Which foldable travel scooter to purchase?

[izdgrama]

Our travel life has changed a bit due to modified mobility.  We can continue to cruise with the right scooter for my husband.  Has anyone had experience with a remote control foldable light weight scooter?  We would like to purchase one that can go through the airports to the gate and fold up to charge in our cabin.  It’s very difficult to know which online reviews to believe.  I’m hoping that fellow cruisers might share their thoughts.  Oh, we do not want to rent aboard.  A scooter will be needed for the whole trip.  Thanks so much.

Edited July 19, 2021 by izdgrama

[FOPMan]

Most/many of the fold up scooters do not handle surfaces that are less than flat terribly well. They’re ok for aboard ship and other areas with finished floors but can be less than ideal for outdoor use.

[tallyho8]

My wife has a small fold up Triaxe scooter. They are not recommended for everyone because they are the fastest because she likes to ride on bike trails with me. They are barely larger than a suitcase you check in when folded and we have had no problem taking it on any plane flights.

 

Compared to most scooters, it is like a car in 3rd gear where most are like a car in 1st gear. It can not go up a steep incline like the slower ones in the lower gear but it is great for traveling long distances in short order. The battery usually stays charged all day. 

 

It would be dangerous in the hands of a person with limited physical or mental ability as it can go so fast. It is almost useless in tall grass or rough terrain but great on paved roads or sidewalks.

 

She loves it on all the ships we have been on as it is small and can fit anywhere a person can go and people on scooters are usually placed first in line in many places. It fits easy in the trunk of a taxi where ever we go and takes up very little room in a restaurant.

[mcrcruiser]

I have been looking for a mobility scooter  which my medical plan would pay 80% of the cost because I need it .  tMy primary care doctor made out a perscription  for one  scooter

 The company came to our home to size me for the scooter . I wanted to upgrade from the Lite to the Scout  model of the Pride scooter .It disassembles easily for storage in the trunk of a car . I am 286 lbs & the scooter will carry up to 325 lbs . I ordered a rear view mirror for the elevators on cruise ships so i do not back into people .This Pride Scout top speed is a comfortable 4.7 miles per hour with the upgraded battery get 13 mile range on flat ground .any scooter going up hills  drains the battery faster & less miles range  .I have the largest  Pride Scooter I use for our 9 hole pitch & put golf course & I have taken a former scooter on many ships before I had my hips replaced . Now i have back problems .Who ever said those golden years are with out aches  LOL 

 

 May we recommend that you go over your needs with your doctor first & ask what company he /she recommends for scooters for you  . Then check with your medical insurer . We have Aetna HMO & they are paying 80% of the scooter cost . It is considered durable medical equipment . 

 

 Best of luck in your search

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by mcrcruiser

[surfcitygirl]

My husband and I just came back from our first cruise using a mobility scooter. He bought the Atto scooter which folders up to look like a carryon, splits in two pieces and can be put in overhead bin or flight attendant's closet. It worked wonderfully, even uphill. Drove it to the door of the plane, folded it, and put in bin. Charged it every night and used it throughout the ship. The crew even gave him "speeding tickets"!

[dcsam]

You might check the Disabled Cruise discussion on this site. The same topic is covered quite a bit there.  

  My husband has the Travelscoot and loves it.  It folds down; can be put into a bag and carried over the shoulder.  I think it weighs 30 or 35 pounds.  But the seat and backrest would have to be carried separately. Typically (when flying), he drives it to the plane; he walks into plane, while I take off the back rest and carry that and the battery onto the plane with me.  The scooter is then placed in plane.  Its at our next destination as he steps off plane. 

[fusion927]

22 minutes ago, dcsam said:

  My husband has the Travelscoot and loves it.  It folds down; can be put into a bag and carried over the shoulder.  I think it weighs 30 or 35 pounds.  But the seat and backrest would have to be carried separately. Typically (when flying), he drives it to the plane; he walks into plane, while I take off the back rest and carry that and the battery onto the plane with me.  The scooter is then placed in plane.  Its at our next destination as he steps off plane. 

 

My wife also has a TravelScoot... We've had it for about 2 years now, but (for obvious reasons) we haven't been able to fly anywhere yet.  Our first trip is scheduled for next month so we will find out.

 

I know the battery has to come with us.  Didn't know the backrest/seat do too.  I wonder if they don't fold it, do we need to carry the backrest & seat?  Or do you do that just to protect them?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

 

[KJ Knowles]

Fairly recently @CatherineFromForneyTX has required a mobility scooter to get around. We got her an Optimus compact self folding model. It has worked well so far, but we have not yet flown or cruised with it. 

 

It worked very well on a couple of road trips. It is extremely quiet. I was worried when we took it to a museum, but it was necessary to listen carefully to hear it at all. It is fun to watch it fold/unfold itself and always gets attention. 🙂 This can be triggered remotely by buttons on the key fob or by a switch on the back.

I wish the turning radius (37") was tighter, and the back is prone to flopping around when folded. I use a velcro strap to secure it, but it should have come with some sort of latch. It weighs 56 pounds with battery, is 20" wide (without armrests) and can be rolled like a suitcase when folded.

 

The video at this link is full of marketing speak and bad acting but it does show the folding/unfolding and some other useful info:

 

Optimus self folding mobility scooter video.

[LuAnn]

Perfect subject matter for me!! I'm researching right now what to do for DH re scooter for upcoming HI cruise. Do these various models you have mentioned all fit into a standard veranda cabin or do they require a handicapped cabin? Thanks for any help!!

[RGEDad]

We purchased a Luggie Scooter Elite Plus 4. It folds up extremely small in either a flat or Cube shape. It is only 18" Wide so it does fit through the door (we travel without the arm rests (Seldom use them anyway). Unit weigh only 70 lbs - so can be used on tenders (on HAL). 

I got their top end 4-wheel unit - primarily for a bit more stability than three wheel units (The two front are narrower than the rear) and the automatic speed control when cornering (Automatically slows down on sharp corners - prevents tip-over) - wife thought I was crazy to spend extra for unit with that - till she started driving it - Unit can make very tight corners - this automatically slows her down. Li ION batteries are removable (Needed to pull for transportation on airlines - and they are certified. )

I have the Luggie 4: Elite plus 4

• Weight Cap: 320 lbs

• Top Speed: 4mph

• Turning Raidus 36"-  Very tight corners - needed on narrow ship hallways

• Ground Clearance: 4.5"

• Range Up to 15 miles

Key Spec is 18" Wide - will get through any standard cabin door (Be very carful when you get to units that are like 22 " - the Cabin door size listed doe not usually account for the swung door (~2Inch reduction.) 

 

Hmmm: It appears they have made a change, the current Elite plus 4 units fold flat (which is what we use when putting into the car/airplanes. but no longer fold into Qube/luggage shape (for storage in a closet/taxi) so make sure you check that if it is important. the Plus 3 does still fold into the luggage shape. Also looks like the Plus 4 widened out the front wheels. Chargable in the scooter (Used for travel) or in a home docking station.

These units are not cheep - Like $3,500 but they are very narrow (18") with very sharp turning, 

No- I do not have any involvement with Luggie - or dealership.

[dcsam]

Make sure the wheels are solid rubber.  Not plastic.  

[sansterre]

One of the earlier posters mentioned insurance covered a large percentage.  Is that common on 

many policies?  and will it apply to these smaller, fold-up versions too?

[tallyho8]

I know someone who got one free through Medicaid with his doctor's prescription. I think Medicare and all insurance policies are different so you may want to make a phone call to your insurance company's customer service.

[hillside]

My husband has the atto scooter. There is a previous post that describes it very well. I folds into what looks like a 22" suitcase. We saw it on the Konigsdam and later on the Nieuw Amsterdam where the owner generously let us try it out. It's been a game changer for my husband. Look it up on line. It's also on Amazon. We found a dealer near us in Warwick RI and ordered it that way. Fabulous!

[LindaSSF]

We purchased the iLivibg v8 scooter. It folks too a carry on size piece of luggage and weighs only 40 pounds including the batteries. My husband truly enjoys it and even I can lift it into the car!

 

http://ilivingusa.com/V8

[mexico8]

I have travelled with many airlines all over the world with my Travelscoot and I only remove the battery at the door of the plane.   The seat and backrest stay with the scooter and is carried down to the hold of the plane.   They bring it back once we land to the door of the plane and I drive it into the airport.   No need to remove anything except the battery.

[fusion927]

18 hours ago, mexico8 said:

I have travelled with many airlines all over the world with my Travelscoot and I only remove the battery at the door of the plane.   The seat and backrest stay with the scooter and is carried down to the hold of the plane.   They bring it back once we land to the door of the plane and I drive it into the airport.   No need to remove anything except the battery.

 

Thanks for the info.  That's what I was hoping would happen.  We've travelled many times with my wife's GoGo Traveler, but our first trip with her TravelScoot will be in a couple of weeks.

[highscar]

I have been traveling with my little 3 wheel GoGo for 13 yrs.  hope I can buy a foldable one day soon.  Sounds like they are easier to handle alone. Thank you for all your useful information.