more options, have more power and be heavier.
Indoor scooters are really only functional indoors if they are three wheeled because the four wheel scooters have a larger turning radius that doesn't work very well in confined areas. Four wheeled scooters are wider at the front and require much more room to make a turn.
These mid-sized scooters range in weight from about 125 lbs. to 175 lbs. and have the capacity to carry up to anywhere from 300 lbs. to 500 lbs. depending on the scooter model. While the weight capacities stated by the manufacturer are safe, the overall performance of the scooter in terms of speed and range will be negatively affected by a heavy user.
When the manufacturer talks about weight capacities they are not only talking about the weight of the rider. Included in the capacity will also include anything carried on the scooter by the rider. A user who weighs 250 lbs. and carries 100 lbs. of groceries or other items will exceed the capacity of a scooter rated for 300lbs.
These indoor scooters are usually around 22" to 26" wide and in the neighborhood of 42" to 47" long. The wider the scooter, the more stable it will be during turns and on uneven surfaces and the longer the scooter, the more accommodating it will be for long legged people. Unfortunately, the longer and wider the indoor scooter the harder it is going to be to negotiate smaller areas indoors.
Mid sized indoor scooters have more substantial seats with good padding and are intended for longer term comfort than the travel scooters. The arms will flip back out of the way for transfers and the backrests will usually fold down when not in use to make them easier to lift and store. Most models of indoor scooter will have a swivel seat for easier transfers and have some seat height adjustment.
Pretty much all scooters run on a pair of 12 volt batteries wired to give 24 volts of power to the motors and other controls. These batteries come in different sizes and some scooters, though not all, offer the choice of a couple of sizes. The larger the batteries, the longer they will last but the longer they will take to recharge and the heavier they will be. Most people will plug their batteries into their charger before bed and have them fully recharged for the morning.
Although the batteries may be fully charged, if they are old they will not provide the same amount of power as new batteries and they won't provide power for as long a period of time. Scooter batteries are normally warranted for one year and usually last at least two years. I've had customers whose batteries lasted 4 years.
Although all the mid-sized indoor scooters are around the same size, the performance can vary greatly between models. The performance of new scooters will also vary based on the size of the batteries, the age of the batteries, the size of the rider, the ruggedness of the terrain and the number of slopes and ramps that have to be negotiated.
The range of these scooters will vary between 12 miles and 30 miles with most getting around 20 miles. The ranges published by the manufacturers are under ideal conditions (eg. level ground, perfect batteries and rider of moderate weight). One manufacturer states that the range of their travel scooter is 3.5 miles for a 250 lb. rider, 7.5 miles for an average weight rider and 11.5 miles for a 125 lb. rider. While the effects of weight will be less for these larger indoor scooters with their larger batteries, you can see weight does have an effect on range.
These scooters do travel pretty quickly due to the size and power of their batteries and the size of their motors. The speeds that most manufacturers publish are between 5 mph and 6 mph but these figures are adversely affected by heavier weights of the riders and the power of the batteries. Five to six miles per hour may not seem very fast but a brisk walk is usually less than 4 mph and even 4 mph is too fast for indoor use.
The incline ability of a mobility scooter is the degree or percent of incline the scooter will safely be able to climb. Most of these scooters will be able to manage a 7° (12%) or 8° (14.1%) incline with the odd one managing 12° (21%) designed for more mountainous areas. For more information on slopes you can visit our ramp slope page.
Notice: Information on this web site is for informational purposes only and not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by physicians, therapists or other medical professionals. All information is general in nature and may not necessarily apply to everyone as individual needs may vary.
Related Sites:
|
AccessRamps.ca |
Ceilinglift.ca |
Liftchairs.ca |
Patientlift.ca |
Porchlift.ca |
Scooterlifts.ca |
Stairlift.ca |
VanRamp.ca |
Wheelchair.ca |
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