My mother has a hoveround and it worked very well for her. She had RA and other issues that made mobility an issue.

I'm currently using a Permobil F3 after using a scooter to get around. I still use my scooter because it can fold into the trunk of a car, and is far more portable until I get a wheelchair accessible vehicle. I'm not permanently in a wheelchair, and can walk if pressed, but the cost of walking for long periods is trunk, ribs and back spasms that will eventually work their way down to both legs.

It's taken me so long to figure out the balance between walking and chair use! The reason I gave up the scooter though is because I need more support to sit with padding to sit with correct posture and not trigger spasms. My core muscles are a wreck. I also use my chair as a fatigue management tool. With all the changes in my body and the possible additions that will have to be made - the wheelchair was the better option for me than a more solid scooter. My arms tire pretty quickly and using my scooter in the position I have to hold my arms to drive by the end my hands go numb or are burning. With My chair the drive controls are at the end of the arm rest and I can adjust for fatigue more easily. The wheelchair also gives me an adjustable foot rest and back recline so depending on what's bugging me on any given day I can manually adjust everything. Although I do see a day where even adjusting tilt, recline, and the foot rest with have to be electric.

The cost for my chair was quite high even with all of the funding sources that I was able to use, and to access those same funding sources again is only allowed every 5 years. Including my insurance through my employer. I had to weigh my options knowing the course my disease had suddenly decided to take. . I didn't necessarily want a power chair, but the options to support my changing disabilities were best met by a wheelchair,

The Permobil F3 is so I can keep camping at Provincial Parks

I have a Permobile and like it a lot. In additon to mobility, it tips, raises and has mutiple reclining options.

It's highly recommended that you be evaluated by an Occupational Therapist and a Physical Therapist to see what best fits yur specific needs as no one on this forum can give a recommention not knowing you full medical condition and ability. Thing you should consider such as but not limited to the follwing:

*Do you need a Delta Tiller Controls or standard controls will work for you ? Delta controls allow oyu to operate Reverve and Forward by either hand. Standard controls only allow reverse to be done with the left hand and forward with the right

*Some scooters do not have an ajustable seat height so if your tall or shorter than average a fixed seat most likely not ork for you.

*Do you have an accessible van or scooter carrier ? Do you plan to get one ? If not than perhaps have portable travel scooter that can folded and is less than 50 lbs is sometihing you can handle loading in and out of the car trunl. Perhaps a scooter that braks down into multiple pieces to fit into a trunk is something that you can handle.

*Do you require arm rests? Not all scooters come with arm rests nor have the option to buy armrest ?

*Do you require an adjustable tiller ? Meaning the tiller can be adjusted to you arm extention length.

*Do you require a flat foot bed as there are scooters such as the Zipr Mobility ZIPR3XTRARED , TravelScoot , SmartScooter that do not have this feature.

* do you need to use the scooter in your home ? If so turning radius is an important factor as well as width of the scooter.

* How is your balance? Do you need a 4 wheel scooter which has better stability or can you handle a 3 wheel scooter which has lesser stablity ?

* What type of terrain do you plan to drive it on most the time ? Portable Travel scooter has less under carriage clearane making it hard to drive such terrains as grass, gravel, cobblestones. uneven pavement.

* If you reside in a hilly area that the maxium inline degrees of the scooter must factor in so in can accomodate the hills.

* Weight capacity of scooter vs. your weight. Do you need a full size or barriatric scooter based on your weight?

As you can see selecting a scooter is more complicated than makig a decision soley based on recommendations.

I can't speak to which make or model to buy. My doctor referred me to an occupational therapist who did all the measurements, and took note of where (at the time) my greatest weakness areas were and recommended specific cushioning, and the specific back I needed to help me sit in a more supported position.

I think my seating needs to be redone from two years ago, but my insurance will only do adjustments and rebuilds every 5 years - but we'll see what happens when the same group that did everything to get the chair comes back in to evaluate all the changes and home support I may need.

I know what changes I'm planning to make 3 years down the road when it comes time to consider replacing this chair. I was so adamant that I would not give up my outdoor activities (camping) just because I needed a chair - so the chair I have is still suitable for indoors, but it's more rugged and bulky. Love my chair, but I really could use something that really is more indoors - smaller more compact - even tighter turn radius would be fabulous. However 2 years ago I was far more mobile, and assumed like every other relapse that I would recover. I wasn't at all expecting that the relapse that needed the chair for support would be my last relapse from which I would not recover and instead keep sliding down the disability scale. I thought I had more time in this quasi-mobile but needing additional equipment phase instead of really considering starting my day in the chair and staying put because my legs are completely unpredictable now. (However there are still things that I'm too stubborn to stay seated for because it's just so much work from chair level!)

As for advice. I would suggest seeking out an occupational therapist who can evaluate you, your home, and all of your needs for the chair, so that you can get the best model fit to your needs. I know it's extra cost, but I find myself preferring my wheelchair seat - especially when I'm fatigued because the supports in the right places means less work for my body and less pain when I'm too tired to think about my posture.