Handicap scooters come under the guise of many different names that they are known as. This includes mobility scooters, disability scooters, electric mobility scooters, wheelchair scooters among others. What they basically are used for is to provide more freedom of mobility for people with disabilities, the elderly and anyone who could not otherwise get around easily.

Handicap scooters come in many shapes and sizes, some with three wheels, some with four but they are all produced around a simple formula of powering a small, compact and relatively lightweight vehicle for carrying a single person. The power supply is almost always electricity taken from a battery layout. These batteries are easily recharged overnight so the unit is available for use the next day.

These vehicles give people who would otherwise be housebound the ability to take themselves off to the shops, run errands and visit friends and family within a reasonable radius of their homes. In a word, they provide independence.

How Mobile Are Handicap Scooters?

How fast can handicap scooters go?

Well, these vehicles are capable of anywhere between 8mph right up to 25mph, although you won't see too many of the faster ones and they are generally pegged back to less than 20mph. In actual use, the speed will be affected by the prevailing circumstances. This includes the rider's weight and any additional carried weight such as shopping, packages etc, the roughness of the terrain, steepness of hills, tire pressure and how much charge is left in the batteries.

How far can handicap scooters go?

Their range on a full charge will vary from model to model. Although as a general rule of thumb, you should expect to go between 8 to 20 miles under favorable conditions, such as level ground, calm weather conditions and straight paths with few obstacles to navigate around. Range will also be affected by the rider's weight and tire pressures, meaning if these are optimum, the scooter will travel further on a full battery charge.

How much weight can handicap scooters carry?

Again, this will depend on the model, but they can generally cope with riders up to around 180 pounds. Larger and more heavy duty vehicles are produced that cater for people heavier than this, although they are bulkier and heavier themselves having to carry extra battery weight.

What About the Quality of Handicap Scooters?

Quality is the most important factor under consideration when buying a handicap scooter. While there are many reputable brands available, there are also hundreds of factories overseas building cheap and low quality vehicles which are flooding the market. Some even try to copy well known brands but their poor build and cheap materials mean they are of considerably lower quality and therefore their safety is compromised.

Cheaply manufactured handicap scooters are not built to last and they can break down easily soon after purchase. Then repairs can be expensive with parts either difficult to source or completely unavailable. Ultimately these cheap scooters end up in an early grave. Its a sad fact that far too many people are being ripped off by disreputable and often unscrupulous vendors who are selling low quality scooters. Sometimes, its even possible to find cheap imported scooters being sold in reputable establishments, so you need to have your wits about you

Its possible to save yourself a whole load of heartache, anger and frustration by simply doing some homework and making sure you steer clear of any poor quality electric handicap scooters.

Here are some tips to help you to avoid poorly manufactured scooters:

Stick with brand name electric scooters

Avoid vendors that sell off-brand, no brand and clone scooters

If the sale price looks too good to be true… it is

Buy scooters that come with a 90 day warranty at least

Purchase scooters from a reputable vendor

It's probably a cliche that you hear all the time, but remember it is usually false economy to buy cheap goods, whatever they may be. That applies to buying handicap scooters as well as anything else.