March 7, 2025 | Natalie Webber

What’s the best mobility scooter for steep hills and slopes in the UK?

Are you looking to buy a mobility scooter but you live in a neighbourhood with steep hills or you want to go off-road and explore the outdoors?

In this article, you’ll find out how they’re rated and how to find the best mobility scooters for steep hills in the UK.

Jump straight to:

The incline rating of a mobility scooter

All mobility scooters come with an incline rating, or maximum gradient, which indicates the maximum angle at which the scooter is safely capable of driving uphill.

A mobility scooter’s incline rating can be expressed as a percentage or a degree. This is important to understand as different mobility scooter manufacturers may use either measurement so make sure you’re comparing like-for-like.

So, what’s the difference between measuring the incline as a percentage or a degree? If measured as a percentage, this is the ratio of the rise to the run (i.e. the vertical climb to the horizontal distance). If measured as a degree, this is the angle of the incline compared to flat ground. Here’s a table with some examples so you can compare the difference:

Degree (Incline)	Percentage (Gradient)
5	8.7%
10	17.6%
15	26.8%
20	36.4%
25	46.6%

What is the steepest hill or slope a mobility scooter can climb?

The steepest hill or slope that a mobility scooter can climb depends on the type of scooter. For example, a lightweight folding mobility scooter typically has a maximum slope rating of 6-8 degrees. A larger, road-legal mobility scooter may have a greater maximum slope rating of between 10-12 degrees.

However, there are newer style all-terrain mobility scooters which can handle much greater inclines of up to 20 degrees. More on that below!

Do any other factors affect whether a mobility scooter can climb a hill or slope?

Along with a mobility scooter’s incline rating, there are other factors which may affect performance on a hill or slope, including:

The weight of the driver
The weight of the mobility scooter
The power of the motor
The type of tyres

It’s also important to understand that a mobility scooter will typically reduce speed on any hill or slope, because the motor is working against gravity. This doesn’t indicate anything is wrong!

What’s the best mobility scooter for steep hills in the UK?

Invacare Orion Mobility Scooter

Maximum slope: 10 degrees

Motor: 550W

Price: £3369.00

Scooterpac Cabin Car Mobility Scooter

Maximum slope: 12 degrees

Motor: 1400W

Price: £11,040.00

Scooterpac Invader All-Terrain Mobility Scooter

Maximum slope: 25 degrees

Motor: 1500W

Price: £7995.00

Summary

I trust this article has given you a good understanding of the best mobility scooters for hills and slopes. If you have any questions, or you’d like to book a test drive for yourself, please just get in touch.