Buying or Hiring a Mobility Scooter: Which Makes Sense?

It is one of the questions we are asked most often: does it work out better to buy a mobility scooter or to hire one? There is no single answer. It depends mainly on how long you will need it, and on whether the situation that brought you here is temporary or permanent.

When hiring makes sense

• Holidays and stays. If you are coming to the Costa del Sol for a few days or weeks, hiring avoids the problem of flying with a scooter and the cost of buying one.
• Temporary recovery. After a hip or knee operation, a fracture or a hospital stay, help is often needed for a few weeks or months rather than permanently.
• Trying before deciding. Hiring for a month is the most honest way to find out whether a scooter fits your life and what size suits you, before investing.
• One-off events. A wedding, a family trip or a few days of a lot of walking.

When buying is the better option

• Daily, long-term use. Beyond a few months of continuous use, buying usually works out cheaper.
• A permanent need. If the reduced mobility is not going to reverse, it makes sense to have your own equipment, set up for you.
• When you want to personalise it. Accessories, seat type or a specific configuration.

What to ask before you hire

To avoid surprises, always ask about: the minimum hire period, whether there is delivery and collection to your address, what happens if the equipment fails during the hire, and whether what you have paid can be discounted if you later decide to buy.

At Senior World we check equipment after every hire, precisely so that whoever receives it finds it in good condition and working properly.

A middle option many people overlook

If you are not sure which model you need, hiring first and buying later is almost always cheaper than buying the wrong equipment. It is especially useful when the person who will use it has doubts about whether they will manage a scooter at all.

You can see the models available in mobility scooters and power chairs.

Want a hand deciding? Senior World has been based in Fuengirola since 2008 and covers the whole Costa del Sol. Call us on +34 952 66 31 31.