Arthritis is a very common condition that negatively affects millions of Americans each year. It is common for those who suffer from arthritis to have difficulty bending their knees, and walking often becomes painful. To help reduce the pain associated with walking and make it possible to move freely, many people use mobility scooters.
In a way, a mobility scooter is very similar to a wheelchair. They are used indoors and outdoors, but differ from wheelchairs in the design of the seat and the control system. Scooters use electric motors that are powered by batteries and therefore, unlike gasoline scooters, electric scooters are safe for indoor use. They also don’t get hot like a petrol engine would, so there’s no risk of getting burned on the scooter. Many scooters have a range of more than 20 miles per charge.
Unlike a motorcycle or bicycle, mobility scooters have three or four wheels. 4-wheel models are the most stable and capable of carrying the most weight, making them a good choice for outdoor use. 3-wheel scooters are generally not as stable, but they require much less room to turn and are therefore more maneuverable than 4-wheel scooters. This makes a 3-wheel scooter the best option for indoor use.
One type of scooter that is very popular is the travel scooter. They are called travel scooters because they are lightweight and can be easily disassembled. A series of latches, which can be operated with one hand, are usually used to disassemble the scooter. When disassembled, the individual pieces of a travel scooter are very easy to handle and weigh less than 25 pounds. Almost all scooters are designed to be taken apart, but the individual parts of other scooters will be much heavier than those of a travel scooter.
Travel scooters are great because they are very light and easy to transport, but in order to reduce weight, they generally lack features and have smaller ranges than other scooters. They’re also generally not well suited to unpaved outdoor terrain, but because most use a 3-wheel design, they’re very maneuverable.
Almost a polar opposite of the commuter scooter is the Heavy Duty Scooter. Heavy scooters weigh considerably more than a travel scooter with the heaviest piece often weighing over a hundred pounds, but you can ride a heavy scooter pretty much anywhere. They can carry a lot of weight and come with special features like lightweight packages and reinforced bumpers that make the device much safer and more durable. These scooters are designed to handle even the roughest terrain, but they have a fairly large turning radius, so they won’t perform as well in tight spaces. Most are 4-wheelers, but even heavy 3-wheeler scooters have a larger turning radius than other scooters.
If you don’t want to go with one of these polar opposites, there are plenty of other scooters to choose from that fall in between. Using a mobility scooter is a great way to help those who have difficulty walking.