Designed for drivers and vehicle passengers who want to easily lift a wheelchair or scooter into and out of their vehicle, a professionally-fitted boot hoist means that people with a disability can quickly and safely load their wheelchair or scooter into the back of their vehicle in under a minute. Choosing the right one to fit your vehicle can be a little confusing, and will often depend on your individual needs and requirements both today and in the future.
Here, Chiara Torr from vehicle adaptation specialist Mobility in Motion tells us more about the great range of boot hoists currently available for people who need help lifting a wheelchair, powerchair or scooter into the boot of their car.
If you are a wheelchair or mobility scooter user or you regularly transport someone who is, you will know all too well the difficulty of lifting and storing the mobility device into your vehicle.
A boot hoist is the most popular solution as it allows for easy loading, unloading, storage and transport of your mobility scooter, powerchair or wheelchair without needing to change your vehicle.
However, it can be difficult to figure out what type of hoist is right for you, especially if you are looking to upgrade your mobility device and/or vehicle, as there are hundreds of different vehicle and scooter/wheelchair combinations available!
Mobility in Motion, the exclusive distributor of Autochair and Brig-Ayd boot hoists, offer one of the widest selections to suit hundreds of vehicle and mobility device combinations.
The hoist you will need depends on the size and weight of your mobility device and the vehicle that you want to lift it into. So, let's explore our options below.
The Brig-Ayd 2-Way Fold-Flat Boot Hoist is a unique and versatile hoist suitable for lifting mobility devices up to 40kg with ease.
This can be fitted with a folding arm meaning it is compatible with smaller vehicles including small and family-sized hatchbacks. It can also be fitted into SUV’s, MPV’s, 4x4’s, vans and estate cars.
With a maximum lifting weight of either 40kg or 80kg, the Autochair 2-Way boot hoist is perfect for smaller, lighter mobility products such as manual wheelchairs and folding scooters, including the latest electric folding scooters.
Autochair’s 4-Way Boot Hoist is one of the most popular hoists in the UK market and has capacities up to 100kg for a large range of devices. It features a 4-Way up/down/in/out operation to support the complete loading and stowing process.
The Autochair 4-Way XL Boot Hoist is the most powerful hoist on the market, capable of lifting some of the heaviest scooters and powerchairs up to 200kg.
Mobility in Motion's boot hoists are simple to operate following a free product demonstration conducted by one of our vehicle adaptations specialists - either at your own home or through an online appointment.
Within a home visit, our Field Product Demonstrator will conduct a demonstration of the boot hoist so you can see it in action and even give you the opportunity to try it out for yourself. Ideal for those who would prefer to physically operate the adaptation before purchasing.
And in our online assessments, you will be sent across an in-depth demonstration video via email to showcase the boot hoist in action and clear instructions on how to operate it. This is particularly handy for those who have already operated similar adaptations before or for those who need quicker order turnarounds.
It’s also important for us to carry out an assessment to ensure they are recommending the correct hoist for you. Because the range of car boot hoists fit in over 600 different vehicles and can lift hundreds of different wheelchairs, powerchairs and scooters, it means the combinations of car, vehicle, scooter, and chair are almost endless!
If you feel you could benefit from a boot hoist, then you’ll probably have a few questions that you’ll want to ask before making a decision. Get in touch with our team for more information or assistance to make sure you choose the right boot hoist.
Autochair customer Mandy Altoft says her boot hoist is "a lifeline to maintaining independence for as long as possible”.
Mandy, from Hove in East Sussex added: "Without my hoist, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere alone as I would need assistance to get my chair in and out of the car. It truly is a lifeline and I’d certainly recommend either of the hoists I’ve used to my family and friends!”
This is a question we get a lot, but the answer depends on what device is being lifted into the vehicle and on the users’ abilities. A hoist can be fitted to pretty much any vehicle (we’ve fitted a boot hoist into a Mini before!) but it all depends on what is being lifted in. Sometimes the seat needs to be removed or arms need to be folded/removed and not everyone is able to do this.
Even the year the car was built can make a difference, due to changes the vehicle manufacturers sometimes make to either the shape of the boot opening, or they might decide to change the way they build the underneath of the car between model years (and move something important exactly where we need to put the hoist fixings!). This is why we don’t publish a list of suitable vehicles for our hoists. The last thing we want is for a customer to order a car and then they find out down the line their wheelchair or scooter isn’t compatible.
Our technical team are really happy to help and can advise customers on the different vehicles and devices available. After a quick chat we will be able to recommend a number of suitable combinations to consider.
If you're ordering a new Motability vehicle, it's best to choose the boot hoist at the start of your lease to make sure that it can be fitted and that it will work correctly with the model of your choice.
It’s also the most cost-effective way to get a boot hoist fitted, because asking Motability to fit a boot hoist part way through the lease is likely to be more expensive.
When you visit the Motability-accredited car dealership to test drive and order your new vehicle, ask the Motability specialist for advice about boot hoists.
If you have any further questions they should be able to recommend a local adaptation installer, or alternatively get in touch with our friendly Mobility in Motion team and book a free home demonstration or brochure.
