Best Mobility Scooter For Steep Hills UK
Here’s a new deep dive for you; and it’s one we’ve been getting a few requests for recently: the Best Mobility Scooter For Steep Hills UK.
Why is this being requested? Well, some people are finding their mobility scooter has decent power on relatively flat and even surfaces, but when they get to a steep slope, power is vastly reduced.
Our No.1 is the Green Power Faster, it’s by far the best mobility scooter on steep slope, it just has so much power compared to any other scooter type. The No.2 is the Betty & Bertie Zinnia, which has great power on slopes for a folding scooter. And at No.3 is the best value option, the Veleco ZT16, with great power at a low price.
Green Power Faster
• Maximum Slope: 17˚
• Motor Power: 1000W
• Batteries: 5 x 20Ah (60V total)
• Max Speed: 8mph
Betty & Bertie Zinnia
• Maximum Slope: 12˚ (±1˚)
• Batteries: 2 x 6Ah (24V total)
• Max Speed: 4mph
Veleco ZT16
• Maximum Slope: 17˚
• Motor Power: 750W
• Batteries: 4 x 12Ah (48V total)
• Max Speed: 8mph
As the UK’s mobility scooter independent experts, those were the top models we identified via our testing and analysis of scooters on the UK market.
How did we choose them?
We selected them according to how they performed in the following measures:
- Ability to go up steep slopes
- Power on normal flat surfaces
- Build quality of the scooter
- Robustness of all the different parts of the scooter
- Manufacturer quality and reputation
As well as reviewing those models, we’ll discuss how to actually pick the one that’s right for you..
Best Mobility Scooter For Steep Slopes
- Top Pick: Green Power Faster
- Best Folding Scooter: Betty & Bertie Zinnia
- Best Value Pick: Veleco ZT16
Mobility Scooter For Steep Hills: The Reviews
Here are the top scooters in each category. Let’s look into them in much more detail and check out the pros and cons of each model.
Green Power Faster
Pros and who needs this :
Best on slopes
The Green Power Faster was the top performer on the slopes. It still provides strong power even with heavier drivers on board, and on the steepest slopes. The maximum slope is 17˚ (30.6%), and that’s very likely to more than you’d need. The vast majority of the mobility scooters in the UK have a maximum slope of 8˚, that’s a huge difference. Why are Green Power’s mobility scooters able to traverse such steep hills? Simply because they’re so much more powerful, in terms of their motor and battery power. Let’s look at that in more detail…
With great power…
Comes great responsibility. In the case, of Green Power, have they made use of that large 1000W motor to actually translate it to more power on the slopes? Well, yes, they certainly have. It was the top performer in our testing, by a distance. By the way, if you don’t know that much about what 1000W of power actually means in reality, we’ll give you an idea: most of the other best selling mobility scooters on the market have motor power somewhere between 120-180W. So we’re talking about 5-6 times more power than the competition.
Long range
Now, you may have asked the question which is the best mobility scooter on steep hills? because you happen to stay on a hill, and you’ll naturally need a scooter than can handle the slope. But, maybe you like to travel a little further afield and do some trips to the local shops, or to the park. The further you go, the more likely you are to encounter at least a hill or two. If so, you’ll want a scooter that has a long range – that is, that can go a long distance without charging. The Green Power Faster can go a hefty 30-35 miles on one charge. This is yet another area where the power of the batteries and motor trounce the other scooters – most mobility scooters on the UK market have a range from 6 to 14 miles.
Why it’s not for you:
It’s heavy
The price you pay for all that power – it’s a heavy beast. The Green Power Faster weighs in at 126kg. That’s a massive 100kg more than a typical folding mobility scooter, for example.
Battery replacement costs are high
It’s 5 batteries, at 20Ah (12V) each. Of course, those batteries come with the scooter. But then when you come to replacing them, you’ll have to replace them all at some point. That’ll be a pretty penny. Most scooters have just one or two batteries. That’s another price you have to pay if you want the power. That said, the batteries are good quality ones, and will last. Just make sure you treat them well, and charge them fully. Top tip – if you get the Lithium battery model, they’ll last much longer.
FYI, here’s a full Green Power Faster scooter review.
Where should you get it?
Here’s the lowest cost seller on Amazon for:
- Red colour (Lithium batteries)
- Grey colour (Lithium batteries)
Betty & Bertie Zinnia
Pros and who its best for:
It performed well on slopes
The Betty & Bertie Zinnia was comfortably the top performer out of the Folding mobility scooters. The maximum gradient is 12˚. That’s really excellent for a folding scooter, and is indeed more than most scooters of any kind. Almost all other scooters on the UK market (apart from Green Power and Veleco) have a maximum slope gradient of 5-8˚.
It’s one of the easiest and most transportable scooters
It folds up really easily. You have the choice of doing so automatically with a remote control, or by hand. Either way it’s close to effortless. It’s small and light, and after you’ve folded it up, you can wheel it along with you. All in all, it’s the most hassle-free scooter on the market for taking around with you.
Well-respected UK brand
Betty & Bertie mobility scooters have very good build quality. Their components and parts are high quality. And they’re a UK company, offering good after-service.
You can take it on a plane
We’ve mentioned how easy to take around the Zinnia is. It’s also the best scooter on the market for taking on an airplane. Apart from how quickly and easily it folds up, it’s lightweight and folds up into quite a small size. That makes every aspect of taking it with you easier. Most importantly, the Lithium battery is an airsafe battery – it passes airline regulations. That’s because the two batteries combined are 288Wh, which is below their maximum limits for a Lithium battery. So you’ll have no problems taking it on board with you.
Cons and why this it may not be suitable not for you:
Not as good on the slopes as Green Power or Veleco’s scooters
It’s a folding scooter! Sorry, it’s never going to perform as well as a larger, heavier, more powerful non-folding scooter. So if you need a scooter for very steep slopes, and with a heavier user, your best bet is the Green Power Faster or Veleco ZT16, at No.1 and No.3 on this list.
Maximum speed is only 4mph
It’s got power, that’s why it can go up steep slopes so well. But it’s not built for a lot of speed. But remember, this a Class 2 scooter. Only Class 3 scooters can travel at 8mph on the road (here’s the mobility scooter UK laws). On pavements and in public spaces, you’re only legally allowed to travel at 4mph anyway!
It’s expensive
It’s as much as double the price of the Veleco ZT16, our value pick. That’s a lot to shell out. Why is it so much? Because Betty & Bertie is one of the most respected, high quality makers on the market. Their scooters are well constructed and made with quality materials. And the Zinnia model has a lot of features – like automatic folding with a remote control, intelligent braking system, anti-tip wheels. And it’s lightweight, and is designed in a way that folds up really small.
Where can you get it?
You can see the cheapest seller, at Betty and Bertie here.
Veleco ZT16
Pros and who it’s best suited to:
The best value
The Veleco ZT16 price is really very low considering it has the normal expected qualities of a Veleco scooter. And they are: excellent build quality, powerful and robust. The 750W motor is as much as 5 -6 times bigger than some scooters that cost twice as much. We heard of a few ZT16 owners whose friends are jealous on seeing the ZT16, as their own scooters are bigger and heftier, yet less powerful.
Very good on slopes
Like the Green Power Faster, it can handle slopes with gradient up to 17˚. It performed really well in our testing. The main difference we noticed is that the power isn’t quite as good with a heavy rider as the Faster. To be clear, the ZT16 outperformed the Zinnia in our slope tests, but the Zinnia was No.2 since it did so well for the standard expected of a folding scooter.
Highly manoeuvrable
It’s the most easy-to-manoeuvre mobility scooter on the market. That’s evidenced by a tiny turning circle of 90cm, by far the lowest of any scooter we’ve ever tested. Turns on a sixpence, we can’t quite resist saying. For comparison, the Green Power Faster’s turning circle is 220cm, and the Zinnia’s is 140cm.
Much lighter than the Green Power Faster, more powerful than the Zinnia
It’s 53kg, well under half the Faster’s 126kg. All in all, you can consider the ZT16 a slimmed down, more manoeuvrable version of the Faster. At the same time, it’s more powerful than the Betty & Bertie Zinnia, albeit it’s heavier.
Drawbacks and why this scooter is not for you:
Heavier riders may find power on slopes is not enough
The ZT16 has a maximum user weight of 19 stones (120kg). That compares to a maximum of 25 stone for the Faster. Even if you’re within the limits, you may find that the really steep slopes are a little difficult on the ZT16 if you’re close to that maximum weight.
Multiple batteries
Like the Green Power Faster, it has multiple batteries, in the case of the ZT16, it has 4. They’ll need replacing at some point. Despite the superb value of this scooter, bear in mind that additional cost at some point during your ownership.
Lower range than the Faster (but still better than most)
The range is 15-19 miles. That’s actually really good! It beats almost every other scooter on the market. It’s just that we’re comparing it to the Faster, which can do 30-35 miles, pretty much double.
Where’s the best place to get it?
You can see it for lowest cost, right here.
How to choose the hill-conquering mobility scooter that’s right for you?
Here’s how to decide.
Is the scooter’s ability to climb hills THE key attribute for you?
If so, then you’ll want to check:
- the power of the motor
- the battery size and quantity
- the maximum incline steepness
By these measures, the Green Power Faster is easily the best mobility scooter for steep hills UK.
The power of the motor dwarfs all others, as does its battery power and its maximum incline.
But maybe you also have some other specific needs for your scooter…
Do you need a folding scooter?
Are you planning to take the scooter on car trips? Will you be going on buses with your scooter? Trains (if they’re allowed?
If so, you’ll need a folding mobility scooter, or at least a transportable one (a scooter that can be broken down into various parts).
Combining those two factors: 1) ability to climb slopes, and 2) being foldable, your best option is the Betty & Bertie Zinnia.
It’s also the easiest and most convenient scooter for taking on a plane, with an Airsafe battery.
Here’s a lot more on folding, lightweight scooters.
Value considerations…
Getting the mobility scooter with the most power to climb steep inclines is clearly a crucial factor, or you wouldn’t be reading this article! But who doesn’t want to achieve this requirement at the lowest possible price?!
The model that is the best scooter for steep hills at the lowest cost is the Veleco ZT16.
By the way, the Veleco ZT15 is another superb value option for a good hill-climbing scooter, we’ve called it the value pick in the UK for scooters as a whole. Albeit it does cost more than the ZT16.
Is one of the key factors a heavy rider?
If so, here are the top scooters for a heavier adult UK.
And here are the reviews of mobility scooters of all kinds.
Best Mobility Scooter For Steep Hills UK Summary
That, then, was the best mobility scooter for steep hills UK.
Those were the top performing scooters in our tests. And we also looked at the scooters as a whole, letting you know the positive and negative aspects of each one.
As you saw, the Green Power Faster is the No.1 overall. It’s hugely powerful and well made. But comes at a price, in terms of both cost and weight.
We noted that the Betty & Bertie Zinnia was very good on steep slopes for a folding mobility scooter (and we discussed why they have to be judged as such!).
The Veleco ZT16, meanwhile, offered the most power on the slopes for a lower cost scooter.
Good luck with your decision.