Best ECV to travel with?

[SwirlTheCitrus]

Hey all! I am looking into purchasing an ECV for both home, and travel. I have POTs, if it matters.

I have been weighing the pros and cons of purchasing, after renting and spending hundreds for sub-par scooters over the last year and a half.

I am an AVID Disney-goer, and my mom and I are lucky enough to fly down around 7-8 times a year, and unfortunately I do not see my condition going away. Doing the math, if I brought my own ECV, it would pay for itself in between 2-3 years. I am a teacher, and while I honestly would greatly benefit from using this ECV in class, classroom management as a lab science middle school teacher makes it daunting.

So, after a long intro, which companies/models do you recommend? I recently saw a Moving life Atto in the parks, and apparently it can fly in the overhead compartment. Does anyone know anything about this? I usually fly Southwest.


Thanks for reading, and for ANY help or perspective that you can offer.

 

[iuki]

I’ve been researching this same situation. Look for a lightweight, foldable, electric wheelchair approved by both TSA and FAA. I have come to three choices - the Fold and Go; the Falcon Reclining Electric Wheelchair; and the Eagle. The Falcon and the Eagle are the same, except you can adjust the back to recline on the Falcon. The Falcon and the Fold and Go MagShock are also comparable. All three are priced approximately the same. We pretty much decided on the Falcon since many accessories are included, especially the all weather travel cover, and because of the reclining back, which helps after sitting in one position for a period of time. Many of the members in this forum have ordered or own the Fold and Go MagShock. Just Google Fold and Go and the Falcon Reclining Electric Wheelchair and you’ll see many choices suitable for traveling.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

I’ve been researching this same situation. Look for a lightweight, foldable, electric wheelchair approved by both TSA and FAA. I have come to three choices - the Fold and Go; the Falcon Reclining Electric Wheelchair; and the Eagle. The Falcon and the Eagle are the same, except you can adjust the back to recline on the Falcon. The Falcon and the Fold and Go MagShock are also comparable. All three are priced approximately the same. We pretty much decided on the Falcon since many accessories are included, especially the all weather travel cover, and because of the reclining back, which helps after sitting in one position for a period of time. Many of the members in this forum have ordered or own the Fold and Go MagShock. Just Google Fold and Go and the Falcon Reclining Electric Wheelchair and you’ll see many choices suitable for traveling.

Thank you for your response! I prefer an ECV, so I can move my feet and legs more, though. Any other recommendations?

 

[iuki]

Others may be able to help you with that. It’s been difficult to travel with my ECV. That’s why I’m selling it and purchasing the Falcon electric wheelchair. When I lived in Florida, I loved my ECV because I drove to the cruise ports. But, living in Hawaii, it’s too difficult to travel by plane with the ECV.

 

[LoveToDisney]

I fly Southwest and take my Pride Go Go Sport 3-wheel every time we go to Disney. Never had an issue. One has to declare you are bringing a motorized wheelchair when you buy your tickets and get the tags for it to be gate checked. I drive it to the end of the jetway, remove the keys, place a strip of painters tape over the keyhole, remove my basket, fold the seat down and put the gear into neutral for them to move it to the plane. When I arrive at Orlando, I wait on the plane for a while until they have a chance to bring it back up. Then I’m back on it and ready to zoom up the jetway and on to transportation to Disney. I miss Magical Express but have had good success with Mears Connect. I let them put it under the bus because I can still get up the stairs albeit slowly. If I needed a lift I would need to ask for it when I reserve and they would arrange accordingly. I like the Go Go because the seat is comfortable and the 3-wheel turn radius is great which make a huge difference if traveling on the Disney park buses or trying to speed thru the switchback lines of FOP. I also like the Delta style tiller with the wraparound handle rather than the thumb drive which can make one’s thumb sore when at Disney all day. I also got the bigger battery and never have an issue with my battery running low as long as I charge it overnight. I usually have all green lights all day. (I do turn off the ECV when stopped to preserve battery.) I’ve gotten caught in a huge downpour at Disney without an issue. I wouldn’t drive thru deep water but driving thru the surprise downpour it didn’t falter once even though we were soaked. The key has a shroud that keeps the water out when it is in the keyhole.
I wish Pride would offer the Go Go with a lighter lithium battery. I would jump at that in a heartbeat, but other than that I love the Go Go. It comes apart in about 5 pieces to place in a trunk, as well.

 

[mamabunny]

Hey all! I am looking into purchasing an ECV for both home, and travel. I have POTs, if it matters.

I have been weighing the pros and cons of purchasing, after renting and spending hundreds for sub-par scooters over the last year and a half.

I am an AVID Disney-goer, and my mom and I are lucky enough to fly down around 7-8 times a year, and unfortunately I do not see my condition going away. Doing the math, if I brought my own ECV, it would pay for itself in between 2-3 years. I am a teacher, and while I honestly would greatly benefit from using this ECV in class, classroom management as a lab science middle school teacher makes it daunting.

So, after a long intro, which companies/models do you recommend? I recently saw a Moving life Atto in the parks, and apparently it can fly in the overhead compartment. Does anyone know anything about this? I usually fly Southwest.


Thanks for reading, and for ANY help or perspective that you can offer.

I doubt very seriously that the airlines will allow someone to stow an ECV - no matter how compact or “lightweight” - in the overhead compartment on a plane. It simply will take up too much room, even if it did fit, and was light enough for someone to lift over their head. (Source: my husband works for a major American airline)

I currently have several mobility devices, including ECVs and power chairs.

My personal favorite mobility device is a 2nd gen TravelScoot, which folds down to fit into a travel bag the size of a golf bag. It flies on every major airline in the US in the gate check hold; once I arrive at the airport, I use it all the way to the door of the aircraft, and then it is stowed in the hold that is used for mobility devices, strollers and gate-checked items. Just like a Disney bus… you board first/early, but have to wait for your device to come back up from the hold, so you are typically later getting off the aircraft (hint: schedule slightly longer layovers if needed, so you don’t have to rush)

My TravelScoot (when new) cost about $2750. (This was about 6 years ago) Here was the math we did:

Does this return my freedom and independence to me?
+ Can I use this other places besides Disney World?
+ Is this durable enough to last?
- - - -
= Buy the TravelScoot

Your math may vary.

I look at it that my ability to be independent and self-reliant really has no price tag per se; any device I buy or use is essentially replacing my legs, and restoring my mobility.

Having said all that, here are the other (primary/basic) considerations that I kept in mind when I was originally shopping for my first personal mobility device.

- MUST be lightweight. I wanted something ideally in the 35 to 40 pound range.

- It must be well-made, and durable. Function mattered far more than form.

- It had to be easy to drive, and compact enough that I could squeeze through virtually any space at WDW, including crowded shops and switchback queues. It also had to be easy to park on the buses.

- It had to fit in the back of my car for travel, both around town and across country. It also had to be FAA/TSA friendly, and accepted by all the major airlines.

- It must be user-serviceable in the field. I didn’t want to be stranded somewhere, and not be able to work on my own device.

- It must be supported (in an ongoing fashion) either by the original manufacturer or by an outside vendor(s)

- Last but certainly not least, it had to be comfortable enough I could sit on/in it all day.

Your list may be quite different from mine, and you might look at the TravelScoot and go “ew”. In the spirit of full transparency, I bought a used 1st generation TravelScoot before we got the new one about a year later. I wanted to make sure I really liked it, and that it “fit” my lifestyle, and it did. It weighs about 35 pounds assembled, and at the time, I could still lift it by myself into and out of my vehicle.

Recently, TravelScoot came out with a whole style; it no longer folds down into a golf-bag size (although the assembled size and weight are virtually unchanged). I believe that I still have many happy years left my “old” TravelScoot, and I am in no rush to buy a new one.

You can find other posts here where I talk about my TravelScoot (I named him Angus) and how and why I came to have him. There are pictures also, although a Google search for TravelScoot will probably yield plenty of information for you.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope that you find the device that “fits” you as well as Angus has fit with my life.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Others may be able to help you with that. It’s been difficult to travel with my ECV. That’s why I’m selling it and purchasing the Falcon electric wheelchair. When I lived in Florida, I loved my ECV because I drove to the cruise ports. But, living in Hawaii, it’s too difficult to travel by plane with the ECV.

Just curious, since I also have a Go-Go (Elite Traveler) ECV. In what way is the Falcon electric wheelchair an advantage when traveling? Also, for anyone interested in the Fold and Go, check out the post on the DisAbilities Community Board. There's a very positive discussion about it.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

I fly Southwest and take my Pride Go Go Sport 3-wheel every time we go to Disney. Never had an issue. One has to declare you are bringing a motorized wheelchair when you buy your tickets and get the tags for it to be gate checked. I drive it to the end of the jetway, remove the keys, place a strip of painters tape over the keyhole, remove my basket, fold the seat down and put the gear into neutral for them to move it to the plane. When I arrive at Orlando, I wait on the plane for a while until they have a chance to bring it back up. Then I’m back on it and ready to zoom up the jetway and on to transportation to Disney. I miss Magical Express but have had good success with Mears Connect. I let them put it under the bus because I can still get up the stairs albeit slowly. If I needed a lift I would need to ask for it when I reserve and they would arrange accordingly. I like the Go Go because the seat is comfortable and the 3-wheel turn radius is great which make a huge difference if traveling on the Disney park buses or trying to speed thru the switchback lines of FOP. I also like the Delta style tiller with the wraparound handle rather than the thumb drive which can make one’s thumb sore when at Disney all day. I also got the bigger battery and never have an issue with my battery running low as long as I charge it overnight. I usually have all green lights all day. (I do turn off the ECV when stopped to preserve battery.) I’ve gotten caught in a huge downpour at Disney without an issue. I wouldn’t drive thru deep water but driving thru the surprise downpour it didn’t falter once even though we were soaked. The key has a shroud that keeps the water out when it is in the keyhole.
I wish Pride would offer the Go Go with a lighter lithium battery. I would jump at that in a heartbeat, but other than that I love the Go Go. It comes apart in about 5 pieces to place in a trunk, as well.

Thank you!! I like the look of this one. The price is also great..thank you for the Mears info, as well, I was wondering about that issue..

 

[iuki]

Yes. I read the “whole” thread in this forum on the Fold and Go. I currently have a Jazzy Zero Turn 4-wheel mobility scooter. It weighs 174 lb. Although we have an electric lift attached to our truck, when we had to transport by plane, the flight attendants were not very happy because it was so heavy when we turned it over to them at the airplane door. Also, we have had a shuttle refuse to help my husband with one arm to load it on to the van. We also need help with the ECV when getting transportation to the airport. When doing shore excursions on cruises, most times ECVs are not accommodated. However, the Falcon and Eagle electric chairs (approximately 5-10 lb lighter than the Fold and Go), and the Fold and Go are in the 50-60 lb range making it easier for my husband to handle.

 

[Evita_W]

Yes. I read the “whole” thread in this forum on the Fold and Go. I currently have a Jazzy Zero Turn 4-wheel mobility scooter. It weighs 174 lb. Although we have an electric lift attached to our truck, when we had to transport by plane, the flight attendants were not very happy because it was so heavy when we turned it over to them at the airplane door. Also, we have had a shuttle refuse to help my husband with one arm to load it on to the van. We also need help with the ECV when getting transportation to the airport. When doing shore excursions on cruises, most times ECVs are not accommodated. However, the Falcon and Eagle electric chairs (approximately 5-10 lb lighter than the Fold and Go), and the Fold and Go are in the 50-60 lb range making it easier for my husband to handle.

It doesn't really matter what the flight attendants think, ADA requires them to take care of it, there are some limits, but it seems to be within those. The shuttle driver also violated the law, but honestly, an accessible Taxi may have been easier.

 

[RoseGold]

I have a permanently disabled family member who only uses the Whill (now the Ci2) and has since the launch at CES. The thing is amazing. And it looks slick as heck, which matters if you are going to be using it at work. I wouldn't want to be using some scooter looking thing at work. The Whill looks like it means business, everyone knows it is a serious piece of medical equipment.

I really recommend going to a local mobility shop and actually seeing everything. If you find the Whill vendor near you, they will have all kinds of stuff.

I have broken down and loaded the Whill in the back of a larger sedan with another able bodied person, but I couldn't do it alone. A bigger guy probably could. We've taken the Whill on a dozen flights, everything from Frontier to first class Delta and never had an issue. Airlines regularly transport much larger and more expensive chairs, you've seen them in the parks. But there are horror stories out there about airline damage.