Benefits of Mobility Scooters: Complete Guide To The Pros And Cons

Mobility scooters have an overall positive effect on people’s health and wellbeing. It was found that the use of a mobility scooter increases a person’s physical activity. By eliminating the need to use all of your energy simply walking from place to place, you unlock the ability to use your limited energy stores for an activity that is beneficial to your health or fun. Either one can go a long way to increasing your overall quality of life.

That same study also noted that the use of a mobility scooter also made people more likely to want to participate in local activities and events. Without the looming barrier of struggling to get somewhere working against people, they were more eager to go out and actively take part in things they previously had stopped doing. Being able to participate in social events can provide large and tangible benefits to mental health and cognition.

That means that by regularly using a high-quality mobility scooter, an average person can see increases in physical health, mental health, and social health. All three of those can go a long way into prolonging a person’s life and boosting quality of life. 

With mobility in the name, it is no surprise that mobility scooters provide massive benefits to mobility. They help thousands of people get from A to B every year. Mobility scooters can also provide a new sense of freedom to people who had lost some of that to extenuating circumstances.

In fact, a recent study found that mobility scooters made an excellent replacement for people who do not have a car or who no longer have a driver’s license. Not everyone is able to maintain ownership of a car or a license as they age but the good news is that mobility scooters do not require a license to operate. They don’t need a large garage to store. That makes mobility scooters a great stand-in for local travel for those who do not have a car and do not want to deal with confusing and crowded public transportation.

Mobility scooters can also speed up travel that would normally take a long time. Trips around the grocery store or big box store that normally took upwards of an hour can be done in half the time thanks to the increased speed that your personal mobility scooter can offer.

Another surprising benefit that was found was the use of a mobility scooter to maintain and increase social lives. When people age it can be difficult to maintain a vibrant social life. Some studies have found that maintaining positive social lives is almost as important as maintaining good physical health. It does little good if your body is in good health if you end up suffering from depression or loneliness due to a lack of social interaction.

Mobility scooters have been shown time and again to boost participation in social events like birthday parties at the local park,  and they help to maintain existing social structures in people’s lives. When we set out to dig into the pros of using a mobility scooter, we did not expect to find such profound benefits in this area. It is worth mentioning that they can be used to get to a nearby park for some fresh air, convenient store, and other social events which are extremely important to maintaining a high quality of life.

Drawbacks of Mobility Scooters

As useful and beneficial as mobility scooters can be they do come with some drawbacks. Mobility scooters are much larger and harder to move from place to place than walkers. Because of this you might want to consider a mobility scooter that disassembles into lightweight pieces to place in an automobile.  They are also quite a bit more expensive. These drawbacks can add up to a big headache if you are not prepared or if you could have substituted something else for a mobility scooter.

Cost

Mobility scooters are not cheap and require a large investment in order to obtain. The cost of a mobility scooter can range anywhere from $900 and upwards to $2500. That means that the upper echelon of pricing for a mobility scooter is ten times more than a average rollator walker or similar walker.

While Medical insurance might cover mobility scooters under certain circumstances, if you do not get coverage for a mobility scooter it can take a big chunk out of any budget. Especially those who are on a fixed income and have to follow strict budgetary guidelines.

If you can afford the cost upfront, mobility scooters can be an awesome addition to your life but the amount of money it requires to purchase one can be a drawback for many to overcome, however when you compare the cost of a mobility scooter to the price of an automobile the scooter is a much better deal.

Upkeep and Maintenance

Another thing that some people might not fully consider when considering purchasing a mobility scooter is the maintenance that they require. Unlike canes, traditional walkers, or rollator walkers, mobility scooters have a lot of modern components that will require upkeep over their lifetime. Mobility scooters are battery powered, have tires to consider, electronic parts, and brakes.

This means that your mobility scooter might need to take trips to a service center to get repaired or serviced to ensure that they stay in good working order. That could add unforeseen costs and time into your life where you did not have to worry about working those things into your schedule or budget before.

Other mobility assisting products do not need as much attention if they encounter troubles.  Say you do need to get a walker repaired, many of the parts, pieces, and concepts are easily digestible and can often be fixed on your own. The same cannot be said for a mobility scooter, unless you secure an extended warranty when you purchase a new mobility scooter.

Alternatives To Mobility Scooters

There is no doubt that there are some cons to owning a mobility scooter and for some people, they are going to outweigh the pros. That is okay. Make sure you find a product that is right for you and check out some of these alternatives to a mobility scooter.

There are some alternatives to mobility scooters that should be mentioned. Each person’s need is going to be different and some need a full mobility scooter more than others. If the high cost and potential for a complicated maintenance schedule are putting you off, you might be able to get away with an upgraded rollator or simple quad cane to help get around.

Another alternative to a full battery powered mobility scooter is a manual lightweight wheelchair. Lightweight wheelchairs still provide a lot of mobility benefits while being easier to store and transport. They can also be a lot less expensive than mobility scooters if budget is a concern.

Conclusion

Deciding whether or not to purchase a mobility scooter is going to depend on many different factors that will vary from person to person. Some people will find a mobility scooter completely necessary in order to continue with their lifestyle. Others will have a mobility scooter prescribed to them for health reasons. Still, more might be on the fence about buying one for themselves to see if the benefits are worth it.

There are many well documented benefits to owning and regularly using a mobility scooter. The boost in mobility can offer unique health benefits that extend to all facets of your life including boosts to mental health, social participation, and physical health, and improving the quality of life.