Being able to get around is crucial for everyone, including seniors, yet mobility often decreases with age. Many seniors find that they can’t move around as they once did. Getting up, walking, and standing for any length of time becomes increasingly difficult, which can them less willing to leave the house and engage in their lives.
The right tools can make a difference, including canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters. Today, we’re providing an Explorer-Swift High-Performance 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter review.
Why this product in particular?
For one thing, it is directly relevant to my family, as both my in-laws have difficulties with movement. For another, we got the chance to test the Explorer-Swift High-Performance 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter for ourselves.
I didn’t know what to expect at first. Would my in-laws warm up to the scooter? How would they feel about going out in it? Did the scooter actually help?
The results speak for themselves.
All images in this article are © 2023 Angelica Herrera-Venson. All rights reserved.
Our Experience with the Explorer-Swift High-Performance 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter
My father-in-law is a Vietnam-era Marine who was deployed numerous times and has sustained several injuries, including a bad back. My mother-in-law is an Army veteran who had recent knee replacement surgery. They helped me evaluate the scooter and really put it to the test.
The representative helped them choose one that was appropriate for their weight and health concerns and offer them the stability needed. This is important for any mobility device, as individual needs differ so much.
We had a chance to test it in their neighborhood as well as on a day trip to Tombstone, Arizona.
Unpacking and Assembly
The scooter was shipped to us in a giant box. We weren’t sure what to expect, but everything was straightforward.
In fact, everything was neatly packed and well protected. It literally took less than 10 minutes to put together after unpacking, which was seriously impressive.
To adjust the seat, you need to pull out a pin and use it to set the height you prefer into the correct hole. I found pulling out the ring a bit challenging due to some hand pain, but it’s not impossible.
Tiller Adjustment
The company behind the scooter, VOCiC. refers to the pole that holds the control panel as the ‘Tiller.’ At the base is a large knob to adjust the tiller so that it is closer or further away from the driver, to their comfort level.
It’s important to tighten this well so it doesn’t plop on the driver while driving it. It’s also what you’d need to loosen up to fold down the scooter for transport and/or storage.
The tiller is an important feature, as it allows the scooter to be customized to the senior’s needs. We found it easy to adjust as part of the initial setup.
Control Panel
The control panel was intuitive. Place the key in the ignition and turn it on by turning it to the right. The black knob allows you to set your preferred speed range, from Turtle to Rabbit.
According to the manual, the speed range is from 0 to 3.72 mph, although it seemed to go even faster than that.
Above the black knob is the panel showing the scooter’s battery life, which is helpful in preventing it from dying on you unexpectedly. I’ll talk more about the Battery Charge and charging instructions below.
The red button turns on the headlight. However, once you’re sitting on the chair, most people don’t check to see if it’s on or off. When we tested the scooter, individuals around the driver had to tell them that their light was ON during the day, and we suggested they keep it off so it doesn’t drain the battery unless they’re in a low-lit/dark place.
The green button is supposed to be a horn – but the sound is on the weaker/ softer side to really alert anyone until they’re much closer to the scooter. It doesn’t sound like a typical horn either – but it may prompt someone to look up and ask “What was that?” It’s more like a loud beep.
Lastly, the lever made it very comfortable to drive.
Safety Features
- Headlight, front LED light, and backlight.
- There is a lever just under the seat, which allows the seat to swivel to either side (actually 360°) so you can safely step out of the scooter. My in-laws loved this feature.
- The beeping when backing up is excellent and very loud. There were instances when it was clearly helpful, especially when we were navigating inside tight spaces in the shops in Tombstone.
- When backing up, the speed is 50% slower.
The Freewheel Mechanism
This is the scooter’s electromagnetic braking mode and should be set to LOCK for regular use. When set to LOCK, the mechanism helps create a smooth experience where drivers can quickly and reliably stop.
If the scooter is powered down completely and cannot be driven, you can switch to the UNLOCK mode. In this mode, it is possible to push the scooter at a walking pace. This is most useful if the scooter has completely run out of power and needs to be moved manually. Of course, there are many ways to avoid this predicament.
However, if the scooter is still powered and is in the UNLOCK mode, it will beep. To stop this, users need to switch it back to the LOCK mode.
Storage and Travel
The armrests are very sturdy, and they fold down. The seat also folds down very easily. It’s then possible to bring down the tiller, which holds the control panel.
You can also take the basket off. We found this important so that the basket didn’t block the driver’s view.
We found it fairly easy to break down the scooter for transport. However, my mother-in-law had to tug the seat upward a little to get it loss and off the stem/pole.
The biggest issue was the weight. The scooter weighs about 100 lbs. To get it into back of my FIL’s medium-sized SUV, it took my strong husband to carry it in, or two people (my MIL & FIL) to lift it in there. It helped to remove the battery first, which weights 20 lbs on its own.
This weight could be a problem caregivers who don’t have someone to assist them. Still, the ability to fit the scooter in the back of a medium-sized SUV would be helpful in many situations. Initially, I thought we’d need to purchase a hitch for the car, and that can be an option for others with smaller vehicles.
On a side note, the scooter is not approved for air travel (international or domestic).
Drivability
The scooter has a speed setting that ranges from Turtle to Rabbit. You can then use the throttle lever to drive and move along. You lightly release the lever to slow down, or fully release to come to a stop. No break needed.
It also has shock absorbers, which create a smoother driving experience. There’s also an ergonomic seat, which was VERY comfortable.
We found that the scooter worked well in many situations. It navigated easily up and down hills, was smooth on turns, and could go over small road bumps without an issue. This made it easy for my in-laws to get from the road onto the pavement.
It even worked well over uneven rocky pavement and light gravel.
The scooter was surprisingly easy to maneuver in tight spaces, such as below, in a small shop.
On light gravel like shown below, it did great – no problem getting across this terrain.
However, with deeper gravel and small rocks common to Arizona yards, given the lack of green grass and vegetation in the area, coupled with my FIL’s weight, the scooter got stuck. It’s not meant for off-roading.
The safety of the driver matters.
In Tombstone, we had to remind my FIL to stay near the sidewalk. Just because there was limited traffic, doesn’t mean he should drive in on the street like any other vehicle or motorcycle. We also witnessed him making some very fast U-turns on the wide sidewalks, and the scooter kept up just fine, but no need to test the limits!
Battery Care
The scooter comes with a 2x12Ah lead-acid battery, plus an off-board battery charger. This allows you to remove the battery to charge it separately. The charger can charge from 240 to 100 V and 2 Amp.
The battery gauge on the control panel is very easy to read, making it easy to identify when the battery is running low – perfect for avoiding issues.
The instruction manual comes with extensive guidance for protecting the life of the battery and protecting it and you from dangers.
We initially charged the scooter for 12 uninterrupted hours, as recommended for a first-time charge. A week later, the battery charged for 8 hours just before our day trip, and it rode well for about 4 hours without ever slowing or shutting down. It only went down by one notch on the battery gauge on the control panel, suggesting it has a healthy lifespan.
It’s always important to read your manual and understand the proper care of the scooter and the battery.
Other Important Information
The Explorer-Swift High-Performance 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter is classified as a FDA Class II Medical Device. This classification means that special controls are required to assure that the device is safe and effective. To meet these requirements, VOCiC has extensively tested the scooter and obtained certification.
The controller has a one-year warranty, the battery has a six-month warranty, the frame has a three-year warranty and the consumable parts are not covered by the warranty.
Final Thoughts
My in-laws were thrilled by the Explorer. It allowed my FIL to have his first outing in quite some time, as his physical limitations had made outings like this near impossible.
The biggest issue was simply getting my in-laws to be sensible when using it and follow safety guidelines and common sense. Driving it will only get easier as they get familiar with how it handles and know its limitation. Still, anything that makes going out easier has to be worth considering.
As such, we thoroughly recommend the Explorer-Swift High-Performance 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter. I suspect many other products from VOCiC are just as high quality and effective, and you’ll also receive responsive customer support.
There is one big limitation to this review – we have no basis for comparison. This is the only mobility scooter we have tried. Perhaps others are better, perhaps they aren’t. Regardless, we are very happy with this scooter from the easy set-up to the fantastic driveability. My FIL, in particular, loved his newfound freedom.
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