After plenty of thinking and talking with family and friends, you've decided the time is right to invest in a mobility scooter. Where do you start in choosing a scooter that is best for your needs?
Your choice really comes down to where, when and the distances you want to use your scooter for. For example, if you plan to spend a lot of time going on longer trips then what you need in a scooter will be quite different from someone who plans to mainly use their scooter in their home or zipping to the local shops.
Here are some questions to think about and how their answers might affect your scooter choice:

Indoors, outdoors or a combination?
If you mainly want to use your scooter within your home and shopping centres, then size, turning circle and manoeuvrability will be top priorities. A compact 4-wheel model might be the best choice for you.
For outdoor travel including varied terrain such as uneven footpaths, gravel, grassed areas and hills, then a larger 4-wheel model will provide more power. You will also want your scooter to have suspension to safely cope with uneven terrain and provide a more comfortable ride.

How fast and how far?
You can't get too carried away here, scooter drivers do need to stick to a maximum speed of 10 km/h on footpaths, shared paths and roads. But if you need to navigate steep hills or travel longer distances, then you will generally want a scooter with a more powerful motor and a larger batter capacity. Be sure to ask how many kilometres you will get out of each battery charge and how long the battery will take to charge.
If you will mainly be taking shorter trips to the local shops and visiting neighbours, you may be happy with a model with a lower maximum speed and a shorter battery life. 

Night-time use?

If you plan to be out and about on your scooter any time after the street lights go on, then the scooter must have front and rear lights and indicators.

How heavy?

What kind of weight will your scooter need to carry? This is known as the scooter's 'load capacity'. If you are a larger person, you will need a more robust, heavy-duty model.

What's the next step?

After thinking about when, where and how you want to use your scooter, the next step is talking to a Bluesky Healthcare consultant, who will assess your needs and help you decide exactly which scooter is best suited to you.  Bluesky's fully equipped mobile showrooms can bring any Bluesky product to your home for a relaxed and obligation-free consultation, demonstration and trial.