Choosing the Best Mobility Scooter for Your Needs

Mobility scooters are motorised or electrical vehicles that are designed for mobility-impaired people. A typical mobility scooter will have a seat, handlebars and wheels. These scooters are not fuel powered but instead require rechargeable batteries to operate.

Mobility scooters have made lives much easier for those navigating health issues, disabilities, old age or injuries. With a scooter, they can easily move about without needing assistance, helping them reclaim their independence and prevent alienation. In Australia, a growing number of people are relying on mobility scooters for transport and the inclusion of assistive technology in NDIS plans has made it easier for people to meet their accessibility needs.

Keep reading to learn more about the best mobility scooters, whether they are the right fit for you and what to look for when buying a mobility scooter for yourself or your loved ones.

Who Needs a Mobility Scooter?

A mobility scooter can be used by a number of different individuals who have the mental and physical capacity to handle a small vehicle. 

These can include senior citizens who have restricted mobility from growing age, loss of bone density or muscle weakness. Disabled motor scooters can also help those who are living with a physical disability. Sometimes temporary disability from surgery or injury may also require you to use a mobility scooter instead of driving a car or walking for long distances while your body recovers. 

Lastly, lots of chronic health conditions may prevent individuals from walking or driving safely. Here, mobility scooters can help give them a sense of autonomy and enable them to stay part of the society.

A mobility scooter is safe for use by individuals who have the ability to walk unassisted for shorter distances, have sufficient vision and adequate hearing to navigate public areas on a scooter. For more severe disabilities that require support even for household chores and navigation, electric wheelchairs may be more suitable.

Considered an accessibility device, a mobility scooter is usually allowed on any public transportation that is also wheelchair accessible. Since a mobility scooter is restricted to very low speeds, it is safe to operate in public and pedestrian access areas without requiring a licence, as long as relevant road rules are followed.

The only condition is that you genuinely need a mobility scooter to improve your quality of life. For this, the best way to decide is to visit an occupational therapist or a GP who can guide you through your mobility needs.

Types of Mobility Scooters in Australia

The Australian market has a variety of mobility scooter options to match your unique needs. 

From travel scooters designed with portability in mind to more heavy duty scooters for rugged terrains, the options are endless and it can get confusing when it's time to decide which one is the best scooter for you. 

Luckily with this guide, learning about the different types can hopefully help you choose a mobility scooter for yourself.

1. Small Mobility Scooters

Benefits:

• Ideal for indoor and crowded spaces
• Lightweight design
• Removable batteries
• Foldable and portable

Small mobility scooters, as the name suggests, are compact and lightweight mobility scooters that provide a convenient solution to those with limited mobility. These can include travel mobility scooters, portable mobility scooters and fold-up mobility scooters.

Small scooters come with simple manoeuvrability and are ideal for cramped indoor spaces such as grocery stores, shopping malls or hospitals. In fact, many portable mobility scooters are foldable or easily dismantled to fit into the boot of your car. They can even be given as checked baggage on flights making them great for travel.

Typical features of a small mobility scooter also include a turning circle to allow easy turning, a front basket for running errands and removable batteries to make them as air travel-friendly as possible.

A small mobility scooter may be perfect for limited everyday use. However, given its lightweight design, small wheels, limited suspension and shorter battery life, it would not be considered safe for:

• rough terrains with uneven ground
• going up steep inclined paths
• individuals that have a heavier weight
• travelling longer distances [on average 20 km and a maximum 30 km for some models]

2. Medium Mobility Scooters

Benefits:

• Ideal for both indoor and outdoor use
• Sturdy design
• Longer travel range [20-40 km]
• Increased weight capacity

Mid sized mobility scooters are a step up from small scooters when it comes to vehicle power. With better batteries and a more sturdy frame, they can provide longer range travel and easier navigation on steep hills.

Medium mobility scooters are the ideal scooter for use both indoors and outdoors. They are still at a manageable size for indoor use and yet their larger wheels and improved suspension provide enhanced stability to navigate outdoor areas.

If your daily routine includes shopping, spending some time in the park and taking public transportation, this scooter may be the right fit for you.

3. Large Mobility Scooters

Benefits:

• Long range travel [up to 50km]
• Ideal for rugged terrain
• Additional safety features
• Additional storage and accessories
• Highest weight capacity

These are your long range mobility scooters that have a more robust frame, higher weight capacity and a longer battery life. Large scooters include heavy duty mobility scooters and all-terrain mobility scooters.

Heavy duty mobility scooters have a strong suspension system and pneumatic wheels making them the perfect choice if you want to explore the great outdoors [think grassy areas and gravel paths]. They can even be used for your shopping trips, but their larger turning circle makes it a bit harder to navigate crowded areas.

Given their use in multiple landscapes, heavy duty and off-road mobility scooters may also come with additional safety features such as hydraulic brakes, a complete LED lights and mirror system [headlights, indicators, rearview mirrors etc.] and the option to customise them with additional scooter accessories and storage options. 

4. 3 Wheel vs. 4 Wheel Mobility Scooters

If you’re wondering whether a 3 wheel mobility scooter or a 4 wheel model is more suited to your needs, consider these key differences.

Three wheel scooters are easily manoeuvrable and more agile than four wheel models due to their smaller turning radius. This means if you’re looking for a mobility scooter to navigate smaller indoor spaces, a 3 wheel might be the right option. Most 3 wheel scooters will either be categorised as small or mid-sized mobility scooters. 

4 wheel mobility scooters tend to fall on the heavy-duty side of mobility scooters and are best for achieving superior stability on rugged terrain and uneven grounds. Given their all-terrain build, four wheel scooters can be registered for road use unlike shorter range three wheel models.

However, you may also find compact mobility scooter models in the four wheel option, if that is more suited to your preference. These scooters will be smaller in size with limited weight capacity but still have more stability than a three wheel scooter. 

Even though 3 wheel and 4 wheel mobility scooter models are the most widely used, another newer option in the Australian market is a 5 wheel mobility scooter. Owned by Quingo, these extra-stable scooters have small, portable and large sized models to match your mobility requirements. 

What Type of Mobility Scooter is Best?

Now that you’ve come across different types of mobility scooters, you may be wondering which type is best for you. To make the choice simpler, consider asking yourself these questions:

• Where do I intend to use the mobility scooter?

Your choice of scooter can depend on whether you want to use your scooter primarily indoors, on flat and smooth surfaces or outdoors with uneven terrain, or both. Are you buying a scooter to complete your daily errands at the grocery store and mall? Or do you have plans to take your scooter on more adventurous excursions?

• How far do I intend to travel on the scooter?

If your travel plans are within 20km of your area, a small scooter may be enough for you. Any more than that and you may need to look for long range mobility scooters that are mid-sized or large instead and come with a better battery range to avoid frequent recharging.

• What kind of terrain will I be using the scooter on?

If you’ve answered the previous two questions, you’ll have a fairly good idea of the kind of surface you intend to ride your scooter on. Going to the supermarket would have you on flat even surfaces that can be managed with small, medium or 3 wheel scooters. 

Wanting to take your scooter on a trail, up a hill, or drive it on the road may require you to consider a heavy duty mobility scooter instead.

• What is my height and weight?

Depending on your height and weight, you may have to upsize your scooter to a large or four wheel scooter for extra seating space, stability and safety. Individuals who are taller or have a higher weight may not find a small scooter safe and comfortable enough, even if it was for visiting nearby areas.

• Will I need to transport the scooter frequently?

Your travel plans could include air travel, road travel by car or use of public transportation. Knowing where you intend to take your mobility scooter before you actually ride it can determine whether you need a more compact, foldable and portable mobility scooter. You may also want to take a look at how easy it is to disassemble the scooter for storing as checked baggage or in the car boot. 

Our Recommended Scooters

Consider our picks for the 6 best scooters on the market for your mobility needs.

Travel Mobility Scooters

• Solax Maleta Carbon Fibre Automatic Folding Scooter: Solax brings you the ideal travel companion with this compact automatic folding scooter. Not only does it look sleek and slim, it also has the lightest weight and can be folded at the push of a button to suit your travel plans. This portable scooter can give you 15km of battery life and take you at max speeds of 6 km/h.
  
  
• Solax Charge Automatic Folding Mobility Scooter: Another winner by the Solax range is the Charge Mobility Scooter. It gives you three folding options [manual, automatic with remote control and button control] and can allow 15km of battery range. If you’re looking for extra comfort, this may be the scooter for you with its extra long backrest and extra seat padding to travel on longer journeys. 

Mid-Size Mobility Scooters

• Kymco Agility Medium Sized Mobility Scooter: The Kymco Agility Scooter gives you the power of a large scooter, and the manoeuvrability of a smaller one. With a high weight capacity of up to 165 kg and a swivel seat, this scooter can accommodate a diverse range of users. Its battery range gives you 40 km and can take you at speeds of 10km/h, perfect for running errands, visiting a friend, or taking a ride in the park.
• Sweetrich Captain Medium Sized Mobility Scooter: The Captain Mobility scooter by Sweetrich can take you up to 18 km/h with max speeds of 8km/h. It is a slight step up from your small mobility scooters, perfect for those users that need a little extra power and distance but want to stick to a lightweight scooter. It prides itself on comfort with armrests, a headrest and cup holders. It also happens to be portable and can fit the boot of your car after removing the seat.

Heavy Duty Mobility Scooters

• Quingo Toura 2, 5 Wheel Mobility Scooter: Quingo’s patented 5 wheel scooters provide superior stability and function. The Toura 2 can hold up to 220 kg of weight and drive up to 10km/h with an 88 km battery. If you’re considering a scooter for long journeys and road use, this scooter could be your answer.
• Kymco Maxer Large Mobility Scooter: If your outdoorsy self needs a scooter to match, this all-terrain mobility scooter with pneumatic wheels can take you up to 57 km at max speeds of 10km/h through challenging landscapes. This monster of a scooter is one of the biggest in the Kymco range and holds weights of up to 200kg. Even with these specs, it’s slim design still makes it possible for you to navigate tighter spaces.

Final Word

We’ve covered the basics of choosing the best mobility scooter in Australia and given you insight on what types you can pick from depending on your mobility needs. Mobility scooters involve a large investment and can be a time consuming decision to make. Understanding factors such as intended use, battery life, scooter safety, stability and portability can all help you narrow down your options.

If you’re still on the fence about what scooter is suitable for you, make sure to reach out to us for clarity. Our mobility scooter experts can guide you through the buying process and leave you feeling confident with your purchase.