Travel or portable mobility scooters are designed for short term use in malls and other destinations where there is a lot of walking that would normally need to be done. They are small, lightweight, can be disassembled or folded for storage and transportation and usually powered by a single rechargeable battery. The travel range on a charge is not nearly as far as a larger scooter but should be suitable for its intended use. In order to keep the weight down there are no frills or bells and whistles and long term comfort isn't going to be great.
Travel scooters are available as both three wheeled and four wheeled versions and will either disassemble or fold up to be loaded into a vehicle. The four wheel versions are a little more stable but less able to negotiate tight areas due to their larger turning radius.
Travel scooters range in weight from about 65 lbs. to 125 lbs. and have the capacity to carry up to anywhere from 250 lbs. to 325 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. People who are near the maximum end of the weight ranges should take a look at the power of the batteries in the scooters they like to get the most power possible.
These mobility scooters are usually around 20" to 22" wide and in the neighborhood of 37" to 42" 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.
Travel scooters have seats made of a molded plastic material with some type of thin padding on them for short term comfort. 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. Almost every model will have a swivel seat for easier transfers and some will 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 travel 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 5 miles and 20 miles with most getting around 10 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 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 so you can see weight has a very definite effect on range.
These scooters do not travel as fast as the larger scooters; their motors are smaller and their batteries are smaller. The speeds that the manufacturers publish are between 4 mph and 5 mph but these figures are adversely affected by heavier weights of the riders and the power of the batteries.
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 8° (14.1%) incline. 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:
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AccessRamps.ca |
Ceilinglift.ca |
Liftchairs.ca |
Patientlift.ca |
Porchlift.ca |
Scooterlifts.ca |
Stairlift.ca |
VanRamp.ca |
Wheelchair.ca |
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