Best Mobility Scooters Of 2022

A mobility scooter, or a power-operated vehicle (POV), is a personal transport vehicle with either three or four wheels that runs on a rechargeable battery. “Mobility scooters come in several sizes,” says Tab Black, a RESNA-certified assistive technology professional and business manager at Mobility & More in Loveland, Colorado. “Many are portable and can be disassembled.” RESNA stands for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. Black himself has been in a wheelchair since 1984 and has worked in the industry since 1993.

Who Can Benefit Most From a Mobility Scooter?

Anyone who has issues with mobility, such as weak legs or knees or general unsteadiness on their feet, can benefit from using a mobility scooter.

“The best candidates for mobility scooters are people who are in senior living facilities, or assisted living, or even at home,” says Black. “They can use a scooter to drive in a facility or go from building to building within a complex. Those who live at home may be people who can’t walk distances, so a scooter can enable them to go to baseball games or see their grandchildren play soccer or go to the grocery store on their own.”

There are several types of mobility scooters, including:

Travel Scooters

Travel scooters are usually smaller than other scooters, and since they’re made for easy transport, they’re lightweight and can be disassembled easily and stored in a car trunk. “Smaller scooters have a [travel] range of 8 to 10 miles,” says Black, referring to the distance a person can travel on a single battery charge.

Foldable Scooters

Many small and medium-sized mobility scooters are designed to be taken apart and folded to transport in a car—a big advantage if you relocate often or want to use your scooter in a mall or park. If you’re in the market for a scooter you can take with you, pay particular attention to whether it can be disassembled and the weight of the heaviest part of the scooter. (If it’s too heavy, it won’t be easy for you to lift into your car). Most small and medium-sized scooters come with solid tires.

Large Scooters

For people with wide hips or long legs, a medium- to large-size scooter is best, says Black. Large scooters usually have four wheels, are designed for all terrains and have batteries that can travel up to 40 miles before they need to be recharged, he says.

And there’s another advantage: They can hold more weight. How much weight a scooter can carry safely is called “weight capacity” on a spec sheet. “If you weigh more than the capacity, you lose the warranty, and it’s a big liability,” says Black. “The rule is you need to weigh at least 10% less than the weight capacity.”

Heavy-Duty Scooters

Large, heavy-duty scooters can carry the most weight and go the longest distance on a single battery charge. Most scooters have a ground clearance of 3 to 5 inches, but some heavy-duty models sit even higher above the ground, making it easy to travel over rough terrain.

3-Wheel Scooters vs. 4-Wheel Scooters

A four-wheel scooter may provide a better sense of stability than a three-wheel version, but it may feel restrictive for a person with long legs. “A four-wheel scooter has a fender across the front, which limits someone’s ability to stretch their legs out,” says Black. A three-wheel doesn’t have a  fender—just a single wheel in the center, so people with long legs may find that style more comfortable.

Depending on how you plan to use a mobility scooter, there are plenty of features to consider. But don’t just look online—if possible, go to a store and explore your options in person. “We are a brick-and-mortar storefront, and we very much encourage people to come in and try a mobility scooter,” says Black.

Comfort

When it comes to a comfortable fit, scooters usually have adjustable parts to fit your body size and needs:

• Back support: Some scooters have back support that can be adjusted vertically to best fit your back. Some come with a headrest as well.
• Armrests: Armrests should be adjustable to a comfortable height. Some scooters feature armrests that swing out to make it easier to get on and off.
• Seat: The height of the seat, as well as how far you can move it forward or backward, makes all the difference in terms of comfort. Most scooter seats are about 17 inches square and well-padded; some larger scooters come with larger seat pads.
• Tiller: The tiller, or steering column, of scooters can often be adjusted to tilt toward or away from the seat so you don’t have to reach far in front of your body to drive the scooter.

Safety

Safety is always a consideration in looking at mobility scooters, especially ones designed for outdoor use.

• Seat belt: Some scooters come with a seat belt, which may give you a sense of security. But according to Black, if you require a seat belt to stay safely in your seat, you might not be a good candidate for a mobility scooter.
• Lights: Bright head and tail lights are a plus for outdoor scooters.
• Indicator signals: Although it’s not recommended to drive a scooter on the street or even in a bike lane, indicator signals can be useful in parks or on outdoor pathways. Some scooters also come with a flag, to make them more visible to people and other vehicles, says Black.
• Rearview mirrors: Having a rearview mirror—or even better, one on each side—is important for making safe turns.
• Horn: Some scooters also come with a horn, a helpful safety feature if you’re driving in a park where people or pets could inadvertently cross your path.

Portability

If you know you want a scooter that you can pack easily into a car, consider its various weights.

• Product weight: Look for a scooter’s total weight—not just the weight of the body of the scooter, but the weight of the seat and battery as well. Meanwhile, product dimensions listed on the spec sheet will indicate whether the scooter will fit into your car.
• The heaviest part: Scooters that can be taken apart will have the weight of the heaviest part listed separately on the spec sheet. If you cannot lift that part, then that scooter is probably not the best fit for you.

Usability

Where and how far you plan to drive your mobility scooter will determine which usability features are important to you.

• Speed: If you’re using your scooter for indoor travel at home or in a mall, then a 3 to 5 miles per hour speed range will probably be more than sufficient. But for longer trips, a faster speed may be preferable. Some large mobility scooters can travel up to 18 miles per hour.
• Battery range: The distance a mobility scooter can travel on a single battery charge can vary dramatically—anywhere from 8 to 55 miles. Almost all scooters have a battery capacity meter, so you can gauge how many more miles you can travel before your next charge. “These are not quick-charge batteries,” says Black. “They require a charge of at least 6 to 8 hours. If you’re a heavy user, you will have to charge it every day; if you’re just going to the dining room and back, you might not have to charge it every day.”
• Turning radius: This metric refers to the sharpest possible turn your vehicle can make. A lower number like 43 inches means the scooter can make a small, tight turn; a larger number like 82 inches means the scooter’s turn will have a wider arc. A tight turning radius can be particularly helpful for people using their scooters in small spaces.
• Weight capacity: Most mobility scooters can safely support a maximum user weight of at least 300 pounds, and some can handle more than 500 pounds.
• Battery life: “Average battery life is probably 18 months to 2 years on the smaller scooters and maybe 2 to 3 years on the medium and larger scooters,” says Black. “It all depends on how often they are used.”
• Storage space: Most scooters come with a pocket, compartment or basket to store items you want to bring along as you ride.

A mobility scooter can be so convenient that it might lead users to exercise less, according to research in the Journal of Transport and Health (although the study does suggest more research of this possible downside). Lack of training required to drive a mobility scooter can also lead to accidents and other problems. If you’re thinking about adding a mobility scooter to your daily routine, ask yourself two questions:

What are your physical challenges? “People with neurological challenges or who have had a stroke might not have the balance and strength to get on or off safely,” says Black. “Cognition and eyesight are two other issues—they need to be able to see objects and where they are going, see where other people are and be able to make safe turns.” Anyone who has rotator cuff tears or has problems using their wrists or fingers, he says, may not be able to operate a mobility scooter safely.

Where will you use your scooter? This is the big decision-maker, says Black. For indoor use, smaller scooters are best. Measure your hallways to make sure the scooter you want will fit inside your home easily. Consider the space outside your home as well. Larger scooters can be more versatile than small scooters, but they can’t go everywhere—loose gravel and sand are not great surfaces for mobility scooters, says Black.

To determine the best mobility scooters ranking, the Forbes Health editorial team analyzed data on nearly 200 scooter products across 15 companies, with each product’s star rating determined by evaluating a variety of factors, including its price, comfort features, safety features, overall portability, usability and coverage under warranty.

Price: We considered the starting list price of mobility scooters provided by manufacturers on their websites. If they didn’t provide pricing information, we used costs listed by MedMart, Rehab Mart and other major online mobility scooter retailers.

Comfort: This category assessed whether the mobility scooters offered features key to comfort, such as adjustable back support, armrests and seats. It also addressed the level of padding in the seat.

Safety: Mobility scooters received points for including a seat belt, headlights and indicator signals for safe turning.

Portability: Portability scores considered whether a scooter was foldable, how much it weighed with batteries included and its overall dimensions.

Usability: Usability details included a mobility scooter’s top speed, its overall travel range on a single battery charge, its maximum weight capacity and any inclusion of storage space.

Warranty: Mobility scooters received points for their product warranties as well. The extensiveness of these warranties varies by brand. The motor and brakes, electrical components, batteries and scooter frame are often covered by different warranties.

Thoreau, Roselle. The impact of mobility scooters on their users. Does their usage help or hinder?: A state of the art review. Journal of Transport and Health. 2015;2(2);269-275.

Medicare’s Wheelchair and Scooter Benefit. Department of Health and Human Services. Revised October 2019. Accessed 6/17/2021.

Discount Health Care Supplies and Medical Equipment. Good Health Will. Accessed 6/17/2021.