Rent or buy a mobility scooter? How to decide

The question almost always comes up at the same moment: someone can suddenly walk less far, and the world outside gets smaller. A mobility scooter solves that. But should you buy one straight away, or rent first? Below are the four questions that usually give the answer.

1. How long will you need it?

This is the question that matters most. After a knee or hip operation, with a broken ankle or during a long course of treatment, the need is temporary: a few weeks to a few months. Then renting is almost always cheaper, and you are not tied to anything.

With us a mobility scooter costs €65.35 a week or €234.35 for four weeks. Beyond that, each extra day is €7.81. From 4 weeks, delivery and collection are free.

If the need lasts longer than six months, buying becomes cheaper at some point. But that is exactly when it pays to rent for a while first: you then know for certain which model suits you before spending thousands of euros.

2. Do you already know which model fits?

A mobility scooter is not just a mobility scooter. A scooter that comes apart splits into sections, weighs about 40 kilos and fits in the boot; it goes about 12 kilometres on a charge. A heavy-duty scooter is sturdy and comfortable and manages about 55 kilometres, but weighs 136 kilos and does not travel in the car.

Which one suits you depends on where you live (does it fit through the door, in the lift, in the storage room?), where you want to go (the shop round the corner, or the woods?) and whether you want to take it on trips. A few weeks of renting answers those questions better than a showroom.

3. What else comes with buying?

With a scooter you own, you are responsible for maintenance, the battery (which needs replacing after a few years), a storage spot with power, and insurance. When you rent, all of that is the rental company's problem: if something is wrong, we collect it and swap it.

So when buying, count not only the purchase price but also what a scooter costs per year to have.

4. Do you want it tomorrow?

Buying a new scooter takes time: fitting, ordering, waiting, delivery. Renting is faster. With us you book online and we deliver the next day, at your home or at the address where you are staying. We carry it in and calmly show you how it works.

In short

• Needed temporarily, up to a few months: rent.
• Needed longer, but the model still uncertain: rent for a while first, then buy.
• Needed longer and you know exactly what you want: buying can be cheaper; count the yearly costs.

Not sure? Call us. We do not sell scooters, so we have no interest in talking you either way. See what we rent and what it costs.