Getting the best folding mobility scooter is essential if you have diminished mobility and can’t walk for very long. This machine will help you get from A to B seamlessly, whether you’re inside or outside.
The feeling is liberating.
Picture doing everything you want, whenever you want, without considering all the logistics involved. You can even take your folding mobility scooter with you on trips, in cars or aeroplanes.
You need a reliable machine, though.
In the section below, we’ll teach you how to turn your lifestyle into a lens through which to analyse mobility scooters. Next, we’ll break down five of the best foldable mobility scooters in today’s UK market.
Keep reading below! But if you’re in a hurry, scroll down to jump straight to the reviews.
Table of Contents
What to Look for in a Folding Mobility Scooter
Although they’re lighter and more compact than their non-folding siblings, foldable scooters don’t have to be flimsy. You also have to review different models depending on your needs. To make an idea, indoor scooters have distinct characteristics than scooters for outdoors.
So, let’s begin analysing the variables to consider:
Terrain
An ultra-lightweight folding mobility scooter can’t handle rough terrain. That doesn’t automatically mean that a scooter for 25 stone automatically runs well in challenging conditions.
You need a mobility scooter designed explicitly for outdoor use.
Let’s say you like hiking with your dog.
In this case, you should consider mobility scooters with more traction, extra safety features, and sturdier frames. Depending on the terrain you’re travelling on, you may also need to check the scooter’s suspensions.
Don’t neglect the materials.
Ensure the frame doesn’t rust if you’re using your scooter outside in damp weather. If you’re using the scooter mainly indoors, make sure its wheels can tackle various surfaces (e.g., carpet, hardwood floors, tiles) without scratching or slipping on them.
Speed and Distance
Folding mobility scooters usually reach maximum speeds of 4 mph (6 km/h) and 13-20 km total distance on one charge. These numbers depend on your weight and the space where you’re using the scooter.
For example, a grassy hill will slow down your scooter and deplete its battery faster. A heavier weight on the scooter will also shorten the total distance and speed.
That means you have to consider your daily activities before settling on your mobility device.
If you’re only walking short distances indoors and possibly to a local supermarket, you won’t need more than 4-5 km/h. Also, 10-12 km on a single charge can last you for two days at least.
But if you spend lots of time outdoors or if your job has you moving a lot, you may need a higher speed and longer maximum distance.
Number of Wheels
Folding mobility scooters may have three or four wheels. Three-wheeled scooters have less stability, but they’re more accessible to manoeuvre, and they give you more legroom. That’s an advantage if you have joint pain, sit on the scooter for long periods, or are taller.
Conversely, choose a four-wheel model if you’re heavyset or have balance issues. If your daily itinerary includes taking multiple turns, you can select a four-wheeler with the two front wheels closer together. That design will help you take turns more precisely.
Power Source
Your mobility scooter runs on 10 or 12-volt batteries. The most common types of batteries you can find are:
- Sealed lead acid
- Nickel hydride
- Lithium
Lithium batteries last the longest, but not all are approved in aeroplanes. That can be a problem if you’re a frequent flyer or need to fly with your mobility scooter. So, check your airline’s conditions regarding the batteries you can bring onboard.
Another issue to consider is how easy you can find replacement batteries in shops.
If you fall in love with a particular scooter model whose batteries are tough to find, order two or three batteries with your purchase.
Comfort
Chances are you’re not actively trying to purchase an uncomfortable mobility scooter. But remember that comfort depends on subjective perceptions, existing physical needs, plus usability.
For example, someone with lower back pain will need an ergonomic scooter with lumbar support. Someone without lower back pain may still need the additional cushioning if they sit down for hours on the scooter.
Thus, consider:
- What seats feel comfortable for you in real life
- Existing medical issues that require specific amenities
- How the terrain or the number of hours you spend each day in the scooter will affect your comfort
Ease of Use
Accessible controls are evidently better than hard-to-reach controls. You may also need a remote control to unfold your scooter, particularly with extended mobility challenges.
Moreover, consider the scooter’s turning radius, especially if you have tight corners in your household, workplace, or your local supermarket. You may also need a higher ground clearance if you have high thresholds in your home and no ramps. High ground clearance is also essential for outdoor mobility scooters.
Accessories
Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity if your budget allows some useful accessories. In other words, spare no expenses for the extras you need instead of purchasing multiple cheap – and useless – accessories.
For example, you may not need bags for a scooter you’re mainly using inside the house. However, you may need comfortable armrests if you’re using the scooter most of the day. Alternatively, Bluetooth speakers could be lifesavers for essential – or frequent – phone calls.
Warranty
Purchasing a folding mobility scooter isn’t peanuts. You need a solid warranty to save you the hassle of repairing the machine if it breaks. Besides, a lengthy warranty brings you peace of mind because it proves the retailer trusts its products.
More affordable mobility scooters have shorter warranties that cover repairs to the frame and some parts. More expensive mobility scooters feature high-tech parts and better materials, giving them more extended warranties, even lifetime ones.
If your budget is limited, though, there’s nothing wrong with buying a scooter you can afford.
Models like the ones we review below are dependable and have mainly four and 5-star reviews to ascertain their quality. We also feature some higher-grade products, so keep reading below.
Best Portable Folding Mobility Scooters
After reading the section above, you’re prepared with all the knowledge to pick the right mobility scooter. Looking at the five models in the next part, you’ll notice how their features combine single-mindedly to focus on one specific purpose.
If that purpose coincides with your needs, you found a winner!
Let’s see your options:
Vive 4 Wheel Mobility Scooter: Best Affordable for Outdoor Use
Item weight: 88.2 pounds (40 kg)
Max user weight capacity: 265 pounds (120 kg)
Max speed: 3.7 mph
Range: 12.4 miles per charge
Vive 4 Wheel Mobility Scooter is the best cheap option in this review because it’s fast, comfortable, and easy to manoeuvre. Besides, you can use it both inside and outside.
Vive 4 Wheel withstands up to 265 pounds, and it catches a maximum speed of 3.7 mph. The maximum distance you can go on one charge is 12.4 miles, but Vive 4 Wheel recharges quickly.
Thanks to the extra padding, ergonomic design, and wide 15.75-inch seat, the seating is highly comfortable. That means you can sit in the mobility scooter for hours without getting any aches.
You can also make plenty of adjustments to the seat and armrests to find the right fit for your shape.
People who’ve bought the Vive 4 Wheel appreciate the speed at which they could assemble this mobility scooter. Even people with other disabilities can handle setting it up and folding it quickly. Besides, the scooter folds to a very compact size so that you can fit it in your car’s trunk.
The controls and manoeuvrability are excellent too.
The control panel is intuitive, and you can change directions quickly. Moreover, the Vive 4 Wheel is easy to navigate and can take relatively tight turns in your home or supermarket.
You will also appreciate its grippy wheels, perfect for slippery surfaces indoors and outdoors.
One downside is its low ground clearance.
Its backside can get stuck on the sidewalk or even taller thresholds in your home. Thus, it’s best to look for access ramps instead of getting it over obstacles.
Drive Folding Manual Scooter – Red: Best Lightweight Folding Mobility Scooter
Item weight: 51.58 pounds (23.4 kg)
Max user weight capacity: 275 pounds (125 kg)
Max speed: 4 mph
Range: 8 miles
The Drive Folding Manual Scooter can support heavier loads than the Vive 4 Wheel scooter. It also drives a bit faster, reaching a maximum speed of 4 mph.
On the downside, the wheelchair range is about 30% lower, at 8 miles total, and you have no comfy armrests to support your upper body on. You’re also lacking a basket for your goodies.
If you also look at the wheels’ design, you’ll notice how the front wheels are less grippy than the backside ones. That tells you this Drive Folding Manual Scooter is not as suitable for slippery outdoor terrain.
Although, of course, you can use this scooter outside too.
That said, the Drive Folding Manual Scooter is lightweight and folds quickly. Besides, it has a comfortably padded seat and backrest, plus a safety anti-roll back system.
The turning radius is 120 cm for the inner wheels and 159 cm for the outer wheels, which tells us the scooter is easy to use in supermarkets or outdoors. However, it may not be the best option for tight turns.
Likewise, the 5-degree max climbing angle is suited for most indoors and a slew of outdoor situations. However, you can’t use this scooter on hills, for example.
Pride Go Go Elite Traveller Plus Boot Scooter: Best Car Boot Mobility Scooter
Item weight: 86.4 pounds (39.2 kg)
Max user weight capacity: 324.08 pounds (147 kg)
Max speed: 4 mph
Range: 15 miles
The Pride Go Go Elite is arguably the best car boot mobility scooter, although the other two models above are lightweight and fit seamlessly in car boots. The difference is that you can disassemble Go Go Elite into five very light parts by using just one hand.
Thus, you can store the mobility scooter in a tiny car trunk or other tight places – even a cupboard.
You’ll also like how smooth Go Go Elite is. The scooter reaches four mph and has a tight turning radius of 116.2 cm (45.75 inches). Besides, this mobility scooter is comfortable and ergonomic thanks to the wraparound delta tiller, extra padding, and wide seat.
Imagine sitting comfortably in the Go Go Elite, running at four mph through the city of your dreams while you’re on vacation. Even better, the 15-mile maximum range allows you to visit all the best places without breaking a sweat.
You even get a convenient front basket to keep your belongings.
On the downside, the 1.5” (38 mm) ground clearance may not be enough for sidewalks. Also, the Go Go Elite Traveller Plus isn’t the most sturdy mobility scooter on the market for rugged terrain. On the other hand, it supports people up to 23 stones, which is more than the two models above can do.
Folding Mobility Scooter – Copper: Ultra Lightweight and Automatic Folding
Item weight: 47.3 pounds (21.5 kg)
Max user weight capacity: 253.5 pounds (115 kg)
Max speed: 4 mph
Range: 6 miles
This ultra-lightweight folding mobility scooter is also our review’s best remote control folding mobility scooter. These two unique selling points make this machine perfect for:
- Highly mobility-challenged people
- Those who are always on the move, going from one place to another
As such, notice how this scooter only weighs 47.3 pounds. Besides, it only takes you 20 seconds to fold it with the push of a button on the remote.
The Folding Mobility Scooter is also packed with safety features.
For example, the wheelchair drops speed automatically when taking a corner. Besides, you have an auto stop function for user confidence and an anti-slip footwell carpet.
This speedy, light scooter also comes in several colours, so you don’t have to compromise on style when you’re using it.
Also, notice how this mobility scooter’s front wheels are closer together than in separate corners. This design means the scooter has a small turning circle so that you can use it in tight spaces like busy shopping malls, narrow streets, or compact apartments.
On the other hand, you still have plenty of stability, though not enough for rugged outdoor use.
The 3.5 cm ground clearance is another indicator for that assumption. However, 3.5 cm is enough for home use.
The downside to getting this stylish, compact, and easy-to-fold scooter is its range. You can only drive around for 6 miles total with it, so it’s not fantastic for walking around town the whole day. However, 6 miles are more than enough for a medium-active day-to-day life.
Drive Devilbiss Automatic Folding Scooter: Automatic Folding by Remote
Item weight: 60.6 pounds (27.5 kg)
Max user weight capacity: 275.5 pounds (125 kg)
Max speed: 4 mph
Range: 13 miles
Drive Devilbiss is another remote control folding mobility scooter that folds very compactly to fit even the trunk of a small car. Besides, the folded weight is 27.5 kg, so 6 kg more than its sibling above.
Conversely, this scooter can also support heavier people up to 125 kg (19.7 stones) and is more rugged. You can even use it on more challenging terrain thanks to its solid puncture-proof tyres, 4 cm ground clearance, rear anti-tip wheels with anti-rollback technology.
You can even drive it further as the Drive Devilbiss runs on 13 miles total on a full battery charge.
And it only folds & unfolds in 15 seconds, which makes this scooter perfect for cruises and trips. You’ll enjoy a full day of sightseeing in this comfortable mobility scooter with a height-adjustable tiller and cosy padding.
Besides, the lithium-ion battery is airline-friendly.
On the downside, the Drive Devilbiss doesn’t take very tight turns.
In Conclusion
The best mobility scooter is the one that fits your needs the best. This article explained how to use your particularities to judge an item’s features and see if it fits your lifestyle.
We also showed you that even budget mobility scooters could have top-notch features in terms of quality and comfort. Thus, there’s never really a good reason to sacrifice these points – even when you’re looking for an affordable model.
Let’s summarise your choices below:
Vive 4 Wheel: Best Affordable for Outdoor Use
- Item weight: 2 pounds (40 kg)
- Max user weight capacity: 265 pounds (120 kg)
- Max speed: 7 mph
- Range: 4 miles
Drive Folding Manual: Lightweight Folding Mobility Scooter
- Item weight:58 pounds (23.4 kg)
- Max user weight capacity: 275 pounds (125 kg)
- Max speed: 4 mph
- Range: 8 miles
Pride Go Go Elite Traveller Plus: Best Car Boot Mobility Scooter
- Item weight:4 pounds (39.2 kg)
- Max user weight capacity: 08 pounds (147 kg)
- Max speed: 4 mph
- Range: 15 miles
Folding Mobility Scooter-Copper: Ultra Lightweight & Automatic Folding
- Item weight:3 pounds (21.5 kg)
- Max user weight capacity: 5 pounds (115 kg)
- Max speed: 4 mph
- Range: 6 miles
Drive Devilbiss: Automatic Folding by Remote
- Item weight:6 pounds (27.5 kg)
- Max user weight capacity: 5 pounds (125 kg)
- Max speed: 4 mph
- Range: 13 miles