If your disability results in limitations to your mobility, car hoists can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life. Car hoists come in various guises including both manual and electric hoists, as well as options specially designed for lifting people from a wheelchair to a vehicle and versions intended to lift a manual or electric wheelchair, or indeed a mobility scooter in and out of a vehicle.

Car hoists for wheelchairs and mobility scooters

Advancements in engineering and design mean hoists are now capable of lifting all types of mobility equipment. A range of hoists are available, each designed to effortlessly load and unload?manual wheelchairs,?electric wheelchairs?and?mobility scooters?to and from a vehicle.

Two-way hoists are ideal if you only need to move a lighter manual wheelchair or small mobility scooter. They are capable of lifting the chair up and down using an electric motor but require users to push the chair by hand to swing it into the vehicle. Four-way hoists are developed for larger power wheelchairs or mobility scooters. They use power to lift the mobility equipment up and down, as well as to swing the wheelchair or scooter into the car.

As with the functionality, lifting capacity varies between different hoists. Options capable of lifting between 40kg and 80kg are available for small, lightweight scooters and wheelchairs, whilst more heavy-duty variants also exist. These have the capability to lift larger electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters and can carry a maximum weight of up to 200kg.

Car hoists for people

One of the most challenging tasks for wheelchair users, or those who care for disabled people with limited mobility, is transferring that person from their wheelchair or mobility scooter into a vehicle.

Similar in style and function to hoists that are used in the home, such as bath and bed hoists, car hoists utilise a sling and an electric motor to lift the person from their wheelchair and move them safely and securely to the car seat.