Mobility scooters are medical equipment that can be another option instead of a wheelchair. It is prescribed to people who have mobility problems such as elderly people or those that were afflicted by medical conditions that limits their walking ability. Mobility scooters can also be for recreational purposes or as a utility tool for moving quickly into another place.

Most mobility scooters are powered by electricity and uses batteries in order to be operated, although there are still some gasoline powered models. Some of them have three wheels while others have four. The former is lighter and more agile but it is not as stable as its four-wheeled counterpart so it is not recommended for medical use. There are also models that are ideal for outdoor use only while others may be used for both indoors and outdoors. Furthermore, some models can be disassembled easily so that they can fit inside the trunk of a car.

The features of mobility scooters may differ based on the model and manufacturer.

Several have pivoting chairs for a more convenient transferring of a patient. A few have horns and lights to ensure the road safety of the driver. A few have baskets for storing objects. Most mobility scooters have the reverse function which is truly important for riders who cannot walk and are stuck in a certain location.

Mobility scooters provide a lot of advantages over normal and even mechanized wheelchairs. First of all, it is not as physically exhausting to operate like a normal wheelchair. This is truly important for elderly patients and those that have medical problems that makes the person tire out easily. Additionally, there is a stigma of disability that society correlates with wheelchairs and therefore some patients do not want to be seen in one. Besides, mobility scooters have more features and is more cost-effective than a wheelchair.

However there are still some limitations when using mobility scooters as medical equipment. The key issue is the size of the mobility scooters that are too large to fit in elevators or bus lifts. Their length also makes them more challenging to turn on tight corners. Nevertheless, despite of these limitations, mobility scooters are still a great and convenient transportation utility to move around in wide and open spaces.