How to Find the Best Match for Your Mobility Needs!
Choosing the right mobility device is an empowering step toward greater independence and comfort. Whether you’re selecting a device for yourself or a loved one, understanding the differences between mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs is essential, because choosing the wrong device can create more problems instead of solving your current ones.
Each device is designed with specific user needs in mind—and asking the right questions can make your decision clearer and more confident. Below, we’ll highlight three key questions every end-user should ask before making a selection, explain why choosing the right product matters, and explore the strengths of both devices.
3 Key Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Mobility Device
To determine which option best fits your lifestyle, it helps to start with these foundational questions:
1. What are my physical abilities?
How helpful to you is a scooter if you can’t use it? It’s worthless, right? Being honest with our specialists and yourself about your physical capabilities, height, weight, etc., will ensure that you get a functional and safe product that will work for you.
2. Where do I plan on using this device?
Environment plays a major role in choosing the right mobility device. Are there activities that you find more challenging or avoid altogether? Are you having trouble getting from room to room in your home? Do you find that trips to the grocery store take longer than they used to? Have you stopped taking the dog for their daily walk because its too difficult? While these are all indications that a mobility device may be right for you, where you’re experiencing these challenges is just as important.
3. Do I plan to transport this device? If so, how?
Mobility devices come in a range of sizes, with some weighing as little as 27 lbs. or as much as 400 lbs. plus! The capabilities of your vehicle, in conjunction with your or a caregiver’s physical abilities play a vital role in the functionality of the product you choose. Some mobility devices disassemble easily, while others are more robust and may require a vehicle lift or ramp. Understanding your transportation needs upfront helps avoid surprises later.
“But why does it matter what mobility device I choose? As long as they get me from point-A to point-B, that’s all that matters, right?” Wrong! Let’s explore why it matters so much to get the right product.
Why Choosing the Wrong Product Matters
Selecting the wrong mobility device doesn’t just create minor inconveniences—it can have a significant impact on your safety, comfort, independence, and overall health. Mobility equipment is not one-size-fits-all, and when a device doesn’t match your needs, your everyday life can become more difficult rather than easier.
Here are the most common—and most important—reasons why choosing the wrong product can negatively affect your mobility journey:
1. Safety Concerns & Risk of Injury
A mobility device that doesn’t match your physical ability or environment can increase your risk of accidents, including:
- Tipping or losing balance on uneven surfaces
- Difficulty braking or steering, especially on scooters
- Collisions in tight spaces if the turning radius is too wide
- Falls when mounting or dismounting the device
The wrong choice can create unsafe situations that could otherwise be avoided.
2. Physical Pain, Fatigue, or Strain
If the device doesn’t support your body properly—or requires more strength than you have—you may experience:
- Shoulder, arm, or wrist strain from steering
- Back pain due to lack of proper seating or posture support
- Increased fatigue from using a device that’s difficult to control
Choosing incorrectly can lead to daily discomfort or worsening physical conditions.
3. Loss of Independence in Everyday Life
A mobility device should expand your freedom—not limit it. But the wrong product can lead to:
- Difficulty navigating your home or workspace
- Inability to travel long distances
- Trouble maneuvering through stores or tight aisles
- Frustration or fear when using the device
For example, choosing a scooter for indoor use can make daily tasks feel impossible.
4. Transportation Challenges
Choosing the wrong device can make transportation costly at best or impossible at worst. The wrong device could:
- Not fit in your vehicle
- Not be compatible with a vehicle lift
- Be too heavy for you or a caregiver to lift into a vehicle
If you can’t take your mobility device where you need it, it simply won’t serve its purpose.
5. Financial Loss & Reduced Device Lifespan
A mobility device is an investment—sometimes a significant one. Choosing the wrong device could lead to:
- The product wearing out faster
- Frequent repairs
- Sooner replacement
- Additional purchases or upgrades to make it work
Choosing the correct device from the start prevents unexpected costs and helps protect your investment.
6. Emotional Frustration & Reduced Confidence
Mobility challenges don’t just affect the body—they affect the mind. The wrong equipment can lead to:
- Feeling restricted or discouraged
- Anxiety about traveling
- Embarrassment in public situations
- Loss of confidence behind the controls
- Decreased willingness to stay active
A mobility device should restore freedom and confidence—but the wrong choice can have the opposite effect.
Understanding the Differences and Similarities
Before diving into the differences between mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, it’s helpful to understand what they have in common. Even though they serve different types of users, both devices share several important similarities that make them valuable mobility solutions.
- Both are powered mobility solutions. They offer powered movement that helps individuals and caregivers reduce stress and strain that would otherwise come from walking or manual devices.
- Both use rechargeable batteries. Each style has products that offer both Lithium-Ion or Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) batteries for on-the-go travel.
- Both offer a wide range of sizes. Whether you need something super-lightweight or heavy-duty, there are options all over the spectrum.
Now, let’s look at some of the differences between the two product types.
Mobility Scooters
A mobility scooter is typically a 3-wheeled or 4-wheeled transportation device that uses a tiller and handlebar system for steering. They use hand-operated lever style controls to accelerate, brake, and reverse. They offer a wide range of sizes and weight capacities, with some units weighing as little as 40 lbs. and weight capacities as much as 500 lbs. They are generally broken into 4 categories:
- Travel—Travel scooters are small and light. Weighing from 40 lbs. to 100 lbs. they either fold up (automatically or manually) or break down into multiple pieces for easy transport in almost any vehicle. They have smaller removable batteries that are generally Lithium-Ion. Because portability is the focus, there is a trade off in battery size and operating range, with most having a 8-12 mile range. Seating is either mesh and other breathable fabrics to vinyl with padding. Saving weight with smaller 7” or 8” wheels means that travel scooters are better suited to hard surfaces like concrete, asphalt, etc. A lighter product weight means a smaller weight capacity with models typically offering a 250 lb. or 300 lb. capacity. Examples would be the Pride Super-Portable or the Golden Buzzaround.
- Standard—Standard scooters like the Pride Victory Platinum or the Golden Companion have onboard batteries that are typically SLA and offer a range of 12-20+ miles per charge. While some units can be broken down into a couple of pieces, they are typically loaded into vehicles with portable ramps or auto-lifts. Vinyl padded seating is standard and can be mid or high back. With wheels anywhere from 9” to 12” in radius, standard scooters offer better performance in grass or gravel. Weight capacity is generally 300 lbs. to 400 lbs.
- Heavy-Duty—With some products built to handle users that weigh up to 500 lbs. these scooters offer a larger wheel-base, wider and deeper high-back seats, and larger wheels (typically 10”+). Like the standard scooters, the batteries are onboard and offer a range of 15 to 30 miles per charge. Usually weighing over 200 lbs. heavy-duty scooters are generally transported using an auto lift. The Pride Maxima or Golden Avenger are great examples!
- Recreational—Built with the outdoors in mind, recreational scooters like the Pride Baja Wrangler 2 or the Golden Eagle All-Terrain offer exceptional outdoor performance. With features like front and rear suspensions, larger batteries, higher ground clearance, 13”-14” pneumatic tires, and LED lighting, users can feel confident tackling sporting events, getting around your large property, or even exploring your local trails and parks.
A mobility scooter is better suited for:
- Outdoor use. A scooter is generally going to perform better in an outdoor environment over a power wheelchair. While both types can handle hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt, scooters, especially recreational or heavy-duty ones, will handle grass, gravel, and dirt better. There are many people who use some on hiking trails or beaches!
- Users who need support for longer distances, but don’t require all-day sitting. People with medical conditions like heart disease or COPD that can traverse their home could benefit from a scooter.
- Users who have sufficient strength, balance, and coordination to operate the tiller and handlebar style steering system.
- Users who have diminished fine motor skills or dexterity in their hands and fingers. Much like a lever-style door opener is easier to operate (and required for ADA compliance) than a traditional door knob, the lever controls on a scooter may be easier for a user to operate than the joystick controls of a power wheelchair.
- Users who can safely transfer into and out of the seat. Many scooters offer a swivel seat to easily facilitate transfers. But users with flexibility or dexterity in their legs may find it difficult or uncomfortable to transfer into and use a scooter. People who have edema or find that they’ve had reduced flexibility after knee surgery may find that a scooter doesn’t work for them.
Power Wheelchairs
A power wheelchair, also known as a power chair or electric wheelchair, is an electrically powered mobility device designed for individuals who need reliable, full-time mobility support. Unlike mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs are operated with a joystick or alternative controls—making them ideal for users with limited upper-body strength, dexterity, or balance.
Powered wheelchairs are engineered for precision and stability. Sometimes feeling more like a zero-turn lawn mower than a mobility device, they offer excellent maneuverability in tight indoor spaces but can also provide strong outdoor performance. They typically feature mid or high back seating, four or six wheels, a footrest, and options like power tilt, recline, elevate, or leg rest adjustments.
Because they are highly customizable and medically oriented, powered wheelchairs serve a wide range of mobility needs, from mild limitations to complex physical conditions.
Power wheelchairs can be broken down into the following categories:
- Travel—Built with easy loading transport in mind, products like the Pride Jazzy Ultra Light or the ComfyGo Phoenix are made from tube-steel or carbon fiber to save on weight. Like their scooter counterparts, they have weight capacities typically ranging from 250 lbs. to 300 lbs. and weigh anywhere from 27 lbs. to 100 lbs. Removable Lithium-Ion batteries are par for the course, and four smaller wheels make travel on soft surfaces like grass and gravel more difficult. Mesh or light padded seating is standard. Most have a per charge range of 8-15 miles, but some, like the Phoenix, have a 25-mile range!
- Standard—Products like the Pride Jazzy 613 or the Golden Compass Sport have a center-wheel drive system with four additional wheels front and back to provide stability. Standard power chairs will offer high-back padded seating, a 300 lb. weight capacity, and upwards of 20 miles per charge on either Lithium-Ion or SLA batteries. Auto lifts are the typical mode of transportation.
- Heavy-Duty—with a typical weight capacity of around 450 lbs. HD electric wheelchairs like the Pride Elite HD or the Golden Compass HD are optimized for comfort and durability. Larger center or front drive wheels for increased maneuverability on any terrain as well as a pan-style seat mount for added stability (instead of a seat post) are typical. Larger SLA batteries to accommodate the larger weight capacity means a typical range of 10 to 15 miles.
- Complex (or Class/Group 3) —Made for users with severe disabilities that require assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs for short), complex wheelchairs are specifically designed to fit the user’s and caregiver’s needs. With options like powered tilt, lift, and recline, these power chairs are typically covered through insurance and require an Assistive Technology Professional to properly spec and adjust.
A powered wheelchair is better suited for:
- Tight spaces and cramped environments. With their extremely tight turn radius, these products are perfect for navigating your home’s hallways and doors.
- Users who need all-day use out of their products. With their high-back seats, headrests, recline options, and memory foam or gel padded seat options, power chairs are well equipped to be used all day.
- Users who can articulate a joystick but may not have the upper body strength to control a scooter. Most power wheelchairs have sensitivity adjustable joystick controllers to really fine-tune the controls for anyone. There are even units that have Bluetooth functionality, allowing caregivers to control the unit from their phones!
- Individuals with complex medical conditions that have more complex mobility needs
Let’s Get Down to Brass Tacks…
To recap, we’ve talked about some key questions to ask, we’ve discussed why it matters what product you choose, and we’ve talked about the similarities, differences, types, and strengths of each. So, what should you do next?
Sure, you could go and purchase a scooter or power wheelchair from Amazon or an online store. But what happens if it doesn’t work for you? Many companies return policies are non-existent or so stringent that it is impractical to return. Then you or your loved one are stuck either trying to “make it work” or spending money on the right solution after sinking hundreds or thousands of dollars into a new product. But is there a better way?
At EZ Mobility Solutions are firm believers in the “try before you buy” philosophy. We have one of the largest showrooms on the east coast, and we’d love for you to visit and try out multiple devices to find the one that works best for you.
Our Mobility Specialists can walk you through all the options and you can put each product to the test. Inside or outside, on pavement or grass, up and down different inclines. We will walk you through loading it into and out of your vehicle or provide you accurate information on portable ramps and auto lifts.
Confidence can greatly affect you or your loved one’s mobility. You should be able to walk out of any business feeling confident that your new product will work for your unique situation. Should you have questions, our team is here to help.