The Luggie Mobility Scooter
The luggie mobility scooter
I took a test ride on the Luggie mobility scooter at a recent Naidex show in Birmingham. As a piece of engineering I thought it was slick and well made. Extremely easy to fold down, just as easy to unfold so it can be ridden.
I’m only able to compare it against the Travelscoot. Each mobility scooter has its good points and bad points.
The Luggie Mobility Scooter
So what did I really like about the Luggie mobility scooter? The seat is comfortable and it feels stable. There is an LED display that gives an accurate indication of the remaining charge in the battery and it has a range of 12 miles. There is plenty of space for a suitcase under the seat.
The Travelscoot
I like the innovative design of the Travelscoot. I never feel that I am driving a mobility scooter that is designed for the disabled. It turns on its own length There is a very useful canvas basket that really comes into its own when out shopping. The cup holders for walking sticks are a very smart afterthought.
The Luggie mobility scooter
The width of the Luggie mobility scooter handlebars, are significantly less than on the Travelscoot and combined with the Luggie’s double front wheels make turning corners more difficult. Overall the Luggie is about two thirds the width of Travelscoot but it does not feel less stable.
Weight and cost comparison
To my mind there are two factors that make the Luggie less attractive. First of all the basic model costs £800 more than the Travelscoot (this figure is dependent upon exchange rates). Also it weighs 5 Kg more than the Travelscoot. I could only just lift the Luggie, I would be unable to lift it up and put it into the boot of a car. I can easily lift the Travelscoot into a train compartment but I would need someone else to lift the Luggie onto a train. Both cost and weight are deal-breakers as far as I am concerned.
Umm, which is better?
The Luggie feels more robust and secure. There will be no problems driving it through slush or decomposing leaves. Both of these caught me out in the old model of the Tracvelscoot with the drive belt. These issues are definitely not applicable in the new model where the motor is in the rear wheel. The brakes on both are equally impressive. An important difference is that you cannot freewheel down a hill on the Luggie
The Travelscoot is a more basic mobility scooter, it is cheaper and it is lighter. The Luggie has no rough edges, has a better finish but it is not as much fun to ride. A Travelscoot is ideal for my requirements.
Could you lug a luggie?
The Luggie is aimed at the disability market yet none of the manufacturer’s adverts feature a disabled person. Also would a disabled person be able to pull a Luggie whilst walking with a stick, I certainly couldn’t.
The Luggie looks slick and easy to use but remember the Luggie video is shot with somebody who has no obvious or visible disabilities. Call me a cynic but I know I could not pack it after use or unpack it with out falling over.
I have a Luggie Standard. It is to heavy for me to lift up stairs but I like a more firm machine and it is not an issue for my husband. What has been your experience with front stabilizers, are they worth the investment? Most of my travel is in urban areas not a lot of grass.
Hello Gheryl,
I don’t own a Luggie, I tried one out a couple of years ago. Stabilisers will be very useful when going round a corner quite fast and there is an adverse camber. I own the TravelScoot and stabilisers might have been useful on a couple of occasions. If your core strength is good I would question the need for stabilisers. I hope that helps.
I’m on my second Luggie upgraded to an elite a couple of years ago an improvement over the earlier model , more comfortable seat , more power better range
Im nearly 80 and yes its quite heavy on your own fully folded quite easy with my wife to help
Leaving it unfolded its easy to lift the front and then the back
Folded with the handle bars extended easy enough to get up hotel steps etc
Hello Angus,
I think there are pros and cons for all the small folding mobility scooters. Personally I use a Travelscoot. All of them provide independence and improve the quality of life. My life would be so dull without one. I go all over the place with it on my own
So very disappointed with my luggie I am 84 years old cannot possibly lift it into my car or carry it indoors
Hello John
I do not know the exact weight but I do know it is significantly heavier than the Travelscoot. Could you use a hoist to lift it into you car. Strange that it is sold as a lightweight mobility scooter but i’m unable to find the weight.
excellent site thank you for info’ haven’t bought a portable scooter yet . still undecided
Hello Norman
The Luggie is cool but you look as if you are a disabled person on one of them. The Travelscoot does not make you look or feel disabled. I have owned for Travelscoot for almost 10 years and it has totally transformed my life.
These statements do not represent any conflict of interest whatsoever
Hello,
Really think about how you are going to use it. Always from the house or will you usually drive to a destination so putting it into s car. How maneuverable is it, weight, cost of parts, ease of service/fixing.
Try them out and get advice from an independent person.
Buying one is a big decision, well it was for me.
Good luck
We are looking for a new a small luggie for a home Damon thank you
Hello,
I’m a bit confused by your comment ‘We are looking for a new a small luggie for a home Damon thank you‘
Are you looking to buy or sell? If you want to buy go to Luggie or Ebay though there do not seem to be many available that are 2nd hand If you want to sell then I need more information. Description, condition email address location collection only or delivery and a photo or two. The finer details like price you can negotiate directly with the purchaser or I can publish.
If you want me to advertise then there is a few of £25. It will be featured as a post on my website and in an email and please notify me as soon as it is sold then I can remove the post. I will do Search Engine Optinisation as per all my blogs
I have the luggie. I feel more secure in the seat. The scooters with the pole and seat plonked on top are really unstable and so uncomfortable. I tried this one out and found it to be more sturdy. It doesn’t have a stabiliser on it like my old one but honestly this one is so confortable to ride. Now I need to sort out the bus pass issue! Another thing is SPACE. So much space. CONS. I was driving up a curb and the front of the scooter lifted up and so I ended up doing a wheelie. Panic or what. But is has a roll back system so I assume that would have put me back on the ground again.
Hello,
Pleased you like the Luggie but I’m very happy with the Travelscoot. All the mobility scooters have their individual pros and cons.
When going up a steep slope you must lean forward. Imagine you are riding a horse. The rule is to keep the body vertical.
I hadn’t realised that the comments were being posted, but was irritatated to keep finding the comment page kept self-cancelling, so started again. One matter that I wished to raise is security. These scooters are valuable and are worth stealing, while you are inside a shop. What security measures are available please. Locks? Keys? Immobilisers?
Please advise me.
Hello Robert,
I will try to answer all your questions here. The best way to immobilise it is to take it where ever you go, ride it into shops. If you have to leave it then buy a mbility scooter security alarm and take the battery with you. Luggie has a key
The Luggie is a significant investment, take a look at the Travelscoot. If you are disabled then there is no need to pay the VAT. Remember these mobility scooters will last for many years
You will be lucky to buy a 2nd hand lightweight mobility scooter it will weigh less than 25 kg. The vast majority will have a wetcell battery and weight 50 kg or more.
Out of interest why did Which only give the Luggiw 50% approval?
Thank you all for your comments. These scooters are very much more expensive than I had expected. The Luggie Elite which I had thought of buying is the price of a good s/h car.
The alternative must be to look at the s/h scooter market, and to see what is available.
I am interested to read the comments about these Mobility scooters. I was interested in the Luggie having seen it used while I was on a cruise. The owner was delighted with it.
I referred to “WHICH” and was surprised that they only gave the Luggie a 50% rating. I investigated the Luggie via the Internet, and was somewhat put back by the prices, even of a basic model. The prices of the Elite etc could buy a good s/h car. Where to now? Normal scooters are very large and would be difficult to use inside a home.
Pleased to real user reviews for a change. I used a Luggie for a year but had to exchange it for TGA Eclipse due to stability issues. The Luggie toppled over twice!
The Eclipse is great but impossible to assemble unless you have two free hands and good balance. Also, the weight at 45 kgs doesn’t help either. Going to check out the Drive Easy Move Foldable scooter today, hopefully it will have the right balance between portability and stability.
Hello Mark,
I agree that stability can be a problem with the light weight mobility scooters because they only have three wheels. I do not have a problem with toppling over but I have learned where potential problems can exist. The advantage of Luggie etc is that they use a Lithium Ion (Dry Cell) battery that only weighs a couple of kilo.
As soon as you hit 4 wheels the weight goes up and the same with a wet-cell battery. Also storing the larger scooters is another problem as well. I can ride my Travelscoot into the house and it lives in an unused corner of the kitchen diner.
Have you thought of the small electric wheelchairs like the Zinger? Not tried one but read enthusiastic reports.
Good luck on whatever you decide to buy
My grandad purchased a Luggie Scooter earlier this year. He is very disapointed with the scooter. Mainly because the salesman from Luggie Scooters failed to point out the scooter weighs nearly 24kg making it really heavy. My grandads house has a large step right outside the front door and a steep slope up to the pavement. The salesman failed to spot these and pushed my grandad to purchase the scooter. Which he can now not get out of the house or up the slope to the pavement. On top of this he failed to offer an outdoor demonstration which would have flagged these issues up. He filled in the paperwork stating that an outdoor demonstration had been completed (When it had not) and that my grandad had viewed the DVD outlining the main features and limitations (My grandad does not own a DVD player)
Local Mobility UK (who are the suppliers of the Luggie) have declined to offer any dort of refund, so I am in the process of taking them through arbitration and possibly to court. Overall a right bunch of unprofessional people with shocking customer service and only intrested in taking money from elderly people and hitting their sales targets!!! DO NOT USE LOCAL MOBILITY UK !!!!! or LUGGIE SCOOTERS.
Hello Lamp,
Thus does sound very unprofessional and I am sorry to hear about this event. Lookinng to resolve the issue have you spoken to your OT re turning the step into a slope. I believe the luggie brakes are turned on until the throttle is applied so getting on and off should not be a major issue. I would suggest the services of an OT are required to give advice on the most appropiate mobility scooter. They might also help you with your claim against Luggie.
I have to agree with your comment about suppliers of equipment to disabled people are often more interested in profit than sellig the correct equipmennt.
I hope you reach a speedy and successful solution
Because od the slope I do not believe the Travelscoot will be any help either. It will get up the slope but the brake must be applied manually
Brought a luggie for my husband to use on our holidays. Caravan sites with our caravan.
The demonstrator said it would be fine for such terain but we were very disappointed to find at first use it was very unstable and did not cope with gravely uneven ground. Currently in dispute with luggie as not fit for purpose described by us at time of sale
Hello Ann,
This sort of things makes me spit. A lightweight mobiliy scooter has small wheels so it is only suitable for relatively even and fairly flat surfces. Gravel, wet grass, puddles, uneven surface etc. all is a definite no-no for any mobility scooter with small wheels. Siggest you get the salesman to visit the caravan site. You need something with big wheels. It might be worth thinkng about the Di Blassi https://www.aid4disabled.com/di-blasi-r30-folding-mobility-scooter/. Never tried it out but it might be a bit more suitable. I suspect it is difficult to lift and carry around.
Good luck
Had a Mobie for 18 months Front wheel fell off after two weeks use.front axle buckled and was replaced but has bent again .Never had more than 4 miles out of one battery and that was on the promenade in Torremolinos(very user friendly) My husband is 84 and 151/2 stone .I would not advise anyone over 10 st or with balance difficulties to buy one.
It is excellent for taking on holiday folds easily and no trouble to transport that is why we kept it but very expensive
Interesting story. I’ve never tried a Mobie but I have heard stories about the hinge mechanism being a bit fragile. My advice would be to ride the mobility scooter before you buy it.
Also research for any stories from other users.
Thanks, a very good article. I am being pressured into getting some sort of mobility aid (because of the falls I think), but one I can walk with is very important to me. I am another MS sufferer, so most of the time I would be happy using any nearby wall. When it gets hot and uttoff’s strikes a scooter could make holidays more practical.
My problem is that I am fairly tall and while all the scooters give maximum weights, which I am nowhere near, they don’t give height requirements, which I generally exceed. Do you know of any scooted that I can walk with which I can also fit in without pain? Is the luggie or the travel scooter a likely candidate? To give you a feel for what I mean, the limited leg room in theatres or cinemas generally gives me sore knees. I will put up with it for a time limited show, but suspect it would be a bad idea for a scooter. Am I right?
Hello Rufus, You cannot really walk with have a Lugie or Travelscoot that you can hop onto when you want a ride. Thought of a rollator?. There is some room for height adjustment with a Travelscoot and there is no screen in front. I’m 6′ 0″ and Travelscoot is fine. Luggie is a much more like a typical mobility scooter and long legs might cause a problem. Luggie salesman will come to your house, Travelscoot not so easy, ring them up http://www.travelscoot.eu and ask for a reference site. I live near Watford/Aylesbury.
Come back to me if you want more advice.
Patrick
Appreciate it for the This kind of wonderful facts, In the event ough want to be guidance similar to this always stop by our own website americanmobilityandscooters.com
Hi guys i have used a luggie for 3 yrs and recently upgraded to the ‘elite’ model which i refer to as my GTI (funny how we all name them). I have MS and walking can be ‘managable’ at best so it can lug it onto the tram nr to my house. However to put into the car i can have it locked flat front wheels on the boot and lift at the back to push in. i did look into the travelscoot as nobody sells it over here but i did see in america they are popular but i have seen pictures of broken feet where they tell you to use the pegs. im alot safer with my feet on a board. i havent seen a mobie but read the post on here about the orlando trip ‘nightmare’. I love mine and cant wait till the next one flies or goes upstairs haha
Hi Patrick
thanx for your sincere observation on the Luggie and the Travelscoot
How did you manage to get a vat free purchase of the Travelscoot, I dont know how the system works
Based on your observations I would certainly give it a go. We MS all know the mobility issues nuff said
Cheers
First of all thank you for the kind comments.
I bought through http://www.Travelscoot.eu, based in Munich, and was presented with the option to pay the price less the German VAT.
Disability equipment in UK & Europe is exempt from VAT
First of all thank you for the kind comments.
I bought through http://www.Travelscoot.eu, based in Munich, and was presented with the option to pay the price less the German VAT.
Disability equipment in UK & Europe is exempt from VAT
Thanks,
Patrick
Hi Patrick
thanx for your sincere observation on the Luggie and the Travelscoot
How did you manage to get a vat free purchase of the Travelscoot, I dont know how the system works
Based on your observations I would certainly give it a go. We MS all know the mobility issues nuff said
Cheers
Hello,
Apologies for not stating that the lower picture is of the Mobie. The folding mechanism of the Luggie has been patented so Mobie have had to develop their own hinge. Obviously it took a bit of a battering hence the letter in the MS forum. I’ve never looked at a Mobie so I cannot comment of the strength of the hinge.
Good luck with the photos.
Patrick
A very interesting and informative article. It’s a shame that as part of the paragraph ‘It’s only a mobility scooter’ – which refers to the Luggie – the pictures inserted are of a blue ‘Mobie’ (imported by Monarch – has very similar characteristics to the Luggie, but 4 wheels, one at each corner, similar battery and weight, etc).
A little about me. I too have MS (diagnosed 1993 as Benign, moved on to Relapsing Remitting and to Secondary Progressive about 5 years ago). Walking – 90% using mostly 2 crutches (limited distances) as well as other usual related issues (balance, dragging feet, etc.)
Following some weeks of research on folding mobility scooters (mainly focussing on: Travelscoot, Luggie and Mobie), an opportunity to buy a Mobie presented itself and I hesitantly (after reading one particularly feedback on http://www.mssociety.org.uk/forum/everyday-living/light-weight-mobility-scooters) decided to buy it (May 1st 2013).
I took some time to test ride and accustom myself to it… in June, our summer holidays came, and the Mobie carried me right to the plane’s doors and did much travelling (with me on it) in Turkey. Received lots of interest, comments and questions from many bemused admirers (UK airport, plane boarding staff, Turkey – holiday makers and locals alike). These so often referred to it as the ‘… your Ferrari’ that when it came to choosing a name (something I do for all my vehicles), there was no contest… DINO 1 was born.
I have some interesting pictures of Dino’s achievements (which I will try to add to the above forum (once I can access / establish how to add photos in same). Anyway, this is not intended (although it’s beginning to sound like) to be a sales pitch. I have no vested interest in this (as opposed to another) scooter. Let’s just say that I have and continue to be impressed with DINO 1
A new version of the Travelscoot has been released but I have not seen it yet
Hi Patrick,
A really useful review with a number of helpful insights from the viewpoint of a disabled person.
Your point about a disabled person trying to pull the luggie along behaind them or lift into a car are well made.
Bob