Mobility Scooters for Arthritis (Joint-Friendly Choices)

My mobility scooter buddy and I were discussing her potential purchase when we decided to test putting my scooter in the trunk to see if she could handle it.

The breakdown required us to squeeze a handle to put the tiller down. No matter how hard she tried, she could not squeeze the handle hard enough to release the trigger.

This is when I found out how bad her arthritis was. I hadn’t realized.

Mobility scooters for arthritis must have joint-friendly features.

Then there’s the kind of arthritis that causes pain in other body parts.

If you get a mobility scooter with solid tires and no suspension, it can easily aggravate your existing pain.

So, I put together this list of mobility scooter features you can choose to get an arthritis-friendly scooter.

In this article, you’ll learn about mobility scooter throttles, tillers (steering controls), brakes and seats, and how choices in these categories affect your comfort while riding.

Key takeaways:

• A throttle can be one-handed or ambidextrous (use either hand)
• A deck height determines how high a step you make to board your scooter
• The seat rotation feature can make it easier to get on and off the mobility scooter
• The brakes can be automatic (good) or manual (requires you to squeeze a lever)
• The seat can be big and cushioned or small and less comfortable; if you’re in pain, seat choices matter.
• Armrests can be padded and adjustable for your comfort
• Mobility aid storage gives you a proper place to put your oxygen, cane, or crutches.

Mobility Scooters for Arthritis: What Are Your Options?

Are your hands hurting from joint pain?

Do you feel your back always hurts, or your knee always complains?

If your arthritis makes it hard to twist a jar lid off, you’ll likely have problems with certain mobility features.

That is unless you choose the most arthritis-friendly options.

Riding a mobility scooter gets you out of the house.

It helps you get fresh air, visit your garden, or visit the beach.

It’s healthy and fun. I highly recommend it!

So, let’s put together the right scooter options for you.

Mobility Scooter Features for Arthritic Users

Let’s look at the mobility scooter features that can be good or bad for people with arthritis so that you’re an informed shopper.

Throttle

The throttle options are:

1. Thumb lever: A small lever you push with your thumb. Great for those with limited hand strength or dexterity.
2. Twist grip: This grip is similar to a motorcycle throttle. You twist it to go. It’s ideal if you have good grip strength.
3. Wigwag: A see-saw style lever you can operate with either hand. Perfect for users with strength on only one side.

Brakes

There are two types of brakes:

1. Automatic brakes: You let go of the throttle to engage the automatic brakes. The cool thing about automatic brakes is that they are “on” by default.
2. Manual brakes: You squeeze a lever to control whether the manual brakes are on or off.

Tiller

The tiller is the steering column. You can choose its shape, height, and angle.

• Adjustable angle tillers allow you to bring the steering closer or push it further away.
• Adjustable height tillers allow you to raise or lower the steering apparatus.
• A delta tiller (a wraparound) is a triangle with a large surface area for easy gripping.
• A T-bar tiller is a crossbar atop the vertical pole with much less surface area to grab.

Seat Options

The seat options affect your comfort (via cushions) and positioning.

• Seats can have no cushions or cushions with foam or gel.
• A reclining seat allows you to lean back.
• A height-adjustable seat can give you more or less legroom.
• A sliding seat can bring you closer or further away from the tiller.
• A rotating seat can make it easier to get on and off board.

Deck Height

The deck height refers to the distance from the ground to the floorboard. A lower deck height requires fewer steps to get on board.

Mobility Aid Storage

Some mobility scooters have storage options for mobility and health aids, such as canes, crutches, and oxygen tanks.

When you see “hitch” accessories, that refers to optional mobility aid attachments.

Which Body Parts Are Affected, and How Can the Mobility Scooter Options Help You?

It might not seem like an arthritic issue, but the mobility scooter default seating can be annoying and hard.

I mean, butt aching hard.

Crossing my legs while riding takes much discomfort away, but that won’t work for everyone.

This is a friendly reminder that you might consider getting a cushioned seat if you have back or hip pain.

Even if the cushion is an aftermarket add-on, it’ll prevent further pain and maybe even be soft enough to relieve some of it.

So, put yourself in your future self’s shoes. Picture using the mobility scooter and thinking about your aches and pains. It will help you make the right choices.

Foot, Ankle, Leg, Knee, and Hip Arthritis

Arthritis of the foot, ankle, leg, knee, or hip means you experience some lameness when walking and stepping up.

You might have difficulty stepping onto the mobility scooter.

There also might be a preferred position that means your leg is straight out or bent in ways healthy people don’t experience.

The mobility scooter features to study are seat rotation, tiller angle, deck height (and a few more).

Low Deck Height

Look for a low ground-to-deck height for the smallest possible step up onto the mobility scooter.

This value is only sometimes stated in the specifications. 

In that case, look for a low “ground clearance,” which is the distance from the ground to the lowest part under the mobility scooter. 

It’s not the size of the step but a proxy for how high the deck is. Look for a ground-to-deck of 6 or fewer inches.

 If using the ground clearance, use a value of up to 3 inches.

Swivel Seat

A swivel seat will rotate toward you, so you don’t have to get on before sitting.

With a rotating seat, you can sit first, then rotate into a driving position.

If you have an arthritic knee or hip, this feature can mean the difference between a painful and painless scooter entry.

Deck Length

The longer the mobility scooter deck, the more room there is for your legs under most circumstances.

If you need to keep your leg straight out, a more extended mobility scooter will give you room to do that. 

If you want to curl up in a ball and bring the steering controls closer to you, then a shorter deck is part of that formula (and the tiller angle is the other).

Tiller Angle

The tiller hosts the steering control, so you need it near your hands. If you decide on the curl-up-in-a-ball position, bringing the steering controls closer to your hands would be nice by angling the tiller toward your lap.

An angle-adjustable tiller allows you to bring the steering apparatus closer to you.

On the other hand, if you want more legroom, you use the angle-adjustable tiller feature to push the steering away from you.

Fingers, Hand, Arm, or Shoulder Arthritis

Loss of fingers, hands, arms, or shoulders can affect managing the throttle, squeezing the brake, and steering.

The best way to deal with this is to have ambidextrous (right or left hand) steering and automatic brakes that require no squeezing.

If you have lost the ability to use both hands and arms, I don’t think you can use a mobility scooter successfully. 

In this case, if it were me, I would go to a local mobility scooter dealer and talk about power wheelchair options.

But for the loss of one hand, you have options.

Brakes

Mobility scooter brakes are either manual or automatic. Some scooters have both, but the manual brakes are optional, while the automatic ones work without your help.

The electromagnetic brake defaults to a “stop” position.

When you use your throttle, the brake lets off but comes right back on when you let go of the throttle.

This wonderful safety feature allows you to let go of the throttle and, without doing anything else, come to a complete stop.

On the other hand, with a manual brake, you must squeeze the lever to stop the scooter.

Look for electromagnetic brakes for the default stop feature.

Throttle

The easiest choice is the ambidextrous throttle, which lets you accelerate or reverse with either the left or right hand.

The wigwam throttle works this way. Usually, it’s set up so that you pull toward you with the right hand or push away from you with the left to move forward.

The opposite goes in reverse. You push with your right or pull with your left.

Yes, it gets confusing sometimes. But when you start going wrong, you correct your actions by doing the opposite.

Tiller

A delta wraparound tiller is the best choice for people with weakness in the fingers, hands, arms, or shoulders.

Technically, the delta is not the only type of wraparound tiller, but in the mobility scooter industry, these words mean the same thing: a delta is a wraparound.

This is preferable with hand issues because delta wraparounds have a large surface area.

You can control the steering by nudging anywhere along a big triangle, and honestly, you could do it with your feet if you were so positioned.

The alternative is a T-Bar tiller. 

This handlebar has the smallest surface area, just enough to host the throttle and a manual brake lever.

The delta tiller is usually wrapped in a soft neoprene that also helps you hold on to steer.

A third reason a delta is better is that it is closer to you as a rider. 

The T-Bar sits atop the tiller pole, while the delta enters the space between the seat and the rod. 

This means you have fewer extensions to reach the steering device.

Armrests

Armrests give you a place to put your lame fingers, hand, or arm while riding. 

They’re not always available, but when they are, they’re usually padded for comfort.

Many mobility scooters (especially those from Pride Mobility) have width-adjustable armrests. You can make them wider or narrower to the seat.

Once in a while, you’ll see height-adjustable armrests.

Another option is removing the armrests, which you might do if you wear a cast on your arm.

Pain or Instability

Many mobility scooters offer a lap belt (seat belt) as an add-on option.

If you feel unstable on the mobility scooter seat, the sea belt might provide the support you need.

To avoid worsening pain, I’d look at the seat belt, seat type, seat cushioning, seat reclining, seat rotation, seat sliding, armrests, suspension system, and tiller angle.

Seat Belt

A seat belt is optional on some mobility scooters. 

It can help you stay in place while riding.

Seat Type

A Captain’s seat is the most padded and the largest of the mobility scooter seat options.

It is designed for comfort.

Seat Cushions

Even if you don’t get a Captain’s seat, you can still get a cushioned seat, whether that comes with the scooter or you buy an aftermarket cushion. 

Anything you do to soften the ride will reduce the chances that the bumps on the road will transfer to you.

Seat Reclining

A reclining seat can add to your comfort, assuming this applies to your situation.

Seat Rotation

A swivel or rotating seat allows you to sit down first and then position yourself for driving. It reduces the need to put your legs between the seat and tiller before sitting or standing.

Seat Sliding

A sliding seat reduces or enlarges the space between the seat and the tiller, depending on how you slide it. Thus, you have less or more legroom.

Armrests

Armrests can give you a place to lean while riding. They are usually padded but are not always available.

Tiller Angle

An angle-adjustable tiller allows you to bring the steering apparatus closer to you or push it away for more legroom.

Suspension System

A suspension system puts coils above the wheels (and sometimes under the seat) to cushion the bumps and jolts of the road. If you are in any pain, this, combined with seat cushions, will make riding a pleasure instead of a pain.

Which Size and Type of Mobility Scooter Should You Get?

The choices of which size mobility scooter to get include small, medium, and large, which the industry refers to as:

• Compact
• Full-size
• Heavy-duty

You would choose a compact or full-size for indoor or indoor-outdoor use.

Most heavy-duty mobility scooters are outdoor-only because they’re too big to use indoors.

The compact and full-size mobility scooters can be portable as well.

If you want to put the mobility scooter in the car, you may want a take-apart (disassembly) portable mobility scooter. 

These break into smaller pieces so you can lift the pieces into the car.

Some folding mobility scooters are also light and small enough for car portability.

For cruise ships (when you’re not getting a handicapped room), look for a mobility scooter less than 24 inches wide.

For airplane portability, look for a compact or full-size mobility scooter with an “airline-approved” battery. This battery has 200 or fewer watt hours and will be marked “airline friendly” or not.

Top Arthritis Mobility Scooters

Here are my favorite mobility scooters for people with arthritis.

1. EV Rider City Rider

The EV Rider City Rider was designed to protect the rider.

It cushions the user with huge air-filled tires, front and back suspension, and a pillow-filled Captain’s seat.

I don’t know the deck-to-ground height, but the ground clearance is only 2.5 inches, so it’s a small step from the ground to the deck.

The 46.4-in. length gives you room to stretch your legs and rest your feet in the wheel wells.

If this is too long and you want to be closer to the tiller, you can slide the seat forward and angle the tiller downward.

The 23.2 in. width makes it an indoor mobility scooter.

However, it’s not a portable mobility scooter. It doesn’t disassemble or fold, and the battery is not airline-friendly.

The seat adjusts in every possible direction, including height, sliding back and forth, and rotating, to make it easy to get on and off.

The hitch accepts mobility aid options for your oxygen, crutches, or cane.

The armrests are width-adjustable and padded.

The throttle is an ambidextrous wigwam, so you can use either hand to drive.

The brakes are automatic, requiring no squeezing. Just let go of the throttle.

The delta wraparound tiller gives you plenty of soft neoprene to hold for steering.

Besides its lack of portability, the City Rider is a perfect recovery mobility scooter.

2. EV Rider Nomad

The EV Rider doesn’t have every possible accommodation, but it is uniquely portable and has a 20 lb. heaviest piece.

This is the lightest “heaviest piece” of all disassembling mobility scooters I’ve studied.

This means you can take apart the Nomad; the most you have to lift into the car trunk is 20 lb.

The EV Rider Nomad has four-wheel stability, can go as fast as four mph, and has a 7-10 mile range and a 260-lb. weight capacity.

The ground to deck is only 3 inches, making it an easy step to get on or off.

The seat rotates 360 degrees so you can sit down before entering the driving position.

It’s only a stadium seat but has a 2-inch cushion for comfort. The wheels have a full suspension package.

Unfortunately, the tires are solid, so you will want to go slowly over any bumps to keep the ride less rocky.

The padded armrests are adjustable. The wigwam throttle is ambidextrous, so you can accelerate with your right or left hand.

You don’t need to do anything to brake, as the electromagnetic brakes are automatically engaged when you let go of the throttle.

The tiller is a T-Bar rather than a delta wraparound, so the surface area is smaller.

With only a 20-inch width, the Nomad is an indoor-outdoor mobility scooter.

Conclusion

A mobility scooter helps you avoid the mental fatigue of arthritis pain.

If you get a mobility scooter with the right accommodations for your situation, you can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine—and mobility—that will help you move around and feel better faster.