Electric Wheelchairs, Mobility Scooters & Accessories

Electric Wheelchair vs. Electric Scooter

Electric Wheelchairs: Battery-powered wheel chairs come in a variety of styles and sizes: Lighter weight, easily transportable chairs can be folded and packed into a car. These are chairs that hold up to 250 pounds and range in price from $2000 - $3,000. Available for indoor and outdoor use.

Motorized wheelchairs with bucket or captain-style seats that are not collapsible but can hold more weight than the lighter weight models - as much as 350 pounds. They range in price from $2500 to more than $5,000. Available for indoor and outdoor use.

Heavy duty motorized wheelchairs can hold more than 400 pounds and are available with both conventional and captain-style seats. They are designed for outdoor and heavy terrain use. They often come with programmable controls. These chairs range from $2,000 - $8,000.

Electric scooters are generally more versatile than electric wheelchairs. They can be used both safely both indoors and out, depending upon the model. While you can use an electric wheelchair on sidewalks and streets, they’re generally not considered an outdoor vehicle.

Electric scooters are ideal for folks who can walk well enough to get in and out of the scooter and to hold on to the handlebars (called a tiller). Electric mobility scooters are designed as three or four-wheel vehicle. Easy access and comfortable seats make them great for driving around the neighborhood, the mall, the grocery store or your favorite theme park. Elecric scooters are very popular at large theme parks such as Disney Epcot Center and you can easily rent them at the gate or take your own.

Mobility scooters range from $1,800 to $5,000, with the average price being around $2,400. Electric wheel chairs, on the other hand, are usually custom-fitted and start at around $4,000, but can go as high as $25,000.

3-wheel (indoor) scooters are smaller, three-wheeled vehicles that work best on level or paved ground. 3-wheel scooters generally less than 130 pounds and are front-wheel drive where the front wheels pulls the scooter forward. Electric 3-wheel scooters can turn tight corners more easily than 4-wheel scooters. They also travel shorter distances on an electric charge at slower speeds, and cost less.

4-wheel (outdoor) scooters weigh about 100 pounds more than indoor 3-wheel scooters and are rear-wheel drive vehicles, where the rear wheels push you forward. Outdoor electric scooters have four wheels and sit higher off the ground. 4-wheel mobility scooters have a more powerful motor and can climb hills, go up curbs, and travel over open ground. They’re faster, travel farther on a battery charge, and go in all kinds of weather. 4-wheel scootere because of their design may not be able to go through real narrow doorways and don't have as sharp as a turning radius as 3-wheel scooters.

Travel scooters are designed are indoor-outdoor use and can be either 3 or 4-wheeled vehicles. Travel scooters use rear-wheel drive and soft tires. Travel scooters are designed to be readily disassembled for transport in your trunk and as such are very popular. They’re harder to maneuver indoors than true indoor scooters, but much easier than outdoor scooters. You can also them outdoors but they can’t climb curbs and hills with the power of the heavier outdoor scooters.