Folding Mobility Scooters

About

A folding mobility scooter reduces in size for easier storage and transport. Some fold as a complete unit, while others need the seat, battery or another part removed first. How easy that is in practice comes down to the fold mechanism, the weight you have to lift and the size of the scooter once it is folded. Folding does not automatically mean light, and it does not settle whether a scooter will fit a particular car or be accepted on a flight. The sections below cover what to compare. For the wider range of models, including larger pavement scooters, see all mobility scooters . How folding scooters pack down There are two fold mechanisms, and the difference matters most if you will be folding the scooter on your own. Folding by hand A manual fold means releasing a catch or lever, lowering the tiller and collapsing the frame. It takes a firm grip and a little practice. Some models fold in stages, with the seat or the battery coming off first. Powered folding A powered fold, sometimes described as automatic folding, operates at the press of a button or remote control, which can help when gripping or bending is difficult. Either way, the folded scooter still has to be lifted into the car or moved into storage. Folding is not the same as dismantling. A folding scooter hinges or collapses down, although some models ask you to lift off the seat or the battery first; a dismantling scooter separates into several parts, such as the seat, battery and frame, which are lifted one at a time. The listing tells you which one a model does, and how many pieces you end up with. What you will have to lift Weight is the detail buyers most often underestimate, and it is quoted in more than one way: the total weight with the battery fitted, the weight with the battery removed, or the weight of the heaviest part once the seat and battery come off. Compare like with like before you decide a scooter is manageable. If you will be loading the scooter into a car on your own, work from the he