Boot hoist vs Rooftop hoist, what suits you best?

Car boot hoist

Most commonly installed in the car's luggage compartment, hence the name Boot hoist. These hoists are used to assist in lifting almost any sort of mobility device into a vehicle.

In larger vehicles, powerful hoists facilitate loading big mobility scooters into your car. Whereas small hoists provide ample lifting power for a manual wheelchair without taking up too much space in smaller vehicles. All in all, it's a solution that works for all sorts of mobility devices.

There is really only one caveat to the Boot hoist. You need to be able to get from the back of the vehicle to your seat in the car. For some, this might be totally out of the question, for others, a short walk, perhaps supported by the car's body, is very much a possibility.

For carers, this is a non-issue. They can assist their user and help them get seated before loading their mobility device.

As we've already mentioned, there is a wide range of boot hoists. They also have different features that help you. All hoists provide powered lift, but not all have powered rotation.

Some have folding arms that enable you to perfectly guide your load into position. Others have telescopic arms that can reach far beyond the boot and pick up a mobility device on the pavement.

Rooftop box hoist 

This solution will lift and stow a manual wheelchair in a rooftop box. At the touch of a button, it will pick up and drop off the wheelchair at either the passenger’s side or the driver's side. This means the user does not have to leave their seat to stow or retrieve their wheelchair. 

Transporting the wheelchair in a rooftop box has the added benefit that any dirt or debris on your wheelchair will not soil the interior of your car.

A rooftop hoist can be used on most vehicles regardless of their size. If the car can support a rooftop box this solution shouldn’t be a problem.

Conclusion

For someone unable to walk with or without support from the boot of their car, the rooftop hoist is by far the best solution.

For a scooter user, able to walk short distances, a boot hoist is the only option powerful enough.

For anyone else, the choice is more dependent on what type of space is most valuable to them and what type of mobility device they prefer to use. 

Having full access to the boot might be of more value to a large family or dog owners. While a rooftop box is out of the question for some, perhaps because of height limitations where they park.

As with all choices, we encourage you to talk to a professional and try out different solutions to see what suits you best.