light scooter for COPD

[Jansy16]

I have severe COPD just wondering if anyone has an idea for a light weight scooter than I can get up the steps into my house. I'm a 78 yr old lady who is desperate to get out in the fresh air. I weigh 9 stone. Any ideas please.

[sassy59]

Hi Jansy, there are many lightweight scooters around but they can still be heavy to lift. If you’re just dragging a scooter then Drive, Atto plus the Orange badge company. Many fold up like a suitcase so you could drag it. Try and contact a company in your area and see if they can help.Good luck to you. Pete finds his a godsend. Xxx

[Jansy16 in reply to sassy59]

Thank you Sassy59 I will look into your suggestion. XX

[hypercat54 in reply to Jansy16]

Hi I recent bought a mobility scooter as I have spinal stenosis as well as copd.

As sassy says you can buy ones that fold up in one that can be taken up stairs like a shopping trolley. A lot depends on what you want to do with it. If you just want one to trundle locally ie within a few miles then a small portable one is fine. Also it's easier to get it into shops too. A big one and you might have trouble.

It also depends on how many steps you have and how steep they are as even lightweight ones can be heavy if you have no one to help you.

I live in a first floor flat so a small one with a detachable battery to take up for recharging was essential. The battery can be heavy too.

I bought mine for local use only and it is a small one. It has a range of 10 miles but as I weigh more than 9 stone (quite a lot more) and live in quite a hilly area in reality it does around 7.

So think about the area you live in and where you want to use it. Mine can cope with steps of up one inch which isn't much. Important things to consider are the wheel clearance and the range of it. If I was buying one now these are what I find important. If your area is hilly then you need one with a longer range as you draw on more battery power, so a minimum of 15 miles would be better.

I bought mine on Facebook Marketplace which was a lot cheaper. It is around 6 months old but cost less than a third of a new one. I have had no issues with it at all.

There is a company who does small very lightweight ones which fold up but they seem to be at least £2,000. If you are interested I could find the link for you.

I love my scooter and it's given me my mobility back. Gone are the days of struggling with my walking stick in pain and being very slow. There is nothing like speeding along at 4 miles an hour in the lovely sun and the wind in my hair. Go for it - you won't regret it! I can even get to my local Lidl's around a mile away instead of getting 2 buses and struggling. I can get a heavy bag on each arm and big items between my feet. Wonderful! x

[Izb1 in reply to hypercat54]

Oh! Bev I could just picture you, hair flying speeding away , honking your horn and rushing round the shops lol. I am so pleased to read that you are getting out and about with less difficulty x

[Tykelady in reply to hypercat54]

It was interesting to learn that you have a scooter that you can take up to your flat. I know many blocks of flats prohibit scooters being left in the communal stairwell and have no charging points although I believe new builds provide these facilities.

[hypercat54 in reply to Tykelady]

I think you have misread my comments! I live in a converted house on the first floor. Fortunately my sister lives in the downstairs flat so I keep the scooter in her patio (where it is completely hidden from the road), with a waterproof cover over it. I just take the battery off upstairs to charge it. x

[Tykelady in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks for the clarification x

[Thepainterswife in reply to hypercat54]

My grandson turned up out of the blue a few days ago with a scooter he had bought for his grandad 😃. Geoff has always said he wouldn’t use one but now seems quite excited , he drove up the back street and around the churchyard car park at the top in his pjs 😂 but unfortunately since then hasn’t been well enough to use it . Fingers crossed he ll be going for a spin again tomorrow just into the churchyard and I’ll accompany him along with our dogs . My concern is if he gets more adventurous how does he negotiate kerbs ? It’s quite a small scooter I wouldn’t imagine it would do more than an inch in height Hes so looking forward to putting it into the boot of our grandsons car and taking it to a flat seaside promenade but will it get it him safely to the local pub across the road ?? 😂

[ilos in reply to Thepainterswife]

Most boroughs are increasingly installing dropped kerbs. If there are none in your area yet do get on to your local council and let them know where you need to get to. They are usually pretty good as it is a high priority these days and funding is often available.

[Thepainterswife in reply to ilos]

👍Thanks for that , it’s been too hot for him to try since I posted but I shall go out and do a reccy around the local area early tomorrow 😊

[Jansy16]

So pleased for you. I'll keep looking to find the right one.

[SORRELHIPPO]

Good companies will bring one to your home, in order to see if you can manage to get it in/out of your home. They could also discuss with you, whether or not you might need the odd hand rail, to help you balance yourself. A contact in Social Services might then be able to help you get them fitted.

[Bevvy]

Ahhh! I did a response to you but it seems to have vanished 😢Will try again!!I have purchased mobility items including scooters from a company called Careco (careco.co.uk) they have branches all around the country so may have a branch near you. If not they are very helpful on the phone. They also have many different makes of scooter so should have something that suits you.

You can get very lightweight folding scooters that fold with the press of a button. However you need to consider how to charge scooter. Some can charge on scooter but some you need to take battery off and they can be heavy. Scooters can be a big investment and it is important you are able to get many years out of it.

I am interested in steps you mention. How many steps are there? Careco sell ramps which may help you get scooter in and out of your home. If that would be a help then consider contacting your local social services. They could fit a permanent ramp which could be useful.

I do think you need to be able to discuss with a knowledgeable person what you are looking for and what you intend to use scooter for. Whilst I recommend Careco that is purely because when I first looked for mobility aids they were very helpful. Of course you could get information from them and then buy elsewhere!!

Finally please let us know how you get on. I have 2 mobility scooters, one folding one I keep in the car and one I have recently purchased that lives outside and I use locally. The folding one was a large initial financial outlay but I have used it happily now for 10 years and only replaced the battery once. I love my scooters and you will be thrilled once you get one. It will indeed give you your freedom and independence.

[Jansy16]

Thank you for your feedback Bevvy, will look into your suggestion. X

[Bingo88]

Good morning Jansy16. Another suggestion not mentioned is you can get a hoist that people can have fitted to the boot of a car to lift a scooter into the boot. If you speak to scooter shops or the mobility section of a car dealer they might be able to help you with a price and someone who fits them to lift up your steps. Hope you have some luck. Take care. Brian

[Izb1]

After reading all the feedback Jansy16 it sounds like there will be one that is right for you out there. Wish you all the luck and hope it changes your life x

[FewThereBe]

I got my wife (she has COPD and is on 24/7 oxygen) an eFoldi folding scooter based upon the recommendation of someone on this Forum.

I think eFoldi has 2 models, one lighter than the other. We have the heavier one, which is about 42 pounds (3 stone?). The weight limit is 250 pounds (18 stone?).

We are in the USA, so the best news is that eFoldi is a UK company, if you are in the UK.

My wife loves it. I love it. But she really needs me to put it in the trunk (boot?), unfold it, re-fold it, etc. when we take it places in the car.

I liked the eFoldi because it has higher ground clearance than most and is more like a motor-tri-cycle. It can turn on a dime.

One really has to try these things out if possible. I'm pretty sure eFoldi and others will give home demonstrations in the UK.

It has a light, removable battery. It can be charged either out of the scooter or in the scooter. It has 2 speeds and can go 8mph max and has a 14-mile range (supposedly--haven't pushed it there). We have some hills to negotiate around our home and it does GREAT. I was really concerned about that, but it does great.

I got an orange safety flag from Amazon. A cup-holder from Amazon. And some giant carabiners from Amazon that I use to hang her portable oxygen concentrator off of the seat back. I also got 2 cushions from Amazon (wheelchair type) because the seat padding is fairly sparse. Since we take long walks together she needed something more comfortable.

Definitely a God-send. Can't imagine not having "her" now.

It fit our needs perfectly, but I'm not sure about bringing it up and down stairs (and folding/unfolding each time), that might not be fun.

P.S. We call her "Effie."

P.P.S. My wife got "flaming fire" stickers from Amazon and put them on the sides, and a second flag with an eagle to complement the orange flag. All she needs now is a Harley-Davidson t-shirt.

The upper picture below was drawn by the Forum person who recommended the eFoldi. Sorry I don't recall her name. The lower picture is my wife on "Effie"!

The eFoldi Mobility Scooter

[organiclady in reply to FewThereBe]

I’ve just bought an eFoldi as well. Expensive but worth it. I bought the smaller lighter one which rapidly folds up so that I can pop it onto the bus. It has good clearance and can cope with hills. I can also bonk it up a few stairs when folded up. I had a demonstration at home with both of them so that I could choose and it turned up two days later. It has transformed my life.

[FewThereBe in reply to organiclady]

Great!

[Pipswhips]

Have you tried your local mobility shop if you got one or near by you xan get to as they might be able yo hrlp you with one there are fold up ones but it might be best to speak to your local or nearby mobilty people.Do you own your home builiding a out door shelter with a door my friend partner did one like a dog kennel but a bit bigger with thick lino on the room and if you can get a waterproof socket put near by it might help because batteries for scootters can be expensive if you dont keepthem charged

[Pipswhips]

Ive got a 3 wheeler but it a big one shich i keep in the dhed which has electric in but either last year or year before i forgot yo charge the batteties so they were flat and once flat no recovery.It cost me about £200 for two new batteries but it depends what scooter you get because if it just a small one whats goes on pavement they might be cheaper like ive got one but its a big one wiyh pump tryers those small one have hard tyres which you will feel every bump .